THE MAJERONIS.

Evening Star, Issue 7331, 1 October 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MAJERONIS.

These distinguished artistes, who last visited Dunedin a little over ten years ago, make their reappearar.ee at the Princess's on Wednesday night in "Fedora." They are supported by a capable company, and, though the season is necessarily limited to eight nights, no less than six plays will be presented. Of "Fedora," the 'Sydney Morning Herald' says:—" This play, which has been talked of and written about a great deal during the last few years, has at last been produced at the Opera House here by the Mdjeronis, and the general verdict given last night was that the drama has certainly not been over-praised. It is a model of construction, its plot intelligible from the very first scene, constantly developing fresh interest, and working up to a most powerful climax, and the dialogue is bright and epigrammatic. The plot is a succession of tragedies interspersed with treachery and deceit; but it was full of a curious fascination which grows upon one, and the characters are so unconventional that each one is a study in itself—from the old spy Ichileff, who only appears in the first scene, to Fedora herself, who is rarely absent from the stage five minutes. Sardou seems to have Btudicd Russian character and social life as no other dramatisthas ; and several of his plays deal with them. In ' Diplomacy,' for instance, Countess Zicka and Baron Stein were distinctively Russian ; 'Les Danicheffs' was a lesson on Russian class distinctions ; but ' Fedora' is a deep, subtle analysis of the Muscovite character, that mixture of the Oriental passion and European polish which more western nations find it hard to understand. The Napoleonic saying ' Scratch the Russian and you will find the Tartar' is fully borne out in Fedora, a lovely, accomplished, fascinating woman, ■whose every attitude 13 a picture, and ■who moves with the undulating grace of a beautiful snake, but who, to revenge the death of the man Bhe loves, strikes madly with all the venom of the snake, careless what lives are swept away so long as among them is that of her enemy. She is a modern embodiment of the Lamia, the serpent woman of old; and, in spite of her luxurious refinement, the less said of her principles the better, seeing that she lies and plots, bears false witness, tries to betray an innocent man to death, and winds up by poisoning herself. Even her death is consistent. She does not fear to die, but she shrinks from a blow, and so flies to what the nature of her subsequent sufferings would indicate to be strychnine. But revolting as all this seems, considered in cold blood, Sardou has made the Romanzoff Princess such a living woman that her crimes and passions, her suffering and grief, are not for the time being shocking, for you see that she only does what her nature and her breeding compel her to do, and her death seems almost an expiation. Fedora is like no other woman, and her story, morbid as it may be, has a fascination which few plays possess." And of Signora Majeroni's impersonation of the principal character the same paper says :— Signora Majeroni impersonates Fedora with splendid verve that we could scarcely have expected, high as her talent has been already known to be. Her performance is a revelation of deeper talent than she has previously shown—not alone the power of pourtraying fiery passion in look and voice and gesture, or in the representation of the very abandonment of grief, but in those lightning transitions from raging hate to icy calmness, which covers her passion like a veil, albeit the veil is agitated by the storm it conceals. Anything finer than her treacherous dalliance with Ipanoff, the voice breathing love while the eyes dart hate and the lust for blood, could scarcely be imagined ; while the last act is almost indescribable, so full is it of interest. Fedora, being a wealthy princess, naturally dresses well; and Signora Majeroni's costumes are not only costly, but works of art. There are a couple of evening dresses, a tea gown, and a peignoir, which are calculated to excite envy in the breast of any average woman who may happen to see them. Signor Majeroni has made a superb study of the part of Loris Count Ipanoff, and it is set down as one of his best characters. '