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PLAYS AND PLAYERS IN MODERN ITALY Photograph by NOVELLI PLAYS AN IN MODERN ITALY BEING A STUDY OF THE ITALIAN STAGE AS AFFECTED BY THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL LIFE MANNERS AND CHARACTER OF TO-DAY BY ADDISON McLEOD WITH ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON SMITH, ELDER CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE 1912 FAll tights reserved To all the good actors and gentle actresses of the Italian stage who find no place in this work, it is dedicated by the Author, who has lost more by missing their performances than they by losing a place in this chronicle. PREFATORY NOTE THE Author wishes to express his indebtedness to the photographers who have furnished illustrations for this work. In respect of the four illustrations from drawings, he wishes to call attention to the difficulties under which these were made taken by the young artist he was only eighteen or nineteen from drawings dashed off in the course of the representation, in almost total darkness. Whatever else they are, they are really faithful and characteristic. The Author has to thank M. Ernest Flammarion for permission to use matter contained in his edition of Le Pere Lebonnard Finally, the dedication is not a formal matter, but the discharge of a duty and the Author hopes sincerely that it may find its way to the eyes of those to whom it is addressed. May 1912. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I, INTRODUCTION ....... r II. ITALIAN PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS ... 33 III. ITALIAN PLAYERS . . . . .175 IV. THE ITALIAN STYLE ...... 235 V. THE DIALECT THEATRE ..... 270 VI. THEATRES AND AUDIENCES. DIVAGANDO . . 305 APPENDICES ....... 337 INDEX ........ 349. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS NOVELLI ....... Frontispiece COME LE FOGLIE ACT I, SCENE 4 . To face p. 74 COME LE FOGLIE ACT IV .... 76 LACOMMEDIA BELLA PESTE ACT II .. I 2 LA COMMEDIA BELLA PESTE ACT III . . 138 ELEONORA DUSE, IN LA CITTA MORTA ., , 173 GINA FAVRE, IN I BUFFONI J . . . 183 TINA DI LORENZO . . . . ., , 185 DINA GALLI 196 TOMMASO SALVINI ..... 200 DE SANCTIS 203 ZACCONI, IN IL CARBINALE LAMBERTINI . 222 BENINI, IN IL BUGIARDO ... 288 FERRAVILLA 292