Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1877 — A Wonderful Baby Actress. [ARTICLE]

A Wonderful Baby Actress.

There has recently appeared at the Arena Nazionale Theater, of Florence, one of the mo6t wondrous dramatic geniuses that ever trod the stage. I speak of a born artiste, in the person of Gemma Citniberti, a child of five years. She is a lovely creature, with a figure as exquisitely beautiful as if it had been molded by Praxiteles, arms that rival those of the Venus de Medicis, a graceful head, eyes as bright as two stars, a sweet mouth with pearl-white teeth, and features that seem capable of every kind of expression. Young as she is, her voice is sympathetic, elastic and well-toned to an extraordinary degree. The little angel, for she really seems a supernatural creation, is all grace and witchery. While she is provoking thunders of applause and floral tributes in such profusion that the stage is covered with bouquets like a great flower-garden, she herself is apparently unconscious of. the extent of her triumph. She enters into her part with such natural zest that it does not seem acting, and appears rather the extemporaneous utterance of her own brain. Less artificial acting has never been witnessed. She is altogether a child of nature. She memorizes rapidly, and relates whatever she has acquired with a tenacity that nothing can disturb. She has, as it were, an intuitive perception of the character she plays, and without aid or instruction she developcs it with marvelous correctness. ' -

Undoubtedly) Gemma is an instance of the rarest precocity, but there is no evidence of overstrained application to produce extraordinary effects. She walks the stage with as much ease and freedom as if she had trod it all her life. She talks, laughs, mimics, coquets, makes love and accepts the homage of adorers as) prettily as the most accomplished actress could do. She enjoys the perform ance as much as the audience, and forgets herself entirely in her part. It is difficult to distinguish between the child and the actress. Off the stage she is as guileless, as merry and playful as other children of her age. Nothing pleases her better than to romp and sport with her little friends. She is, in fact, apparently unconscious of her power aud endowments, and itJsonly when studying her. part that she becomes serious and reserved. All Florence nightly flocks tc see her. The performers at the other theaters go to study her and learn from her. Poets have written verses in her honor, and the celebrated writer, Yittorio BersCrio, has criticised her performances at length. If she were Kistori herself, he could not have spoken of her acting in more laudatory terms. The journals seem to have forgotten the Eastern question in their enthusiastic admiration for this infantile prodigy of beauty and talent The wife of Salvini, tile tragedian, made her a gift of a precious necklace, and ihe Princess ltoyal Margherita, expressed her appreciation in a present of exquisite beauty and of. considerable value. On the night of her benefit, verses in her praise, printed on tinted and perfumed paper, were showered down oh the boxes from the upper tiers in thousands of copies. All the elite of the ancient TftßP*n .capital, the nobility and the professional classes were present, each one seeming to vie with the other in the expression of his enthusiasm Such a scene, where a child of five years of age held one of the most refined and intellectual aidiences that ever gathered within the walls of a theater spell-bound bv the exhibition of her histrionic talents, has never been seen in any other coun-

try. Master Barry, the English youthful prodigy, was of another style, and not to be compared in qualities of mind and character with Gemma. While she has brain she lias a good physique, and body and mind seem to be fairly balanced, one against tlie other. Sbe is a healthy child, physically and morally. Carahere Rossi, tbe great tragedian, predicts for ber a splendid career, and that spe will improve with age until she becomes the greatest actress the world has ever seen. Little Gemma has an ingenuous ambition. Sbe plays now to please those most near and dear to her; but she will soon love to delight tbe great world, to feed on its applause, and to fascinate it v ith her maturely developed genius. Heaven smile on thee, tittle Gemma! Thou art now tlie joy of thy parents, the idol of an enraptured public, and hereafter if thy life is spared, the world will be filled with thy fame. —Naples Cor. Philadelphia Preen.