The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-14
JUST FOR ONE DAY
AT TRIANON THEATER.
The Playhouse in Which Marie AntOi-
nGttG Appeared.
Comedy, Ballet and Opera to Be Reproduced
Just As 1t Was One Hundred Years Ago.
A Higb-Priced Entertainment.
Special Paris Letter to THE SUNDAY CALL.

PARIS, May d, 1891 A great French
sculptor, Jean-Antoine Houden, he who
made the famous bustS of Jean Jacques
Rousseau, Moliere. Mirabeau and Voltaire,
is to be honOred with statue in his native
city, Versailles; and in order to find the
funds necessary for this enterprise, the
State has given authorization to open the
theater Of the Little Trianon" for one day.
There will be comedy, a ballet and an
opera, all once performed in the time OF
Marie Antonette. The scenery, lights and
seats will be an exact reproduction Of the
close of the eighteenth century, and places
will cost SO each.
1t will be the time of Marie Antoinette
brought to the present. and the TrlanOn
Theater is full of souvenirs. 1t was con-
structed by Micque, and the poor architect
was guilotined because accused of assisting
his Queen. The Iheater cost about $4,000.
Its ceiling was painted by Lagrenee, and
the entrance-door, with its Ionic columns,
was chIseled by Desehamps, sculptor
whose name is unknown to-day.
All recalls the thoughtless Queen-the
gildings, astragals, festoOns and gOddesSes
holding her monogram. For years the red
plush seats have been covered with dust
and on the stage there is the scenery that
served for the Pre-aux- Clercs in the time Of
Louis Philippe.
For it was Louis Philippe who changed
the blue velvet coverings of Marie An
tOinette to the ordinary red, and it was the
same citizen King who enlarged the balcony
for the use of his numerous relatives.
How Marie AntOinette loved the theater!
When u years old, at SchOenbrunn, she was
already an actress, and although her talent
was only mediocre, Maria Theresa had
given her a solid artistic and musical educa-
ton. NOverre, Sainville and Gluck had de-
yelOped in their royal pupil taste so great
for comedy that when i'll a theater was ar
ranged in the room next hers. 1t was Marie
Antoiuette who built the theater in the
Rue deS Reservoirs, Versailles, and to reach
this private gallery was constructed.
THE QUEEN WAS NOT SATISFIED
Until she had built Irianon Theater, for
there she was REALLY a severe gn; there she
Superintendnd the smallest details, and
there she was at the same time ruler and
sOuhTette. There she made her debut in the
"Gageure ImpreYue," and as the femme de
chambre was irresistible Wien she said
"We domestics are always complaining, and
we are wrong"
At the representation to be given May
29th the "Gageure Imprevue' will be played
with Mile. Ludwig Of the Coincide Fran
caise in the role of the femme de chambre
Marie AntOnette); Mile. Muller, Adelaide
Mime Elizabeth; NJ. Iruffier, Latleur
Count d'Artois); Nile. Marsy, Marquise
de Granville diane de POlgnac),
The scenery for this play was painted for
Marie Antoinette by Sagaret at the time she
gave great fete in TranOn, in honor of
Count Won Falkenstein. 1t was only used
once and is perfectly preserved. The
artists dressing-rOoms are in the same con-
dition they were one hundred years ago.
and decorated with Trianun furniture.
The walls Of the Trian0n Theater are to be
hung in blue, the theater lighted by candles
and the stage by oil lamps, chandeliers,
vases, chairs-all will be arranged as in the
time Of Marie Antoinette, and the servants
Will wear the livery chosen by the Queen for
TTianon-red and silver Everything con-
corning decoration has been placed in the
hands of GARNER, whose establishment was
founded in 1870, and during the reign of
Louis XVI was f0urniSSeur de la cOur.
The entrance tickets are engraved in the
style Of the time, and the programme is
arranged as in the eighteenth century.
The last representation given at Trianon
by Marie Antoinette was sad one. 1t was
August 10, 1885, when public opinion was
excited by the affair OF the necklace, by
the Imprisonment Of BOehmer and of Cardi-
nal de Rohan. Besumarchais was present,
and the Queen played the role Of Rosina in
the
BARBER DE SEVILLE"
The Count d'ArtoS was Figaro, and NJ.
de Vaudreuil, Almaviva.
The Count de Mercy-Argenteau wrote an
account Of this representation To Maria
Theresa, and while he said: The Queen
has an agreeable voice, and she plays grace
fully" he felt obliged to add: Il wish,
however, each one would remain in his or
nlapa-flp n nd h.
actress in her theater."
Just before this representation Marie
Ant0inette played COlette in Jean ia ques
Rousseau'S operetta "Deyin du Village"
"DEVIN DU VILLAGE"
VIII be performed May 18th by artists from
the Opera Comique. The Queens role,
Colette, Will be taken by Mile Mole: that of
Count d'Adhemar. Colin, by NJ. SOulacr0ix,
and that of Count dc Vaudreuil, Deyin, by
NJ CaTbonne.
The orchestra will be composed of the
same instruments and the SAME number of
musicians as in tile time OF Marie An
tOinctte. NJ. Daube is the leader chosen.
and his musical copy will be the one used
by the Queens orchestra leader. There are
corrections aud criticisms in the bandwrit-
ing of Jean jacques Rousseau. Between
&c geue Imprevue" and "Devin du Vii
lage" there will be a ballet from Gretry's
"Zemr ct AZOr" and the musicians will
predecessors in 1880. After the operetta
there viii be minGet, gavotte and pavane
The entire mise-en scene is under the di-
rectiOn Of NJ. Delaunay, retired actor of
the Coincide Franchise.
he will appear as Marquis of Louis
ANIs reign and recite poem by Jules
Claretie, written for the occasion.
Has the world ever known a similar ar
tStic fete? Fer one day only TrianOn will
awaken from its sleep of century; for one
day the shadows Of those who lived one
hundred years ago will listen to their own
comedies, their own operas; for one day
they will come out of the past robed in their
lowered gowns, their gauze fichus and ira
dltiOnal straw hats, each one bearing about
her delicate neck the mark Of the execu-
toners AK, and then in the evening silence
will again fall upon the scene and 1rianon
will resume the sleep interrupted only to
honor the sculptor who united art in the
eighteenth with that in the nineteenth cent
ury. BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR