New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-10
Gle ROI S'AMUSE."
THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY REVIVAL OF
HUGo's TRAGEDY.

| tators on Wednesday night there were ten foreign
ones. OF these seven were Jewesses, who be-
tween the acts talked in German, Italian, or Por-
| tuguese accent. The public which could have
best appreciated the drama outside, waiting
| 10 give Victor Hugo ovation / dare cay that
fifty years ago there not dozen foreigners IN
the theatre In looking around the balcony, and the
| first second and third tiers of boxes. lsaw He
brews and again Hebrews, and again Hebrews.
II the foreign and Judaic Influx goes on increas-
ing in an arithmetica ratio there will scarcely be
| thoroughbred Partisan spectator in the Francois
to witness the centenary of The King Gallivants"
for this is the best translation can think of for
e. lie Rol S'Amuse."
| Was the first representation Of this drama sue
| cess l think not. Fashion is rapidly debasing
| the Theatre Francois NJ. Perrin is making
| the House of MOlere kind Of theatrical Figaro.
| The company there lowers each season precept-
by in tone 1t is excellent for slightly sensational
genteel comedy, with just spice of indecency But
it is too barndOOr-fowish to keep pace with an eagle
| in his ght The strength of wing OF Victor Hugo
was TOO much for matter which of the actors or the
actresses who interpreted his piece, with the excep-
ton Of T6bore and Jean Samary in the episode
| roles of the gypsy brother and sister, Sdttdbadt
| and Naquelopne Got was bourgeois He was Got
through the greater part of the evening, and not
| TriBoulet Victor Hugo would have done better II
| he had reproduced his play at some theatre where
the actors and actresses were not fetered by con-
yention Tailade would, l persuaded, have
been a finer TribouIet at the Porte st. Martin than
| Got was notwithstanding his admirable elocution,
| at the Francois To the role OF ITt6oatct the
| &" de raudace. de Paudace toujOurs de faudace
of Danton. and the "boldness, again boldness and
still boldness," Of Lord Bacon. apply. 1t Is an
astonishingy and stupendously great part. Indeed,
] hi. yIa Ticto n
humor in him, Triboulet would be FG'stdf Richard
ILL., and Hamlet rolled up in a single man. But as
his fun is weird and does not compel laughter there
| Is nothing Falstafian in the despIsed jester In
b0ulet should be really groesque, as well rs sat-
rlst and a deep-probing philosopher. moralist be
Il not. although on the road to morality. From
what | heard in childhood a great-grandmother
say of David Garric1 as Richard ILL.,, that English
tragedian would have been equal to the feariully
arduous part Of the Kings Fool in lie Rol
| S'Amuse.'
Cots worst drawback is his age. He must be over
sixty and be has all his life acted in genteel COM
edies and in the plays Of Mohere It is not possible
that at his age and infatuated to fashionable and
delicate-neryed and fastidiOus audiences be could
enter into the skin Of the defoned, the ridiculous
and when Judged according to his mind and
the intensity of his love for his daughter
the grandiose Tribouiet Got was in great dread
lest he should have made fool of himself He was
held down by respect for small-souled Lllputians
To rant would not have done But he should not
have been, any more than the author, feJeTed BY
respect for strict propuey. II was evident that he
was held down by the fear of le Quen dUd-t-0n. lie
should have gone ahead. But could he have done
so in breaking new ground at his advanced age
No. An actor in the prime Of life, endowed with
'gov supple of limb and able to comfort his face
:. I,r,, With IafQ
body. is requisite for the part of 1riboulet Cots
face was not in keeping with the slight bunch OF
his back or to he more exact in description, with
the nersisent elevation of his left shoulder. His
stout short figure was more set" or rGppu than
out OF gear. The limp was III sustained. On ms
chin he had red beard, short, and trimmed
in the shape Of an inverted letter NJ. Inc
dress was composed of pOurpoint of green damask'
striped with velvet Of a dark r verdant shade and
gold short pulled out Tousses to match, and velvet
pelerine two sets of sleeves one falling IKE span
iel's ears. long, and lined with red and the other
tight and pulled at the elbow. The stockings were
brick colored. A cap with PAIR of ASS ears was on
his head On the right shoulder embroidered
the crown. the letter F, and the Saiamander which
the King took for his crest. He had
a fools rattle in his hand. very
proper and respectable jester he looked. As the
courtiers looked Ike wax-work figures in move
ment he was not out of tune with them. There was
nothing hilarious in the jokes in which ne INDUCED
at the expense OF the aldermanic H. de COsse, to
whose pretty wife the Hing had taken a fancy
Trboulet should here have set the house in a roar
Got should here have been irresistby cOmlcaL As
it was be was only lively 1t appears that he judged
well to economic his strength for the terrible scene
in the Louvre in which he discovers that his child
has been carried away for the Kings pleasure from
Jar La har
in the blind alley or cut de sac de Busy; and for
the last act. in which lie should be deeply and
patbeticaly tragical as Hing Lear over the body OF
COrdeliG.
All the tcnderly paternal passages in the
role Of Triboulet all that partOok of the
humanity OF everyday life, beautifully
rendered; and from beginning to end the
recitation was good if judged merely from the elo-
cutlonist's point of view. Got awakened in me
desire 10 famharize myself with the part of the
lester. As had the play with me. | sat down be-
tween the acts in the saloon to glance through II,
and was amazed 10 discover beauties which never
struck me before. | am not Iachrymose, Out
was deeply affected as ! read those poignant
sentences in which the hunchback expresses the
loneliness of his existence III the midst OF the diss-
patcd Court which 1t Is his business No
bread is bitter as that when Is earned IN eaie;
ing To the amusement of the idle POOR IT00Htts
snirit was lodged IN n miserable body IN Which
If was i'll at ease. Got did not bring out TINS
conIno In the scenes III which the tOOs cap and
bells are thrown aside and the Jester dresses IN So
Der black IKE bourgeois dc Paris of the l0th cen
tury as a refOrmer there Is but faint lndlcatloh
of thedeforrnity. and wst other Disagreement
in the face He If thus attired in all the scenes IN
which the Court Is nor represented.
blanche the daughter in whom all the tender |
feelings Of his soul cOucen rated, appears FOR the
first time in the house in which she lives with |
corrupt duenna, who finally sells her 70 her hHg
dressed in white cashmere With cap like network |
of pearls OH her head She ought 70 be very Inno !
cent. very cOaxng, and. being full OF y0uthlGI
CURIOSITY apparently too ready to break bounds |
and see what kind of a place the great |