The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-03-14
ADJUSTMENTS.


The divine Sarah will open her season ut
the Opera House next week under the
most favorable auspices ever attending q
dramatic attraction. There has been an
unprecedented sale of seats and the bust
ness promises TO be immense Owing to
the great seating capacity OF the Opera
House there are plenty Of good seats left
for any one OF the performances. Nine.
Bernhard will arrive with her company
by the Pennsylvania road Monday next
at 1890. Several car loads of scenery have
already arrived, and the Opera House EN-.
ployes are in conjunction over the ponder
brings with her. Regarding the repertoire,
"Camlle" and Fedora while not new
here, are two Of Bernhardt's best per.
formanccs. Cleopatra" has never been
done here, and "Ia Tosca' only once by
Fanny Davenport. This latter play will
be given on Monday and Tuesday even.
ings. ia Toscan takes its place with the
two other sensational dramas devised by
Nictorien Sardou for the display of her
ar-"Fcdora" and Theodore" Perhaps
La Tosca" SURPRISES either Of its pre-.
decessors in respect to ''intepscness" of
effect III horror lie that as IL may, 1t
serves admirably well the purpose for
which II was designed.
While the lover OF the best In histrionic
art may regret the ascendancy of sensa-
tionalism in the theatre as In so many
other places--while he may rank ia
Tosca' artistcally below the plays at
Bernhardts first honors--it would be ,in.
gracious not TO recognize the interest and
wonderful power that so characterize the
artistes great work in the line of plays
with which her name, in recent seasons,
has been so peculiarly associated.
Thus IN Fedora" and again in "Clco-
patra," the wonderful personality of BERN
hardt wins its way to the height of attain
meDt in her chosen art. But In neither
Of these does her genius flash out 80
wildly as in two OF the great scenes of
this play. a superficial observer OF her
performance might fancy that the actress
reserved herself for these cxacting mo-
mcnts. Yet there Is no sacrifice of con-
sistency ut any point. for any purpose.
Bernhard Is always La 7osca. The wo-
mans nature, SO far US IL has been deyel-
oped, is as truly set forth in the opening
scenes as In those which come later in the
drama.
But there Is only one way to know
Bcrnhardt In this or any other drama,
and that is to sec her. The most graphic
pen has never pictured truly her genius
and its striking manifestations. There
are some occasions when Language fails Of
adequate expression. The repertoire IS
definitely decided asfcllQws; Monday and
Tuesday, ia Tosca;" Wednesday, "Ca-
mille;' Thursday. Fedora" Friday,
Saturday night and Saturday matinee,
Cleopatra"
sloan of Are" p,#W
beginning at the New National Theatre
next Monday evening. Miss Margaret Ma
ther VIII play weeks engagement, pre-
senting her brilliant production of Joan
Of Arc the play so recently made famous
by Sarah Bernhnrdt. The play will be put
on in magnificent style, an immense
amount Of special scenery having been
made for its production. Miss Mather
will be supported by her own company,
which includes, besides Mr.. Otis Skinner,
Messrs. John 4. Malone, Harold Hartsell,
Howard Kyle, Louis Barrett and the
Misses Leonora Bradley, Carrie Jameson
and Beatrice Ingram. e,
joan OF Arc has been the theme of
many plays. of which Schiller's Jung
frau yon Orleans" IS perhaps the most
widely known. She has figured in tragedy,
| melo-drama, opera and burlcsque. On
| the side OF historical research 1t has been
attempted to prove that she belongs to the
same category of myths or legends as
William Tell, while witty but rinfeeling
countryman Of her own has described her
with the French soldiers. The Joan of
Arc that is accepted in the history of
France as taught in French schools. was
born in the year 14i1, in Domremy, stu
| ated partly in Champagne and Lorraine.
| At the age Of IL she was attending her
fathers tlocks, and it was during this
| time that she protested to have heard the
voices. of her patron saints calling on her
to deliver France fropf its enemies.
In 400 Hanru nf EpuIa,,l tha,, ~,
infant, was proclaimed King of France.
Charles-TlI. of France, then on the
throne was leading d dissollite life, ne
glecting his country and people. seldom
| leaving his Court at Chenon. In i420 Joan
left her quiet rustic home and visited the
| Court to see the King and tell him of her
divine mission. After considerable diff.
Guilty the King granted her commission,
| and she set out for Orleans at the head oil
an army. II was then invested by the
| English under the Earl OF Salisbury, and
on April 20, li2o, Joan captured and ell.
! tered II, and in two months the English
were driven beyond the Loire.
On July l6, several months after thi,
| great victory, Joan of Arc stood in the
| Cathedral in Rheims, next to the King
| with the sacred banner while he was
| crowned Charles VII of France.
She was surrounded and taken prisoner
| on May p, 1880, while assisting in the de
tense OF Compiegne against the Duke OF
| Burgundy. The ungrateful Charles, whose
| coronation she made fact, made no eff
| fort to effect her ransom or to assist hei
in any way and on March 20, 1881 she
was brought before the Inquisition, ac-
| cused Of being a sorceress and hereto
and two months later, May 30. was burned
| Mt the, stake in the presence of the entire
| populace of Rouen. Twenty-Five year,
later, July Z, l456 the Pope revoked hel
sentence and there has been considerable,
| discussion Of late of placing her among
| the blessed patrons of the Roman Church
| and her eventual canonization as n SAINT
1t is this latter history of the Maid OF Or
leans that Jules Barbiere has used for hi.
drama, which Mr.. Young has adapted t.
| our tongue and in which Miss Mathel
will appear.
Lights and Sh ndows" Mt Harris.
"a great play by a great company is il
substance the opinion expressed Of
Lights and Shadows the coming at
traction at Harris Bijou Theatre, wher
| ever it has been seen. The play is {
melodrama of the most thrilling type
| The story is one of great interest, anC
there are numerous close encounters fol
| the hero, who is made successful anc
| happy in the end. This is q brief de
| and Shadows has something beside,
| these familiar elements to give 1t claim
| to public interest, Its effects are doubly
| thrilling, because of the almost daring
| novelty that characterizes the episodes OF
the play. No melodrama is now consid
cred quite complete without real water
scene. And yet the display of sheet o,
water, with boat races, ETC.. ETC., haI
become, to say the least, an old ac
| quaintance. In Lights and Shadows.
the real water is employed in peculiar
and startling manner The hero ant
heroine are imprisoned in liothe,' jfeg
dive under the dock. The villain pro
| poses to drown them and opens the sllic
and mandates the floor Of the entir'
room The sppnarv throuuhn,It tim ,,la,