The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-03
MLLE.AIlIEE INTERVIEWED
A PLEASANT CHAT WITH THE
CHARMING Artistic.
Dramatic Art In America and the
Progress Made Ia Recent
Years.

qussted an interview. The messenger
quickly returned, aud informed the
reporter that mademoiselle would see
him without delay il he would kindly
follow the bearer of her message t.
her sitting-room. Here the famous
artistic was found divesting herself Of
her wrspp, and after pleasantly greet
ing the APPKAL representative she in
vited him 10 q seat, and said:
81 hear that you have been awaiting
me some time. l trust not very long.
/ have Just returned from the theater,
where have been engaged in rehears.
ing Mdm'zel How can l serve your"
"rhe APPEAL would be glad TO have
an interview with you n matters con-
neCtsd with the stage. May tres
pass to that extent upon your timer"
81 shall only be too happy II l can
be OF service to you in any way. Do
you speak French p inquired mad
emoiselle.
The reporter fortunately did.
"Ahp said mademoiselle, with a
pleasant smile, "that's better; it will
be all the more agreeable. am not
yet sufficiently familiar with the En-
glish language to speak it as huently
as may be necessary for the purposes
Of this interview"
"How long were you learning the
language ?"
'0b," replied the mademoiselle,
with merry laugh, "you will be
surprised il tell you that / only took
lessons for a month from Mr.. F. +.
Mackay, in New York, before l ven
tured upon the stage in an English
speaking part, the part OF mann
z9lle," which | play here tonight.
The first time / undertook to play 1t
l understood only my own lines and
the cues; Of the rest CT the play / only
had general idea The dialogue was
like Greek 10 me. Yet somehow |
managed 10 pull through and make q
success. You see, up to thst time l
had had no occasion to acquire the
language. l was always surrounded
by French company, aud spoke only
French. 1t was only af.er lost my
voice, and the necessity for abandon
ing the operate stage began staring
me in the face, thai the importance OF
Btudying English became manifest,
and then went at 1t with will"
"How many languages are you ia
miliar WITH"
-Four; French, Spanish, Italian and
English, II my limited knowledge Of it
can be described as familiarity. ltal-
ian, you know, is essential to thor
ough study of operate music"
(Which language did YOU find the
most difficult to acquired
ooh, English, of course, the others
being OF Latin origin aud kindred to
the French, l had less difficulty with
them"
"When did you make your debut in
an EDglish part"
ain September, 1884, at little place
in New York State cslled Rond out.
/ afterwards played it at ether places
outside OF New York, and then VEN
tured to play it at the Fifth Ave-
nue. Theater, where l was kindly re-
ceived. In fact, l may say l owe the
American people great debt OF graft.
tude for uniform kindness. Even
when / am not at my best, and
through i'll health or other depressing
causes am unable to play up to the
mark, l find my audiences full of in
dulgent forbearance. Ihave warm
pace in my heart for America aud
Americans"
"Do you people throughout the
Union all impress you alike, or have
you noted differences in temperament
and Manner
ooh, there Is marked difference.
My preferences run to the South. In
some northern cities found my audi
ences cold and unimpressionable, nota-
bly, in st. Louis and Cincinnati. In
Chicago they want nothing but DiUOr.
cons. | have made my best hit there
in that play. In the South everything
is different. The audiences seem to
be more apprecia i've and more in
sympathy with me, and more liberal
with their applause. | always feel
more at home when playing to them,
more at my ease"
"How did you like your reception
last night2"
Immensely; how could it have
bsen otherwise? they enjoyed all the
humor OF the play 80 keenly, and moth
ing seemed to escape them, even the
fiaer shades Of meaning that are ex-
PR ss I'd by a nod,a gesture, a look, were
rapidly and intelligently interpreted.
have reason TO feel warmly to Mem
phis for past kindnesses. Last year
when / played here in Mdm':elle the
weather was against me just as it is
now" aud Mile. Aimee pointed to the
snow-storm outside. 81 remember 9
matinee when it rained down torrents,
"cats and dogs" as the saying goes, l
expected to play to empty benches.
Judge Of my surprise and delight
when the curtain rose to find the house
full. 1t was one OF the greatest COM
pliments ever paid me-"
did you ever play DiUorcons before
you tried it in English 2"
"0h, yes; played it in French at
Brussels and in the provinces of
France in the spring of 1888, with the
original cast, barring Mile. Ohaumont,
whose part assumed. You doubtless
know that she created the character
OF 'Oyprienne,' and most charming
and talented actress she is. II was
owing 10 her illness that was cast
for the part when the play made the
tour OF the provinces"
"Did you ever play it in Parish"
mo, it would have been hazardous
for me to have challenged compare
son with Mile. Ohaumont, who had
won the heart of Paris by her act
ing of the role, fortified as she had
been by the instruction OF Sardou, the
author, who personally supervised
every detail Of the play when it was
first presented"
"Who translated the play for you ?"
"Well there were many hands en-
gagged in il. l got il from the Lingards,
who played version 80 different from
the original that il was scarcely recog-
nizable by it's most intimate friends.
l took the skeleton of that adaptation
and introduced scene here and q
scene there until l had gradually
restored to it some resemblance of it's
former self. Oi course it is not played
as we play il in France. Many things
are suppressed to conform to the tastes
OF American audiences"
"Do you like comedy as well as OPP