The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-16

was gifted performer, but unfortunately
the avarice, the csprices, the jealousies of
the wondrous actress kept the theater in
an uproar, and the managers upon
pins and needles, and so the evil
was almost iniolerable. For instance,
she was created societaire in 1912, and in
lS49, when she broke her engagement, and
TO renew it exacteo a subvention of 42 900
francs, with an annual congo OF six months
besides. Then, TOO. her talent, marvellous
as it was, was not in the least malleable.
Her repertoire was n limited one, and
during her brilliant career she gave but lit
tie encouragement to contemporary fdra-
matte art, very few Of her original creations
them all was probably the Adriende Le-
couvreur of Legouve and Scribe. It was the
old destiny of Mile. Rachel to hail the
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC
of 1S4s with her wonderful defamation of
"The Marsellsise,'' and also to welcome the
advent OF the new empire with a cantata
composed by Arsene Houssaye, and enti-
tied "The Empire is Peace" which was
originally given in conjunction with CHINA,
and with a proverb by Alfred de Mussef so
that the bill tor that evening ran as follows:
"The Empire Is Peace"
CLEmpire cesL la Paix."0
.Sues 10 Nothing"
("Il ne fsht Jurer de Rien,'1
a conjunction of titles which, read by the
light of after events, seems amusing.y ap-
propriate, not to say prophetic. On
the sd of July, 1856, Mile. Rachel, then
on the eve OF her departure for
America. gave her farewell representation
a. La Coincide Francaise, playing on that
occasion in "Andromaque" and "Le Moi
neau de Les Oie." On the 11th of Japuary,
1855, the theater closed it's doors as a mark
of respect to the great actress, whose funeral
took place upon that day. And thus closed
that career which, begun in the streets had
ended upon a throne-such a throne as
genius alone ever erects-and then only
for the most gifted of her children.
The Comedie Franchise was forced to close
it's doors on the 5th of September, 1870, the
day Of the proclamation of the republic, for
sheer lack OF audience, the agitated drama of
the streets having robbed the public OF sll
taste tor the mllder excitements OF the
stage. On the 9Th "Ie Lion Amoureuxn
was given before a house of 27s francs. and
then, by official decree
THE THRATRR WAS CLOSED,
and its foyer and green room transformed
Favort, Brohan, Reiquier, Nathalie, and
other of its leading actresses. On the 25th
of October, in the midst of the siege, day.
light performance was given for the benefit
of the victims of the war. The pro-
gramme consisted of fragments of sLes
Horaces" and the "Misanthrope," recited
in everyday costume, and of q number of
pieces of verse written for the occasion, one
oh which, the "Cuirassiers of Reichshoffen,"
by M. Emile Bergerot, obtained great sue
cess. This performance was 30 successful
that other matinees were given from time
TO time dunRg the siege. Strange repre-
sentations must those have been, given
by the gray light of the winters
day in the dim unheated theater. the
boom of distant cannon Striving as accom-
paDiment to the voices of the actors, while
the male members of the troupe were often
forced to appear in their uniforms as sol
diers of the national guard, or of the Mobile.
because they did not dare to change
their clothes in their freezingly cold dressing
rooms. One of the actors, NJ. Didier
Jules Seveste, was mortally wounded
in the last combat of the siege, and was
transported to the theater, where
kept open its doors during the whole dura.
ton OF the Commune, not with any expecta-
ton OF pecuniary profit, for the receipts had
fallen to mere nothing, but in the sole de-
sire OF self-preservation. The chiefs of
the Commune were very anxious to take
possession of the building, which they
considered as valuable strgtegetical
post. commanding, as It does, the Rue Rich
elieu and the Rue st. Honore; but the di-
rector, by dint OF batteries and cajoleries,
and by the free distribution of tickets among
the influential members of the party, man.
aged to dissuade them from their purpose.
On the 18th OF May the actual receipts of the
theater were eghty-one francs. On the 2lst
il closed its doors and remained closed dur
ing the terrible struggle between the gov
ernment troops and the communists, and
then was reopened for good on the lst of
June, 1871.