New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-17
PARIS CORRESPONDENCE.
French Theatricals.

PARIS, July 30, 1870.
Grave as are the times, when fiction and
romance ought to hide their diminished
heads before the stern reality of war,
nevertheless there are depressed hearts who
find relief at the theatres. The outbreak Of
hostilities has forced the premature return
Of many urtistes from their starring tours
at the German watering places, and in
few days several of the Paris theatres will
be compelled to reopen before the end of
the summer season. For the moment
the pas is to the Marseillaise and patriotic
songs. Wehave a few anti-Prussian ballets
and some dramas in a similar vein are being
rehearsed, where the enfants de la gr'ande
-armee Of 1870, will find local habita-
ton among battlefelds and bivOuacs.
Victorien Sardou prepares, in haste, a
patriotic piece-but the music will not be
BY Offenbach-as this author (Gcrman)
will follow the example OF other great
powers, by strict neutrality. The stage
will soon be as much PrussO-phobish as the
journals, and the nitrailleuses cut short the
necessity for waking mp the patriotic fire.
The moment is sOmbre, let us commence
with piece in character.
The theatre of Grenelle is far from the
heart of Paris, yet it represents the Paurre
Idiot by Dupeuty and Sontau, first played
in the capital in 1888, and since then adopted
by the Provinces, where it ever draws, and
brings down house. The plot is not more
remarkable that the Incompatible acting of
Laperriere, who plays the part Of the Poor
Idiot, and has done so since it was first
put on the boards. Gaspard Hauser, the
Idiot, is the victim Of an atrOcious- ven
geance; he is a love child, ard the offspring
of adultery, and carries, during his life, the
consequences of the maternal fault and
marital anger On May &c, lS2S-these facts
are true-a citizen Of luxembourg, found
at his threshold a poor country lad, with
an air very foolish, and holding IN his hand
letter. Being questioned, he replied he
came from RatisbOn-then spoke nosmOre,
or rather could not. The letter was ad-
dressed to a civil officer, from the frontier
of Bavaria, setting forth that the writer was
poor laborer-that the bearer, in 1912 was
left at his house, abandoned; that since
then the child never left him; that he had
him brought up Christian, and knew how
to read and write The lad never replied
as to who was his father but desired to
become, like him, cavalier Being
asked his own name, he wrote Gaspard
Hauser. He cried then; pity was taken on
him, and home provided. He was a
or meat; never wore % shoe: had a cat-like
instinct; was sort of Peter the Wild Boy
Lord Stanhope took an interest in the
founding. But in December. 1885, a
stranger invited the idiot to meet him at
night, to hear good news from Lord Stan
hope, and the history of his own origin.
Gaspard was punctual, and his reward was
to be stabbed to the heart. Laperriere
represents the idiot. Sordid. in rags, hair
4 ~, %1n he Of hut
nibbling piece of bread, or later, uttering
inarticulate cries, sObs and groans; and he
caresses a flower, nurses it, gives it drink,
and places it i'll the sunshine TO revive its
fading charms For Gaspard is not an idiot
as commonly understood, nor a cretin
either, but an intelligence compressed,
martyred, and enigmatical. How did the
actor study his part! Long ago DR.. RicOrd
gave him a pass to visit the asylum at
Clarendon, and the Governor permitted
him to visit as he liked. A garden of the
that had killed his mother, and that the law
had hesitated to pronounce murderer, and
science fool. The garden and actor en-
tered into a profound discussion about the
| soul and brain, and the visitor. surprised at
| his guides intelligence, asked his name, and
was astonished to learn the believed ga,die',
was an ''inmate"-the brother of Victor
Hugo The drama is truly moving one,
| and deservedly applauded.
| AS a play suited to circumstances dctueues
can not be turned out while you say Jack
| Robinson. the Iheahe-Frdncdis had moth
| ing ready in its culver but to revive the
| Lion AniOareur of Ponsard. 1t would re
quire all Count Molke's strategic talent tc
| find in the piece where the Germans art
''hit" The only point is where Hubert
apostrophises the incredulous in the sailor
OF Nine Sallien. Beat the Prussians and
| not the Jacobins." However, the house
| curious coincidence, when the play was
first brought out a few years ago, Prince Leo
pold Hohenzollern. who has contributed t.
set the world in blaze, was present anG
did not relish the line as above. On the
present occasion the house was next to de
serted save those few painted ladies ant
dyed gentlemen; spectators, whose three
| score years and ten rush to spectacles t.
find their evening composing draught. Ye
Brestant, as Humber, whether in fun o.
fury, was perfect: no acting could be more
finished. Madeleine Brohan showed that +;
lion among ladies is not most dreadful
thing, although Bottom. the weaver, asserts
the contrary. In her hands, whether as ;
pretty waitress or the star of the celebrated
salon. she tames the noble animal and thu
lion lies down with the lamb. Mile. POusin
as a rira,diere, is dangerous camp fol
lower. If the French were to send he
with her little tub into the enemy's camp
she would prove as effective on the sons o
Mars as a mitrailleuse.
The same theatre has produced Alfred d.
Mussets il ne fat j,,rer dc ,ien, whicl
many consider in point OF FRESHNESS
and vigor of imagination the author
chef deere. He mandates all that tsp
dantic, pretensiOus in the successful, We
vulgar citizen. Delaunay acted the seducer
conquered by the audacious candor, by tn
effr0ntery of purity itself, OF his intended
victim. 1t is a case where innocence i
saved by her nudity. But how could poo
de Musset, who loved the gentle sex s.
truly, put such language-untit for ear
polite-into woOer's mouth. The charac
ter of the country priest is well drawn AM
well given. He is an able, at once plou
and free and easy, always remaining, how
ever, the best Christian in the world. Th
carricature is lively without being malevo
lent. ORLEANS.
| DIED.