The New York herald., 1879-08-31
THE COMEDIE FRANCHISE.
New Light Thrown Upon Their
Trip to London.
COUNTING THE COST.
Successes that Ended in Jealousies, Ri
vaIries and Disappointments
PARIS. August 10. 1879.

The Coincide FRANCHISE has just returned to its
good city OF Paris. which it should have left.
We have just seen the epogue of the famous voyage
to London which for months had been in every
body's mouth Paris has held wassai in honor of
Its well loved comedians return. and their theatre.
renovated from floor ceiling has been nanguratcd
with such cheers and kindly greetings as had grown
strange to the Of of the artists. The Eng
lish campaign was only brilliant for few; it was
agreeable for none
And despite the public warmth the return was
sad and dispiriting. Even there broods
the theatre atmosphere of gloom. Small clouds
arc rising in the horizon that ominous of
wounded pride. Of self-deception. Of sown
jealousies and Of hatred. pent and snioth-
ered that will some day burst into tempest. Not
that the artists let you porceve in their language
the least little feeling of bitterness Not that they
allow you to hear the slightest complaint. On the
contrary. they profess themselves delighted with
their journey. Question any one Of them and you
get the same reply. Success? Why it was un-
precedentcd. For my own part never so woll
treated Whenever I appeared the house rang with
plautiits and the stage Uttered with flowers"
1t is the same everywhere. They all brimming
with praises Of London its life and its inhabi-
tants. They protest that the two months spent in
England were the happiest Of their existence And.
for all that. there is something in their manner.
their faces their attitudes which gives the lie their
words. They are harassed with vexation and ia
hgue. Some of them have turned gray during
the journey.
-"i HARD TO LEARN THE TRUTL:.
At Paris everybody has agreed to hoodwink the
public. Some of the newspapers not only applaud
the optimism Of the actors but try to improve on
It. The Theatre Francais has for several years be-
como an institution to be admired at all hazards
power that nobody to dispute. 1t is small
State within the State. The first theatre in Europe
Is an integral part of human progress; and few
risian journalists independent OF its moral
influence that they venture to recte tho dis
tresses of q most unfortunate trip, or to publish,
frankly and boldly, that il the English msnager
made money by the services Of the company the
eminent artists themselves were far from meeting
with tho artistic consideration and personal success
to which they were in every way entitled.
Nor have French journalists much information on
the subject They know just much. or just as
little. those who interested choose lot them
know. The few brethren of the guild who went to
London stayed there merely for The first two three
performances, and could form no conclusions from
what they saw. Francisque Sarcoy alone has probed
the matter and having probed it, he is silent for he
travelled as the actors humble and devoted histo-
ri IN. constituting himself their guide and philoso
pher no less than their 1riend aud is therefore
more than ordinarily careful of hurting
their feelings. He accompanied them
IL
10 please them he devoted himself to peans OF adu.
lation. Throughout the whole theatrical peregrina-
tion he shouted his ceaseess song of praise. His
ferule Of schoolmaster and critic he left Paris.
The usher slipped or his suit of rusty black and
wen went Tor holiday. He was never tired Of burning
trophized the sun. 80 Sarcey addressed the come
dians:-
Forbear conquer, sun. or I to write
In short, he had SO far become one of the prop.
critics Of the Coincide Franchise that his estmony
practically worthless He had lost all authority
In fha
the hour OF his seasickness.
DIsoRGANIzED FROM FIRST.
The Parisians, therefore, have had means of
learning the truth. They little for foreign Lam
guagcs, nothing for English newspapers. Chauvin-
to believe comfortably that all their great players
were warmly greeted. and no exceptions were made
But was it SOP 1t is fragment of dramatic his
tory worth moments study-nay. more than
moments. for the company is celebrated through
the whole world and is absolutely unique Of its
kind.
Frankly then. the trip was one long series of an
noyances and disappointments Nearly all the trav-
Everything went against them. 1t is a matter
OF common repue that even before they started the
question Of pecuniary interest. treated in
an unworthy manner. The leading artists.
the oldest, those who, in their capacity as
socieaires share in the profits the house. imposed
upon their younger comrades. tho pensionnairos,
certain onerous conditions which the latter wore
bound to accept but against which they noisly
tosted These dissensions from within produced
painful effect. Many people of sense and Judgment
amazed to tnd that actors OF high talent ould
show themselves to be tradesmen rather than artists
1t was deplorabe beginning. The departure
took place amid quarrels which augured i'll for what
was to follow.
To make matters worse n. Perrin. the skilful
administrator. who has made the Comedie Fran
caiso what 1t Is to-day was prevented by the death
Of his wife from sailing with the company. His abb
sence was singularly noticeable during the first few
days. Even tho departure seemed to be affected by
1t. The clements joined forces against the troupe.
and the passage made one of the
ately after the arrival the grumbling began. The
Gaiety rheatre was found to be smaller
more poorly equipped than the artists had imagined.
The stage. in particular. seemed of the narrowest
dimensions. particularly to actors who had been
wont to stride across their magnificent boards the
liuo Richelieu All the artistic comfort that their
tastes and their talents demanded absolutely
wanting. The scenic accessories, so necessary to
their wcllbeng, were either absent or ridiculousiy
poor. The dressing were mean ana dirty.
Instead of the dainty little boudoirs of their own
theatre they were huddlcd together az the Gaiey in
squa irons Of five six and seven. The furniture was
that OF prisoners CELL. None but Got and Sarah
Bcrnhardt had private rooms.
THE FIRST NIGHT.
Hence IL is not diilicult to imagine the frame of
mind In which preparations were made for the in
triumph. The applause was tumultuous. Yet. to
artists pctted by their habitual spectators the
come OF the English seemed a tribe chilly.
Worse vcxaton remained bchind.
The English manager. intent ON his speculation,
had little time 10 waste IN consulting tho feelings OF
the players. Aftor day or two he proposed changes
In the order OF the prices announced tor representa-
tion. founding his proposal on the of such
or the failure OF such another. and never think
Ing of the wounds no meanwhile INJECTING on
the personal vanity of the comedians.
Nobody blamed him. Hc could not have acted
otherwise business was businesses and art was art.
But IL bitter annoyance to the artists to find
themselves the objects of mere mercantile specula-
tion. They saw with amazcment and disgust the
hasgling aud ishoble traficking that surrounded
them They knew nothing of English ways. At
Paris the prices could not be augmcnted; ut Lon
don they minute and sank the next. During
tho most popular representations they swollod oor-
mously. The last scats in the house were sold by
auction. Thus tho receipts sometimes
much a. IL. .O0Of or IS, ,0vOf. night.
Not ono ticket of admission was evor givcn to tho
actors Got wanted four places one day and hal to
pay t2O TO got thcn The manager would not oven
Let him have them At box Office rates.
But the artists humiliation complete when
they saw strangers admitted to their rehoarsas,
nminiiiR them like wild beasts in show. When
ihoy asked tho manager VINO those strangers