The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-27

ton rose to 10,O0) francs. One year
later they took possession OF the Menus
Pialsirs with an annual income Of 20 900
francs. He had found some art patrons.
who willingly contributed 100 francs or
more year to support Antoine's plans
and assure their progress. The most
prominent authors. Goncourt, lola,
Daudet. BanvilIe. Lockroy. Mendes, had
headed the subscription list and willingly
gave their pi. ces TO be performed by this
peculiar amateur company.
Though the Theater Libre only gave
eight or ten performances years they
have produced more new pieces than
ali the theaters OF Paris put TO-
ge'her. They have brought out thirty
authors who had never seen the
footiights before. and also introduced re-
markable plays of foreign dranlatists ike
Vera, Tolstoi, Turgenjew and lbsen. No
branch of the dramatic art has been lett
untried. Banville's graceful poem, ne
Kiss" has found a shelter beside The
love and the fearful Tower OF Darkness,
by Toistoi.
Monsieur Antoine has recruited his COM
pany entirely from amateurs and begin
ners. The Tower of Darkness" mas been
performed by a company consisting of
seamstresses, servants, officials OF the min
lstry. chemists, architects, commercial
force, the proprietor of a restaurant,
and manufacturers of bronzes. The
player OF the leading part OF Nikita.
Monsieur Mevisto had never stepped on
stage before. They have the idea that the
part OF servant girl, in order to be acted
natur tl!y, must be done by o servant girl.
etc, and how far they have succeeded may
be judged from the criticism of Molchorde
Vogue, the best connoisseur of Russian
customs and manners IN France; For the
first time on the French stage we have
seen costumes, scenery and accessories
which have been taken from the real
every day lite OF the Russian people with
out the false and tasteless embellishments
OF the peasants in the comic operas"
With Ibsen, however, they were less
successful; the critics could only
praise Antoine's Oswald IN the Ghosts, !"
and found the rest something TO be
p'tied. Nevertheless the Thea;er Libre
has become school for acting, which
deserves IN every way to be compared
to the conservatoire. In the Rue Bergire
the dramatic students learn Delsarte and
recitation in the conventional way and
enjoy personal intercourse with Got. Del
aunay Maubant and Worms. perhaps only
ten hours year. In the Rue Blanche,
on the contrary, Antoine's pupils come
into continual contact with him; they
learn to represent real human beings who
Whtk. Talk ana SSaUd ndluralty.
Nothing will explain the difference be-
tween the two schools better than a single
example of their respective methods. Sup
posing letter has to be carried in by
servant on the contents OF which
the public ia aware the announcement
OF the play depends. The young actor
at the Comedie Franchise, if he would
simply come in gracefully and offer the
letter in an off-hand manner, would be
off ri h,vt ba or
for neglecting to concentrate the attention
OF the public at this important moment;
while Antoine would encourage his actor
TO avoid any diversion from the most nat
ura, behavior, and Antoine has created
a sensation before the most spoiled audi
ence of first-nighters and theatrical gour-
mands in Paris, London and Brussels.
This reminds one of Stendhal, who, when
he was asked # he ever saw q satisfactory
performance of one of his own plays. an
swered: Yes, once, In Italy, by mediocre
actors in barn"
NJ Antoine has studied the Meiningen
company carefully. and with the most re-
fined appreciation OF Its merits. he has
not failed to recognize their fau Is, bnt
also understands that they owe their great
success to their disciplined ensemble.
Such an ensemble. where no virtuoso-ike
rendering of q part will ever be allowed,
is one of the principal aims of Antoine's
company. Antoine's actors do not paint
or make up" they always use worn
costumes. except when a new one is in
place. as with q dude They endeayor
to talk as in ordinary conversation. negli-
gent, even indistincs, and continu-
ally interrUpting each others SEN
fences. They keep up conversations
with the back turned 10 the audience.
Some of their productions of modern
plays have also revealed popularity in
their original size, while the others gen.
orally make them Of colossal dimensions.
that never exist in reality. Then again,
in producing a farmyard. for instance,
they only give one corner of It. very SINH.
lar to the pictures OF the mpressionists.
Nor are their hight effects less curious.
they have no footights. and IN represent
ing room AZ evening a lamp is placed on
the table shining on the actors seated
around, while the rest OF the room is left
in shadow.
While Theater Libre is being success
fully organized in Berlin and in London
and in Copenhagen, the plans for the new
house on the boulevard have been finished.
1t has been designed by Henri Grand
pierre and commended by Eitfel 1t will
be constructed entirely of iron, with 900
seats, about 90 per cent. cheaper than in
the other theaiers. Following the Bay
reuth system. there will be no side seats
only orchestra stalls, an amphitheater and
a row OF boxes, every seat commanding q
complete view of the stage. Space will he
allowed under every seat to stow away
ones overcoat and hat. At the beginning
of every act the doors will be closed auto.
matically and the audience will not he
dis urbed by late arrivals. There will
be numerous toyers. smoking. reading and
writing rooms, ali with telephone connec-
tons. A special room will also be re-
served for the critics. Special arrange
ments are made to secure satisfactory ven
tilation. Stage machinery and the or
chestra will DE after the Bayreuth model
In this theater Antoine will play every
night. He will have a company OF thir,v-
SIX actors. All important parts vii! be
cast several times, and every actor will be
under the obligation of taking the small
est part in turn SpontaneIty in acting s.
one of their principal aims. No actor is
allowed 10 play any one part many times
IN succession.
The posters will never mention the
names OF the actors. only the play and the
name of the author. Every season ia
likely TO bring sixteen new pieces before
the public, and none will be nerformed
longer than fortnight. At the first night
ONLY subscribers, critics and honorary
members will DE admitted. Ii a plav
should be prohibited for political. reIigi-