New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-20

IA sometimes In one act sometimes IN two or
three, sometimes in Ave; but 1t Is always
farce. 1t is also very highly-spiced farce. The
theatre is one which no respectable girl ever enters,
but to which respectable married women are some
times taken by their husbands. 1t will be curious
to see whether the English will be more scrupulous
in this matter than the French. They Will nave az
any rate, partial safeguard against the risXs Oh
these peculiar spectacles in their necessarily imper
feet acquaintance with the dialect IN whicn tney
are given. The tongue of the Paais Royal is not
the tongue of Moere or Racine, nor even OF Augier
and Dumas. You may be able to follow bile. saran
Bernhardts lightning-like delivery Of Victor
HugO's "Aexandrines." or the torrent OF words
which pours from II. Coquelin's mouth as he de-
claims the TRADE OF Figaro, and yet miss half the
points of the peculiar dialogue Of Meilhac and
Haleyy and Goudinet. 1t is not French-not classic
French at any rate-which NM. Geofffoy and Hya-
cinthe talk. 1t is Parisian and not merely Pa
risian, but Partisan of the Boulevards, or IN
the expressive phrase of French journal
ism, Parisien Parsiennant 1t varies from
year to year and from week to week.
If you perfectly up in its last years
drgo, You will be puzzled by many word OF this
years feeting vocabulary. And, since gag is pre-
scrptive at the Palais Royal, the written text OF
the piece which is most venerable on those boards
is never sacred but the last coinage of fashion,
able slang is sure to be heard in the course OF It,
Fixed out, as this spanged diction is, by gesture.
look shrug wink attitude-by all those subtle
indications of meaning which actor of this school
employs in order to take audience into his con-
fidence-you must almost live in Paris, and be on
habitue both of the Boulevards and OF the Palals
Royal, if you wish to be quite sure that you miss
nothing of the performance. Many time have
heard an Englshman say he found this theatre dull
On being Intercepted he always ended by confess
ing that he did not understandable jokes The pieces
and the acting are both indecent; the acting so
much moro indecent than the text that an austere
censor who had passed the manuscript submittedto
him. might we'll fail to recognize the piece on
the stage Much of the acting is none the less OF
very high order of artistic merit. But in the whole
repertory of the Palas Royal there Is hardly play
the acting of which you can enjoy unless you take
the precaution to leave your scrupes at home.
Many of these pieces have during past years been
performed in London by scratch companies with
the full license and approval of that stern guardian
| of the public morals known as the Lord Chamber
| lain-the same functlOnary who once strove Jun
successfully to lengtnen the skirts OF the ballet
who long refused to license Dumass " DEM"
| Monde" and who. only last year, maintained his
ban upon LIE Supplce dune Femme" which is
| played to the most cultivated and fashionable
houses on subscription nights at the Theatre
Francais. But the fashion of gong to French plays
had not then set In the audiences were of kind
very different from those which will go this year;
and the actors possessed but scanty measure OF
| tho peculiar talent of which the coming company
| can boast Altogether. the experiment is curious
one and the result Of it little doubtful. People
| know what they have to expect with Mile. Sarah
Bernhardt and NJ Coquen. But it strikes me as
possible that when the turn of tho Palas Royal pcO-
pie comes, surprises may be in store both for actors
and public.
On the commercial side success Is secured in ad-
vance, This too may be due mainly to the return
of the TWO favorltes of last year. but the subscrD-
tions extend over the whole season. Last year
| brought handsome profit to all concerned. This
year the subscriptions exceed by 1000 the sub
scriptions of 1870 at the same period More than
$50 900 have been paid or pledged in advance, and
there is every prospect that the enthusiasm of the
public wi-at least during the first month-reach
and overtOp its old height. CIV. s.