New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-16

THE THEATRE FRANOAIS.
A TEMPLE OF DRAMATIC ART.


THE COMPANY SUPERIOR AND sELEcr-iNsr'hiNo
AssoCIATIONs-MLLE. BERNhAkDl oO'
PLACE ELS WHERE.
r,,ou THE RvauIAR CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUSE'l
PARIS, June I5-In view of Sarah BernharuVs
strife with the Com6die Francase, 1t Is wen 10 ooai
in mind what she has renowned. Inc franci'se 10
essentially n superior company. lhere 10 now
n scratch" feature in it, The CONCIERGE mIen' "o
the porter of a nobeman in whose service ne was
brought up. UnderlDgs generally have grown
gray in the House of Moliere. and from ire
ouent contact with what Is priiian''
polite and ristocratic, have acquired superoriS
of bearing which is not found among the SUPERB
and " fgurantes," the carpenters. decoratorS anu
scene-shfteIs of other theatres. They are the lay
hretbren and sisters The actors and actresses are
the priests and prestesses of rhalia and Melpomene'
NJ Perrin's cabinet is hung with the choicest
tanestrv and furnished with the choicest furniture,
and there is nothing so vulgar i'll the establishment
az the manager himself. Ho is dry, harsh Bona
nartist. totally devoid of cmresy-unless he has a
strong and pressing motive to be courteous-and'
beyond his own family. has not the smallest respect
for any of Ewes daughters. He was for long
course of years the manager OF the Opera house III
the Rue Lepelletier, where be acquired taste 1or
that meretricous stage decoration when IS con-
trary to the traditions Of the Franeaise
Most of the furniture IN the dressing rooms IS Old
and has been handed down from one generation TO
another Masterpieces of pictorial art adorn the
walls of the green-rOOm, tie STAIRS and loDOies
They too are the accretiODs of several generations
an each 10 at once monument and an ornament. Tor
il represents either dramatic author once the
favorlte of the Court or town. of both, classic
Immortal or an actor actress who would nave
earned Immortality not, of all the arts, the his
tro,ic the most feetlng Yet. with the aid OF
speaking. animated canvas and an old play-book,
one can revive the scenic trumphs of this or that
lonq-,leceased player of the House of Moere.
Clarion. whose head grew prematurely gray
through her intense sympathy with the herolnes she
represented there TO teach to the interested and
money-lovIng that to carry the public away the
actor must first let his own Imagination
TRANSPORT him into the regions OF fancy and OF
fiction, while not allowing it TO dethrone his reason
and iae taste Pure intellect and the electric blaze
of Wit are imagcd Ia YOitaire. Mol'ere images the
deep ocean, with It's bright, smiling and o't-chang-
mo surface. aud Corneille the stormy ocean. with
is apparent disorder ITS grandl0se harmOnles. In
ouisite Mile. Desmares. all sentiment and still 50
finely witty and - de,icIouSly and uncoqnetushly
pretfv stil exercises looking out through picture
frame irresistible fascination. eros has fixed the
superb beauty or Mile. Georges to dazzle future
penerations and also 10 teach that on
the stage perfection of feature. plastic harmony,
lustre Of eve smootHness OF skin, are no. OF IA mucn
account ~ he strong inner light Of mind, when it
is COMBINED with true taste and powerfully VI
bfatIng nerves. SallOw, lean, bony, nervous
R,chel was TRANSPORTED by the acton of tins inner
light Thus TRANSPORTED she appeared. IN lobby
of the Francals, t0 Sarah Bernharit for seven
years The Theatre Francais Is ut once guild
hall and 3 temple OF art.
Mile Bernhardt was there in an elegant " home"
an in making her ex Is and her entrances, walk Ell
On costly furs which were Iald down, as she APP
paored TO keen her daintiy shOd feet from contact
with the nard, cold boards. ld0laters were NOT
when they presented themselves behind the scenes
shocEed nj anV discrepancy be tween the queer "
robes of Marie de Ncgb1HfG and her m3ieIlil sur
roundlnes Her d .rssIng-rOom was a miracle of
decorative ar, because she Thought h'rselt as an IN
comparable jewel worthy OF al exquisite cdskc''
The whole house had an antique heanfy 81
higher KIND not gratifying 10 the eyes lust, Oui
nor grateful 10 the thoughtful aud the tIuy ar
Was Vt nothing to be attached, by such eloquent
memorials have enumerated, to ~ me oI Diight
,pirts aud Heaven-born genmScs Was IL not an
incfi lie privilege b. allowed to continue thclr
traditions ana ~ transmit the sacred ire to the
coming age 7 I'm er what other conditou coHlI
tine hstrOn pursu' with so much cig1iiy ms ar
From u mere pounds, shlillngs ana pence p!iHl 81
view to winch, aiiH the gifted daughter OF judah
alb al whom tongues now wag. at,ac.ed most H.
portauce. the I h6atie Frahe l. holds Out adVaD-
ages winch 1t is nnPo -Sible 90 ma IN any "lhet
pl y-hOuse 1t is splendid pedestal fpr superior
HIt 81.
Il Mile Sarah's paintings aud busis have brought
her i'm within the last year $1,000 francs, sum
equal - her yearly dividend ~ AT rs ocatr OF the
Come lie Franc Use. t was not because OF thcir tx
cel.nce hut brclu,o she had charmed on the boards
of the Franca.e. Il is doubtful II she could have
charmed anywhere else Rachel was muse IN
marble or perLaps ~ bronze. She was reared a
yagahond Her mental faculties IN the schCol Cf
misfortune were 80 powerfully moulded TIA she
would have preserved her noble superiority IN the
az DIST Of srra'oh coinu1nt ana asserted though
dressed i'm the VlcsJ Td.~ her luh0rn Qieeh nos>.
Saran Hernaardt * OF aaOast.r which - out Oh
Mace exposed to ram and sunshine IA garden
| ar I'm a public souaTe AlaaastrT Is for Inferior
/ ornament and requires the fellowship OF WHat IS
! ou,y refined aul e.egant. Saraa would be piuable
! surrounded with TIuiiag ac. Ors, hr@SsY" act
r.Sses Door devil heavy fathers supors aud utlll-
lies, In her cLaraCte, of an aiabaSter muse she Is
bound 10 associate her fortunes with thoroughly
truIned highly intellectual and very refined com
! pany /; and whers fnd such a company Iu the world
,nrlnss In thn HMM If Mnllern