The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-10
A VISIT TO SARDOU.
Author of Fanny Davenport's
Two Great Plays.
HIS FIRST DRAMA A FAILURE.
The Great Writer . Slim, Bent Little
Body, Looking Like Poor, Effemi-
nate Divinity student.

PARIS. Sept. o3.-TSpecial Correspond
ence. Sardou wrote his first play, LA
! Taverne des Etudiants" (The Students
| Tavern, TOR the Odeon, the classic stage
! of all dramatic debutants of Quatier Latin.
| He handed the neat looking ma auscript
! to the. janitor of the theater who threw it
/ ca.elessly on the table. Mi;e Be. angere
who had great influence with the man
ager. entered accidentally and turned over
| the leaves of the manuscript.
"Ah, just looki WHAT dainty hand
writing! Genuine pattcs de nloucher'
On turning she lerceIved the author,
| smiling and blushing.
Two weeks later the play was accepted
| for TIA! performance
You see" exclaimed Sardou, triumph
antiy TO has friends, lit is, after all, not so
difficult 10 get an opening"
But the opening proved different to
what he anticipated. 1t was the noisiest
fiasco which the stage chronicles reia.e Of
the year 1854. The audience of the Od.on,
mostly students, elapped their hands,
whisted, Kissed, howled and initiated the
voices of various animals.
The manager risked a second perform
ance. But during the scene which had
been the hope of the author, scene OF
glowing passion, when the lover sinks
down on his knees-the gas suddenly went
out, followed by roar of laughter. 1t was
only the second act, but the curtain fell
for good, and the play was not tried again
Seven years passed by, during wnlc
Sardou led the life of Bohemian, with
out house or a sous. He gave private
Lessons for two francs, made commenta-
ries and indexes for classic authors, and
wrote hack articles. He worked hard, but
his income did not even suffice to pay his
rent and board, and he borrowed to right
and left.
Though he lived in garnet, he attempted
to court Rachel, the famous tragedienne.
He wrote a colossal tragedy in Alexan-
dIian rhymes, La Refine Ultra" the
scene being laid In Sweden. The tragedi-
enne, who was as popular as she was ca
precious, answered that s'Sweden was too
cold for her, she preferred Greece"
Then he tried his luck with other god
desses of the stage. He turned from old
Mile. Dejazel to Nine. Rose Cheri, of the
Gymnase.
He al,o tiled 10 gain the protection of
Scribe, the most popular dramatist at the
time, in wko.e footsteps he was to follow.
Sardou was indefAtigable. He possessed
Perseverance and energy, an incompatible
diligence and activity, and an iron will
pow.r. He let no opportunity pass to
cultivate his limited but genuine and
peculiar talents. And at last his self-con-
tdence triumphed.
He had written a new comedy, "Les
PAGES de Mouche," and offered it to Mile.
F, sueil t,r perusal. She gave it unread
10 the manager of the Vaudeville, who
insisted it likewise unread into his huge
desk, where already hundreds of others
slumbered, without fear of being dis
t1rbed.
But the author thought more of this
play than any other, and he induced bis
friend, Rose Cheri, to use her influence in
the matter.
1t was produced and proved SUGGEST
A second and third followed and Sar-
dou made the best of his victories, Ike a
clever general, according to all Iu,es of
strategy.
And since 1851 he has the reputation of
being the greatest living dramatic vi. tdoso
of his time. He can look back on three
or four dozen plays. which have been
translated into all European Languages
and have brought him an immense in
come.
So much for pant of Sardou's career,
which is most likely unknown to Amefi-
cans.
1 had agreed with literary 81 1uaintance
of mine to visit the author of ''Danie Roc
bat" and Fedora" at his castle, MARLEY
lie Roi." (He has another castle in Cam
mes and winter residence in Paris.)
So We set out on a beautiful summer
morning.
My companion was g. NJ. Conrad, one
of the most prominent representatives of
! the school of natura!ism in Germany, a
rare critica! talent and now the editor of
| The Society, published i'll Munich.
/ On the way Conrad remarked: "You
| wish to know the reason of his phenome-
| nal success? l will tell you. AS soon as
| anything occurs in the social or political
! life, or in the clerical circle, he pricks his
| ears, runs to the scene, investigates the
matter and produces new play. He is
the Paganini of the stage, who fddles on
his dramatic G string the most surprising
variations on few melodies. 1t is not al
ways good music but devilish clever, and,
in spite its ofinternal deficiencies, creates a
| pandemonium, and so he became one of
the immortais in 1878. You know, he is
/ remarkably skillful in developing a plot.
| he makes intellectual some -sauIts, Jug
| giles with the most d. !icuit situations and
always ends with stupefy * cunning
| ness"
We were received with the utmost polite
| ness, and soon felt quite at ease in the
luxuriously furnished parlor.
Sardous is a slim, bent, little body. look
! ing rather like poor. etieminlte divinity
| student than successful Partisan, IN spite
OF his Prince Albert coat, of the very best
| materia. and make. His little, radiaijng
| eyes lend animation 10 the quiet energy of
| his c.eSn-Shaveu face looking more sub
missively than proudly at his visitors.
| he wore brown velvet jacket with a
! white siiken handkerchief aoout his throat.
| over his silvery hair q smoking cap was
! tightly drawn.
The kind old gentleman smilingly in
| yited us out on the verandah from which
| We enjoyed beautiful view OF the sur
rounding country. lie has most amiabie.
| childhke manners. and moves with a
CELEBRITY which remin1s one of quick
| silver.
Ny companion found occasion 10 whis-
| per TO me: Il am going to make him
| speak for himself"
! And after discussing the beginning of
| an authors career, the decisions and VIZ
! cissitudes he meets with, the authors
| faith in himself, which generally attains
at last the long-des red success, Sa-dou ex-
! claimed:
! Il was so certain of reaching the ton
that one night when had not even money
enough for s supper, l went quietly home
and quite seriously deliberated how |
| would furnish my castle. which | wanted
| to buy as soon as | had a million. You
see now have castle, though | am not