New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
RERNHARDTS SUCCESSES.
STILL POPULAR IN LONDON.

,nrv NovvD-A DEATH SCENE OF MELAN- |
CIIOLY BEAUTY. |
,,vov the REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuNE'l
LONDON, June L." Frou Frou " was produced ia''
night at the Gaety Theatre with Mile' oarah Dein-
hardt as Gitbete 1t was Just week since the same
actress appeared as AdrienRe Lee0aFeur. Each pal'
Iovad for tl,c first time so that London has VIII
,o.sod within eight days two successive creauons
of two very famous roles by the first OF hVing
actresses Creations in one sense they "e'e
not since both parts have been played oe-
fore Rachel was the first Ad'1enne. Desciee
was the first ErOW frOH. But they are
creations in this sense that Mile. Sarah Bernhardt
not only has played neither before, nut appIoaches
zach from point of vie distinctly original. 1t IS
the fasbion-to my miud rather too much the fash
;onto sat nm elaborate comparisons between the
actress of to-day and her predecessors. "A work OF
art IL cannot be too often repeated IS to be JudGeu
nv the principles of art, and not by the conception
of this or that artist. But Mile. Sarah Bernhardt
has no cause to complain of the novel tests appeu
toher representations That she should be coptrsteu
now with Dorval or Doche, now with Rachel ana
now again with Desclee, is striking tribute TO the
versatility the compass, the range OF her genius
; Mr.. Clement Scott, commenting on her assumption
of n character identified in the minds OF so many
nlavroers with Descl6e remarks aptly that the
pubc seldom reflects what an ordeal thls Is OF INV
tremendous the responsibility. Who ever dreaireu
of comparing Desclee with Rachel i-ano Fe'
Sarah Bernhardt is compared with Dotn' Al
some noints she is inferior to each; OuV
IT is simply astonishing to consider tnat
in essaying parts so widely dissmilar as Phedre Ad
,ienns and FrOu Frou Mile. Sarah Bernhardt comes
victoriously out of what Mr.. Clement Scott well
calls the ordeal which she voluntarily undergoes'
To have come off respectfully would have Deeh Il
failure In such contrast there is no mudle term
between disaster and triumph. For an artist IN the
pos;tion of Nile Sarah Bernhardt there is DO such
thing as success Gestime. If she docs not carry ner
pubic with her 1t is against her-pituessT against
her. At every fresh experiment she must enter
the stage with the song of Saul upon her llps'
Bright Is the diadem, boundless the sway,
OR kingly the death which awaits us To-Day
From Frou is a role In which every note Is smodern'
and not only modern but Parisian-Par1sian OF the
Third Empire. Every trait in her character every
line in the piece bears the stamp of that frivolous
elegant. worldly, brilliant, and finally, tragical life
which made Paris from the end of the Crmeanto the
beginning of the Franco-German war, the Armida
Garden of the world. It Is play In which the
heroine Is not an individual but type-a type
which is. however anything but an abstractlon'
Gil6erte is living creature. highbred girl over
flowing with animal spirits, a wife who has marreu
without love- whose passian Is for Dress Tor amuse
nent. for admiration fatally welded to man
whose serious theories Of life have never taught him
whose fate mingles witt his. The sister tLoatsel'
who might have saved her. becomes an unconscious
rival. Paul de Talreds, who wooed Giloerte before
her engagement to Henri de Sartory', becomes, four
wears later her lover; she flies with him to Venice
a month of delirlum follows then the husband
whom the blow had brought to deaths door, ap-
pears suddenly on the scenes tt lover 1s killed IN
a duel the wife goes back to her father to atone
for her sin by brief period of devoted charity
Fo1l uicf Inn
Of O poor old woman, and has Just strength
TO be carried for farewell to tho desc
lato home of her husband and receive his
pardon and die in his arms. 1t Is the one serious
drama Of its authors, Messrs. Meilhao and HalcvyI
brilliant in dialogue, simple IN construction yet
of sustained dramatic interest to the end 1t was
DescIee's most popular part, though she never
reached In Froa FrOu the depths Of passion which
made her Pr;noesse Georges memorable 70 every
beholder.
Mile. Sarah Bernhardts impersonation OF
Ernu From. ia. If comparison must once
more be drawn. less profoundly pathetic
than Desclees, but more imaginative more
Intellectual and moro passionate. use the
latter word, although it is certainly true that
Descee's acting WAS commonly much more full OF
Dassion in the common sense that is, 1t was more
emotional The test scene In the play comes at the
end of the third act In the first two. Gil6erb IS
character which many lesser artists than Desciee
and Sarah Bernhardt could well depict There were
An both Of them exquisite touches Of girlish VIE
vacitv, in both the same hazardous playfulness
in their raiery of the roue father IN BOTH the re-
bearsal of the amateur theatricals revealed the
cleyernees which enables an accomplished actreSs
to assume a complete ignorance OF her profession
.But the third act rises to quito other heights
Louise. who loved Gil5ertS husband before bis
marriage, but has conquered her passion, has De-
come an inmate of the house; she has taken charge
Of the family, looks of+'r the housekeeping
watches over the sor c' four years, and dis
charges all those dut for which the volatile
GilJerfe cannot find time. Too late Gtl6eTte per
ceiyes that her place as mistress In her own house
has slipped away from her grasp Her husband
treats her as plaything, albeit he devotedly loves
her. Her boy Is forever in Louises charge Hel
father Is still occupied with ballet-dancers
Po,,I de Valreas has at last made her feel that h
love is serious. She is touched by 1t, but strug
giles Loyalty against his aud her pas
aion She orders him to quit Paris
and he promises to obey ResOlute to banist
his image from her heart, she turns first to her nus
band proposes to him that she shall resume hel
rightful place in the house, and offers to go will
him to Carlsruhe, which she had refused when ht
was appointed Minister there. He puts aside hel
protestations with laugh, and offers her pair OF
new horses as you would offer box of bonbons to g
child. The interview with her father is still more
fru,tless-no help to be had there. Her lover mean
while arrives to bid her farewell and in the midst
this sho learns that her whom she has sent for
has gone out with Louise. She parts with Vatreds
nevertheless entreating him to forget her, " bu
not too quickly" Iu the height of the exaltatioI
following upon this scene, Srtorys returns Gilbert
tails him her sister is about to be married, and IL
his agitation at this isnews-wbich is true only to tn
extent that proposal has been made-discovers
os she thinks, proof of his love TO
co.torvs neverfhplege. irving and fnilinl