Theatre Report from Botzen: Performance of "Belisarius" under Karl Ziegler

Appendix.

Art *).

Botzen, 22 Jan. Today, Eduard Schenk's well-known drama "Belisar" was performed at the local theatre under the direction of Karl Ziegler. The proceeds were designated for the benefit of the Etterich family. However limited the troupe's resources may be, and however little a favourable outcome was therefore expected from the staging of this play, the success was all the more fitting. The performance was received with great applause and with such satisfaction that the acting company could truly counter the ill humour of the correspondent who recently wrote in this paper no better than by continuing to earn the public's favour through several such presentations. — The performers who contributed most to the success of the production through their efforts are: Mr. Ziegler, Madame and Demois. Etterich. Director Ziegler played the role of Belisar, which undeniably demands great exertion, precision of acting, and swift dexterity. He met these demands, and we observed with genuine pleasure in this performance that Mr. Ziegler wisely knew how to temper his usual, somewhat excessive rapidity of delivery, which not infrequently renders him incomprehensible, and did not allow himself to be carried away by the pathos that in certain passages is especially tempting to his temperament. His acting was most accomplished in the second act, in the scene where Belisar defends himself against the slanderous accusation of the two courtiers, and at the beginning of the third act, where the unfortunate, blinded hero, banished by his emperor and deeply bowed by the malice of his enemies, finds his noble-minded daughter, who voluntarily follows her beloved father into distress and misery. One saw in these scenes that Mr. Ziegler did not merely rely on the faithful and prompt memorisation of his role, as he had often done before, but also strived to grasp its deeper meaning. We hope that he will always adhere to this in future and, moreover, never depart in delivery and gesture from the character he is to portray; he will then place the local audience even more frequently in the pleasant position of bestowing upon him well-deserved applause and the desired encouragement. At the same time, we would recommend to him as director that he exercise greater care in the selection of plays and, instead of the rustic Viennese local farces, which can at best arouse interest on the spot, present good comedies alternating with well-crafted dramas and tragedies. Even though we unfortunately possess only a small number of the former genre in German literature, the latter two unquestionably contain very many rewarding works whose diligent staging would certainly be acknowledged with gratitude here as well and soon win more patrons for the theatre. Both the Etterichs, of whom the mother played Antonina and the daughter Irene, were capable as almost always, especially Dem. Etterich. This still very young woman exhibits a decided talent for the theatre, and her budding ability would soon achieve much worthy of praise under experienced guidance. Meanwhile, as stated, she remains young enough to develop into a very capable actress in the future, should she have the good fortune of working closely with excellent models. Her clear, beautiful voice, her distinct, correct pronunciation, and her proper intonation are particularly pleasing. For the present, we advise her to undertake the diligent and deliberate reading of good dramatic works so as to nourish and inspire her awakening sentiments, and to guard against that mechanism so common among actors and actresses which at best memorises the respective part mindlessly, without comparing the characters acting in the play or striving for a well-justified ensemble performance for the sake of the whole. M.

*) Out of fairness, the editors felt obliged to include this subsequent review, which differs considerably from the earlier article on the theatre in Botzen contained in No. 5 of the Bothe v. u. f. T. u. V., while declaring at the same time that for the time being no further critiques or pleasantries concerning such itinerant theatres will be admitted, das prota Litteratur! — Ed.