They are so possessed by the
one thing at a time as never to be habitual in any lifeless sense. They
have no habits to overcome by something arbitrary and intentional.
Accordingly, you will find in the open-air theatre of many an Italian
province, away from the high roads, an art of drama that our capital
cannot show, so high is it, so fine, so simple, so complete, so direct,
so momentary and impassioned, so full of singleness and of multitudinous
impulses of passion.
Signora Duse is not different in kind from these unrenowned. What they
are, she is in a greater degree. She goes yet further, and yet closer.
She has an exceptionally large and liberal intelligence. If lesser
actors give themselves entirely to the part, and to the large moment of
the part, she, giving herself, has more to give.
Add to this nature of hers that she stages herself and her acting with
singular knowledge and ease, and has her technique so thoroughly as to be
able to forget it--for this is the one only thing that is the better for
habit, and ought to be habitual. There is but one passage of her mere
technique in which she fails so to slight it.
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