The New York herald., 1876-03-05
THE DRAMA ABROAD.
Alexandra Dumas New Play, lie
trangere," in Paris.
an AMERICAN ADVENTURES THE HEROINE.
Mr.. Irving's Appearance in Lon
don as Othello.
PARIS. Feb. IT. 1915


new play by Alexandra Dumas cannot fairly be
Eldered in any other light than a national in
Paris He perhaps the greatest living dramatist in
any country If merit is to be judged by success which
Is the only satisfactory oft He is certainly the
greatest dramatst in France and here the stage has
Tar higher interest than the Senate the Bar Nothing
short Of revolutions will call the attention Parsans
10 politics nothing short OF a wholesale massacre,
nnder circumstances of extraordinary atrocy, will
induce them to read the details of criminal trial.
But the mere announcement OF n comedy a drama
by Dumas, Anjer sardou event discussed over
svery chicken salad consumed in a country where all
sat chicken salad who afford It, Nor is the curious
interest aroused by dramatic writings among the
French people by any means unreasonable They have
the best theatres in the world and every French man
and every French woman born an actor or an act
ress, while the excellence Cf their theatres and of
their acting contributes not little TO the material
wealth and prosperity Of France II must also be ad-
mtted that French playwrghis are
TnE KINGS THKIR CRAFT,
and that they treat vexed questions of morality in
broad effective manner, quite unknown TO the Teuon
Or Anglo-Saxon race. II Is not going too far TO add
that almost every in the Old World which has
marked a OF progress and enlightenment has
been suggested by French play. Thus 1t was Molere
Rho purified the profession OF medicine from quacks
and pretenders Beaumarchais who broke the last et
bcfs ol lhc ltuud foitdIo "uo uemohsucu
some supers;itons in religion contemplate those
Of the Drulds.
Moreover, the very profession of dramatst in
France viewed with peculiar honor; and there
little which can DO won by any French citizen that
commands such general respect the designation of
"Academician-" To this crowning glory OF well
spent literary life NJ Alexandra Dumas has recently
tanned; and "L'Etrangere, the piece which has
Just been brought out at the Franeais, Is the frs
dramatic effort he has made since his elevation
For several months past NJ Dumas play has been the
subject of civil at the Theatre FrancaIs. Part OF
The company of this national institution bitterly
opposed TO NJ Dumas, for genius has always enemies
and detractors; another party, equally powerful who
had no personal dislike for NJ Dumas were scandal2ed
at his piece and shared an opinion expressed by the
late Emperor, that his only fitted for the
small theatres the Boulevards First therefore, NJ
Got threw up his part then NJ Deaunay followed suit,
and it whispered that two ladies of the company
proceeded to active hostility before their rival claims
could be appeased Finally, after weeks Of expectation
and disappointment the curtain the evening of
the Nth INST solemnity about as impressive
coronation or a declaration of independence
STATE
it is the fashion to call MacMahon, present at
it, and all that is flush and fair in France. No dra-
matte author since Moiere has been treated with
such distinction the author of "L'Etrangere," and
lhe only question which arises is whether he has
Increased or diminished his reputation by work
seved with such extraordinary favor Here a brief
summary OF the plot
Duke Maxmin dc septmont is worthless and
ruined young who shares the nominal honors OF
French title signifymg nothing with unknown
number Of other persons. NJ. Morceau is vulgar
foolish old fellow who has amassed fortune by selling
Shoddy for than is worth in the Rue ST. Denis
Duke Maximin, hard pressed by his debts, wants
money. NJ. Moriceau, equally worried by stupid
ambitions nobility. These persons
brought together at the house of
cLARKsoN IL u'RTRASGEREl
American adventures, who sells her advice and
good Offices for round sums of ready money bargain
is then struck between them and Moriceau buys the
Duke for his daughter Catherine a brilliant and
snowy paythne. Mrs. Clsrkson receives moderate
commission in the transaction In the shape Of $3.50 OOO
more or less, from the parties concerned
and there is an end of It, In due
Catherine Moroccan discovers that she meant
10 buy husband and has only purchased duke. She
Is dissatisfied with her bargain and to keep
pany with Gerard. young engineer with
whom Mrs. Clarkson is in love. The American lady
lights this question with her, and, order to get
convenient battle ground offers to give So 600 TO
charity Of which the Duchess paroness for the prvi-
egc OF taking cup of tea with her The Duchess tells
her that II she get presented in the regular way she
will receive her oh, very wer" observes the Duke,
vi will present
THE CHARMING STRANGER
TO yJu;" and he does The Duchess then gives her
cup Of tea and breaks the cup atoms alter she has
drank out OF IT, Mrs Clarkson, finding, indeed that
Duchess Maximin is unmanageable, rouses her hus-
bands jealousy, and ultimately brings about series OF
quarrcls, in which Duke Maximn Is killed by her own
divorced husband clarkson, very rough diamond
aud Mrs. Chrkson Cetrangere) having lost the game
Tor which she has played, leaves the Duchess be
happy ever ancrward with their mutual lover, Gerard,
he vrtuous engineer.
This is fair though necessarily brief account the
play about which all France Is talking, and
opinions much divided about it. One OF its great
auts in American eyes Will be It's mischevous
tendency to revive much exploded about
slaves and slave owners, which was never very true
very likely and another objection 10 IL is that IL
reopens a ridiculous scandal circulated months
ago the effect that American ladies In Paris were
among the spies OF the police and the foreign diplo-
mutisis The calumny absurd, but there were
also people absurd enough believe it, and it is pity
that NJ Aexandre Dumas should have lent tho sane
lion Of his great name to t.
ACTING
of"L'Etrangere' was perfection acting can
be, and Got Coqueln Cadet Thiron Croisette and
Sarah Bernhard would have saved the vorcsl non.
written from blame that their rendering
Of Dumas prose really wonderlu; while the
dresses OF the ladies quite triumphs OF millinery
and dressmaking.
1RvINGs oTHELLo-THR sHAKEspEARIAN FURoR
IN LoNDoN-IRvING's ART PRoGREss-HIs
CONCEPTION or THE MooR-A GREAT sUc-
cEss-MRs. GROVES EMILIA.
LoNDoN, Feb Is, 1870
Booking scat yesterday for the nrstnight perform.
ance Of 'Othello" at the Lyceum Theatre Jokingly
venurod the remark the boxkeeper that Mr. Irving
possibly relished the prospect OF his forthcoming
trial before what Mr.. Tom Taylor apty calls "The
Critics Tribunal Of First instance" Il don't think
II matters much which way their judgment goes, was