Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-22
PARIS PLAYS AND PLAYERS.
Discussion of the Theme. is the Drama
Dead or Only III?
Correspondence ofAe Ye,o York Times.

Dead or Only III?
Correspondence ofthe Neao York Times.
PARIS, March pa very amusing con-
troYersy is now exciting the interest and
the wit of journalists, dramatists and
critics. l regret not having seen the
origin of the discussion, which was, be-
lieve, provoked by a letter OF NJ. Du-
maine. The latter is an actor of the blood
and-thunder school. l never saw his
majestic proportions struthng about on
the stage, never listened to his powerful
never-let-up voice, without wondering
why the prestige of his apparent talent
so impressed the people. AS a rule, they
are uncouth judges, but they have SINGER
ity and discernment OF unstudied tact.
However, the popularity of NJ. Dumaine
was very lasting, and why or how came
his attack upon the present drama seems
not very comprehensive.
The GdUy0is telegraphed to NJ. SardOu,
at Nice, to know how he considers the
matter. With his usual point and brevity
the celebrated author replied about as
follows:
81 do not find that the drama is dead.
still less i'll, as Dumaine pretends, be-
/ cause he has no engagement; or that
! dramatic art is dying, as Nj. de GOncOurt
asserts, because Henrietta Marechal has
not met with the expected success. This
sums up, for the present, all that 1 have
to say to you. SARDOU."
With habitual farsightedness Nj. Sar-
dou leaves the door open for future re-
/ ply, while the atmosphere is bursting
with the distant roar Of indignant thun-
| der.
NJ. dEnnery, interviewed, treats the
whole thing as good joke. He says that
! the same story has been rehashed for the
last % years, and that it never prevented
a good play from making a hit and a
! financial success. He admits that good
! authors may not come to the light of pub
lie praise or censure quite as frequently
/ as one could wish, but as long as the sight
of a child crushed under the heavy hOOfs
! Of an omnibus horse causes screams of
! horror to burst forth from the passer-by.
and while tears and woe find social echo,
the drama, properly speaking, must find
its sway. He thinks that the fault of the
present theatrical stagnation is to be
traced rather to the lack of good female
talent. He reasons curiOusly even on
this point, laying the fault at the door of
! imperial wealth and BOurse speculation.
This is purely French view of the situa-
ton, for l doubt the mOraliZing effect OF
the republic.
NJ. Vitu, with NJ. Sarcey, one of the
most eminent critics of the day, states
that in his opinion the drama is not dead,
but that tits seriously i'll. He deems that
noble sentiments, highly strung sltua-
/ tons, heroic courage, and tutH QltQHii
have had their day. They no longer
please our more skeptical public. He at
| tributes the success of ETheOdOra'-
! present, with CLARA SOleil," at the Vau-
| deville, the only legitimately paying per-
| Torrance ia the city-tO the mise en- scene
and to the Interpretation Of Bernhardt;
but, be adds, the play will never have the
legendary run of the "pOur du Monde"
| because il is a drama.
NJ. Duquesnel-fOrmeTly manager of the
OdeOn-s8ys that the sole reason for the
| present financial letb8rgy is the abund-
| ance Of deadheads. Formerly there were
I newspapers; to-day there are 800, each Of
/ which claims good seats and many among
them demaHd first boxes. Besides these
rapacibGs ajputneli6ts there comes all the
actors and Actresses, each of whom eX-
poets and obtains a number Of seats for
gratuitoHs distribution. He says that
when a manager can afford frst-class
scenery and his instinct brings to him
even Old standard plays, with competent
talent--mucb OF which is available-he can
! have good paying houses WithOuta genius.
M. KOning thinks that the name alone
has changed. The word drama is old fogy,
but same substance exists, he says, in the
| modern plays. The material used is quite
/ as vehement and dramatic, only the pres
entatiOn is more suited to the present
precjeUr taste and language. This semi
! courteous discussion is not likely to ter
inmate here. Ri. Sarcey is an ardent be-
lever 10 the regenerating influence and
power of the stage, and III. SardOu never
lets go when once his pungent satire takes
hold Of any discursOry subject.
Jude has again appeared at the Palais
Royal and with even less success than in
''Elle ct Lui." The creation of Nm.
| Najac and Millaud entitled "Bijou and
! Bouveril" was hurriedly cotton up in all
! probability, but the result is scarcely
worthy moments consideration. Judic,
| 1t is likely, holds with her managers a
leonine contract, which not only imposes
her nightly appearance, but also in any
case Obliges the payment Of her stipu-
| lated salary. Besides this, over and above
certain amount the diva divides a por-
ton Of the surplus income. AS the former
of the aforementioned play was a signal
failure the quickest means had to be taken
| to get up another comedy. vaudeville or
| Operette. The same system that would
certainly prove felicitous to Judic and to
| her managers IN an American tour be-
comes equally as disastrous over here.
" III U.S. thC lA4IiE ~ bctY ~ Skllt1s anu 10
criteise would be the actress, aud no one
else, for by experience we know that her
surroundings would be unayoidably bad.
Parisians know Judic by heart. and they
are tired of her. Had she courage to ap-
pear in a good play instead Of adopting
only a line Of characters cut out to suit
her angles and her whimisicalities like a
| dress from the mantua-makeT, she m CHIT
once more be an attractive star. AS the
case now stands, she fairly enjoys with
Granier the full benefit Of public safety.
The Varieties, took the latter to replace
Judic, but they continue the same system
and with the same effect. They are now
giving the "Cigale" with Chaumont.
Bright, crisp, sparkling little Celino is
not as young as she once was, but as she
always had more personality and more
genius in her little finger than her rivals
could boast Of she still retains much Of
her usual juvenile prestige. She is about
as plain and as embarrassing as any one
could well be when in repose; her meth
DDS, too, are so personal and so natural
that to attempt imitation would be dis
astrous to greater talent. Her tiny salt
and-lemon voice does not seem TO possess