New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-01
BERNHARDT'S SUCCESSES.

THE GREAT FRENCH ACTRESS TO APPEAR IN IT IN
MASCULINE CosTUME-PRAGMENTs FROM THE
GREAT sHAKRsPEAREAN ROLES TO FORM PART
or THE PIECE-JEAN AICARD THE AUTHoR-THE
FRENCH COMPANY ENTERTAINED BY THE LORD
MAYOR
IFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
LONDON June 19.-On the official programme of
the Com6die Franeaise 1t is announced that the
last evening of the season, July H. will be devoted
10 special representation" No particulars of
this are given and none have yet been published.
surprise IS intended for the public. IL has been
whispered that Mile. Bernhardt would be heard for
the first time on that night in English. 1t is known
that she has applied herself, more less seriously
to the study of the English tongue and it has been
said in Paris-I heard it there some months ago
that she would sooner or later act certain Shakes
pearcan characters in Shakespeare's own language.
don't know whether that will ever happen She
has already appeared at the Theatre Francais
DesdemOnG, playing the last act only, in French
version, with Mounet-Sully as Otheilo She was
not satisfied with her success. DesdemOnd, to
her own phrase-a frequent and expressive one in
French-left the public cold much to Mile. Bern
hardts surprise. II is a tradition with the Coincide
FRANCHISE never to force anything their
audiences. If piece fails, it fails, and there's an
end, and something to the general taste
quickly succeeds it. That is one advantage in hav-
ing cultivated audience as well as trained artists
The rapport between audience and artist is so
close, and each has much confidence in the other
that no prolonged misunderstanding can occur
And Mile. Bernhardts purpose was, of course, to
perform in English to English audiences, not TO
French.
This purpose if it have any real existence, is not in
any case to be put in execution on this last night
Perhaps il is reserved for Mile. Bernhardts appear
ance in New-York. The surprise in store for Lon
don Is of a different kind. A piece has been
written for the occasion not In Eng
lIsh. but in French, and will be given on that
night for the first time. 1t has been submitted to
Mile. Bernhardt who has read and approved it,
who is indeed so well satisfied with it that she re-
grets not being able to play in it than once be-
fore leaving England. Her account of it Is in sub
stance as follows; She is to appear as the son Of
William Shakespeare-Shak ills, as she says.
The scene passes in a tavern-The Mermaid, per-
haps if the author ever heard of The Mermaid.
number of persons present and the conversation
turns on the plays Of Shakespeare. The company
decry them They say that he is only playwright;
that he is not poet that he has no real dramatic
genius and so on. The son listens for a while, and
finally loses patience with this ignorant talk. He
becomes excited, breaks into the conversation and
cries out. Whats You dare to say my father is
not poet, not dramatist You know nothing OF
poetry nothing of the drama, nothing of him. Did
you ever see HamItF Did yOu ever read the scene
with Opheliaf Listenp And he thereupon recites
the scene-or some scene soliloquy Passages
from other plays follow-from macbeth" from
Lear" and know not what else. In the end the boy
trimnphs; the listeners are first COMPOUNDED, then
swept away in admiration, and the piece ends with
a fervid eulogy on the great Englishman.
You see at once that this is meant to give Mile.
Bernhardt an opportunity of declaiming and acting
fragments of some of the great Shakespearean roles
As the season began with address of homage
rom tlare ana Ho'it&.s children to Shakespeare,
so IL j, 10 end with fresh tribute to him. which is
likely to prove Also fresh triumph for Mile. Bern
hardt had the pleasure TO hear this lady say that
putting patriotism aside-there were few French
men in these days, with any knowledge of English
literature, who did not confess the superiority of
Shakespeare to his French rival. She herself con
fesses it, and there are few opinions on such sub
ject better worth having than hers. She is, as I
said, delighted with the occasion given her in this
new piece to express Ler appreciation of the Eng
lish dfamatist. Some one limited at the inadequacy
of a French translation but she would not agree.
She denied it with her usual vivacity. Il
assure YOU the translation is fine. L have
read the whole of it. They are admirable
verses-you shall confess they are admirable
when you hear them" / think, with little
urging, she weuld have repeated some of them
there and then. But we all too discreet to ask
for it.
The author of this piece is NJ Jean Aicard, the
Young poet who wrote the prologue of the opening
night-a rising genius, say his friends. However
that NAV be- he has proved himself capable Of COM
ing nearer than most Frenchmen to the English
estimate of the English poet-whether for polite
,ag,y,a oil
YOU have heard about the enthusiasm pervading
London society on the subject of Mile. Bernhardt,
what the curiosity will be to see her in this new
performance 1t will be- so far as know, her first
appearance in n male character. In her studio, 1t
work as a SCULPTOR Mile. Bernhardt has long in
duloed herself in the ease of masculine costume.
She receives visitors just rs freely in that dress
as in any other She has been photographed In
ii, aud the photographs are IN every shop window.
But 1t will be novelty on the stage. Even to
her. with all her carelessness of couyentionalties,
/ should imagine there might be freshness OF
sensation in such first appearance. But that Is
n detail. The real interest of the occasion
turns on the assumption of so many diiler-
eut Shakespearean parts-male ana female
by an actress Of such distinction. The
mystery that has been kept up has not abated the
demand for seats on this last night There re-
mained yesterday only few places IN tue last TWO
rows of orchestra stalls.
Mile. BernhardFs English studies have certainly
not advanced far as yet | heard her speak few
words al the private view on Saturday to Brlton
who would not venture upon French. She listened
with puzzled look TO his polite address, and re-
nlied in English: "You speak too quickly" She
evidsntly had only half understood, but her own
pbrase WAS uttered with "A singular purity OF accent
that is. without anything of what Is commonly
called accent Ii is interesting to notice that the
- -. 49,. L.. tIo anna cn1nnlaint of exoassiYn