The New York herald., 1878-02-10
ANUS MENTS.

THE FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE-sIDoNIE
Every seat and box in The Filth Avenue Theatre
Sas filled last evening TO the FIRST production
n New York OF Daudct's s'Sidonie" The play is
dramat zaion IRON Daudet's popular novel, "fro
mont Jeune ct Rslcr Ainc" mado by tho
author and produced IN Paris with great sue
The English version Is by Mr. Frederick
A. Schwab, and is not only translation but
an Intelligent translation from the French. Mr..
schwab has preserved the Of tho original with
out adhering to tns very words that We have tho
spirit without the idoms OF the language The story
OF sidonie need not be told anew. 1t is already
known 10 the readers Of the HERALD. We shall merely
show how the novel is treated. The first two
acts comedy Tho first act 10 in the parlor
u vefour's Gale on the morning Of Sidone's wedding
breakfast 1t is simply Introductory and serves TO
give Dolooelie chance TO DO very amusing as sort
crushed tragedian. The second act Is principally
that very clever chapter OF the book describing
Sidonie s'at home" sidone has begun TO assert her
rights as the wife o: rich man and to carry j
sn her Intrigue with young Fremont Tho
ihird act represents the villa at BougvaL Franz
returns from Egypt and Sidonic practises that
lille bit of deccntve love making which comes near
running him. Tho fourth act Is IN Desirees work
appears and comforts MIN with the letter he wrote
her in moment of excitement Desiroe hears IL read
unseen by Franz Sidonic. The nth ACT, which Is
the last place in the Office OF Fremont Rsler
The ball is going on up stairs ol Planus, the iah
1ul cashier, is bending over hts accounts which
bode such evil the firm. The different
persons with the play enter from the ball.
flanus tells Rlslcr that the firm / the verge OF
bankruptcy and of the inhdclty OF his wife and his
partner Fremont Risler calls sidonle to he room,
tears The jewels IRON her neck, arms and and
bids Panus sell them to discharge the debts oil tho
nrm Then he forces SidoIie on her knoes |
Inc adaeey and ushes from sn. room or
the fatal letter written her by Franz She returns
with and begius eagerly to read It aloud when De-
An lnPkgu gurd fhA lQtl
written TO her by Franz; and to prove what she SAYS
repeats It line by line sidonic is bahled.
vessel and falls dead at her husbands feet. |
It Will be seen by the foregoing that while sidonie Is
woman or very loose moral character, she teaches
esson, and, though she may be almost as bad as |
Palma "Dead Secret" she is not allowed to run
play trumphs over vice. for the good ana gentle
Desrec Is not only made happy. but sne works
,ut the happiness Of all the other characters
i,donc. For the first acts we felt that
Inc scarcely ligh; euongh,hat is. light enough
Ior the character as wo understand 1t from careful
reading OF Inc book. We imagine Sidonie weak
woman ruined by her vanity, but we have met per
looked upon her as "a strong character led
lstray devil In her composition II the lat
Ter be the idea then received lis proper inter
probation at the hands of Miss Rogers, she made
aer revengciul well as vain. Iu tie last act, where
,he frightened Is forced upon her knees, Miss
Rogers acting was exceedingly powerful, and LATER
IN the samo act, when she Is brought TO bay. Miss
Annie Edmondson was pretty and attractive as the
simple hearted wiic of Fromont Miss Louise Eldridge
quito amusing to look ut as Mmc CheDe. but she
bad little TO say, and Miss Isabella Thyme played
Uesirce with nice feeling. While MIR. Couidock
played the senior member OF the firm very well, he
represented him as older man than we imagined
Risler TO be- II there was such disparity between
The ages OF this husband and wife there moro
excuse for Sidonie Mr.. Gossin was neither
very bad nor very good the weak
minded and rather vicious Fremont, junior
The Franz Riscr of MIR. George Clarke was an
acceptable performance. The DoobeIle OF Mr Tom
WhifTen was very amusing and carefully conceived
creation He played crushed tragedian without Once
suggesting imitation OF any otoer actor unless II
might oe Edwin Booth. Messrs. Morris and Bassett
good their respective roles OF Chcbc PEREZ and
the old cashier. The play ran very smoothly and the
In ntercst increased with every act II is full Of little
surprises, which the audience received with marks OF
approval called tho curtain up on several OF tho
acts.