The morning call., 1891-04-14
THE DIVINE SARA.
For the First Time i'm Her Life
She Will Play on Sunday.

Mr.. d. c. Willoughby. the General Man.
ager for Messrs. Abbey and Grau and the
divine Sara Bernhardt, arrived in the city
yesterday and is stopping at the California
Hotel, where he was seen by CALL repre-
sentative.
Mime. Bernhardts phenomenal success
in the East" said Mr.. Willoughby, in an
swer to number of questions. 'is chiefly
due TO the remarkable genius OF the great
Frenchwoman, and further to the sensa-
tional repertoire in which she has appeared,
La Tosca,' Jeanne dare and Cleopatra
illustrate a wide range of dramatic posi-
biities and constitute the most interesting
results of that famous association OF BERN
hardt and Sardou.
ia Tosca' Is the most pretentious and
dramatic of the three, and is in the direct
line of the SardOu successes, but chiefly
noted for the sensational situations ana
powerful motive. In this play the greatest
living dramatiSt has embodied the entire
strength of his meteoric genius, and through
the experiences and lessons OF 'Ihendora
and Camille has created the powerful!
scenes and admirable situations Of La Insca.
Atthe Theatre de la Porte st. Martin, Paris,
no like success had ever been attained, ana
the glory and hiStrOnic splend0r OF the
Theatre Francois could not have created
more earnest and genuine sensation than
attended La Tosca's' long run under the
management of Duquesnel and Illuminated
by the genius OF Sara Bernhardt.
The greatest novelty, however, OF the
season, and it will be novelty OF the high
est order, will be the Sunday night per-
Torrance of Jeanne dare Many de-
mands have been made upon the manage
ment that Nine. Bernhardt should appear
in pure play and one in which the church
going element would permit themselves TO
be interested. In accordance with these de-
DO hoe IN a n
pear Sunday night in Jules Barbier's su-
blime tragedy, and to render the perform
ance more appropriate and novel has de-
cided to present the Barber play combined
with the grand oratori0 of the same name
by Charles Gounod, for which purpose
large chorus of voices will be utilized and
the music of the great GOunod be further
augmented by large orchestra and special
soloists The oratorio from Jeanne d Arc
the music of which promises TO play so I'M
portant a part on this memorable Sunday
night, was composed by Gounod and used at
the celebration of the annlverS ~ OF Charles
VII, at Rheims. i'll 1881. Upon that 0eca-
sion the veteran composer himself led the
orchestra OF 10 pieces, and 800 voices rem
dered the great numbers that giOrlGed tue
maid of Orleans and sang her praises. No
such enter ainment has ever before been at
tempted by Nine. Bernhardt and no doubt
the best element OF society will have the
greatest curiosity to see the divine TRACE
dienne in q role as pure and ideal as
Jeanne dare. The entire performance by
this arrangement will partake of the nature
of great sacred tragedy, holding up to
public admiration the finest model for the
Young and the most sacred woman whose
name ever graced the pages OF French
history.
The remaining play of the repertoire is
CLEOPATRA and it is one of the most at
tractive of them all. attractive chiefly be-
cause it displays an entirely distinct phase
of Nine. Bernhardt's versatile powers. The
French tragedienne has been seen more
often in dramas that border upon the morbid
and seem to be specially arranged to afford
her decided and wonderful tragic powers
full scope; in Cleopatra however,
Moreau, who wrote a great deal of the play,
has qualified the Sardou tendencies and
given charming idealizatiOn of the Egyp-
tian queen. The play is a grand pageant,
the SIX tahieauX of which were brought
from the Porte st. Martin Theater. Paris,
for pr0duc ton i'll this country.
" The business of Nine. BeInhardt this
year has been enormous and the Juror she
has Great ed seems TO be legitimate outcome
and compliment to the business tact and
energy IF Messrs. Abbey and Grau, who
decided upon the repertoire and gave the
plays the most sumptuOus settings. Nine.
Bernhard opens her season here April 2ish
and the engagement promises to be a sue
cessful and historic one"