The morning call., 1893-11-06
A FRENCH TREAT.
Camille" at the Grand
Opera-flouse.
SUCCESS OF JANE HADING.
Delicate Art Amounting to Genius
Characterizes the Work of
the Leading Roles.

house last evening was quite limited.
owing to the first rain of the season, per-
haps, but mainly to the fact that, while
there is good advance sale for the week
day performances, those on Sunday even
ing are not cared for. Otherwise Nine.
Jane Hading would no doubt have had
much larger assemblage to see her in the
role of Marguerite GauthIer in Dumas LA
Dame aux Camelias' Tor Camille" as ii is
called in the English adsptation). 1t was
Hading's night emphatically. for she has
no rival-even Bernhardt takes g second
place-in the personaton Of this creation
of the younger Dumas brain. In the
opening scenes she played the capriciOus
Parisienne, the queen OK the half world,
with abandon-not too much. but just
enough to show the declassee woman of the
world. Excepting in the little passages of
tendresse with her neW-fOund friend.
Armand.
There she showed that a real love was
finding out the way to a more wholesome
and better state of her womants heart and
mind. Her parting with Armand, after
his introduction by NJ. Prudence. was
most exquisite bit of acting. The mis-
tress of her art showed her proficiency
again when the elder Duval paid his visit
of remonstrance to the villa where she
was living in a fools paradise with Ar
maGd, weaving a sort of Penelope web
that she was compelled to ravel out by the
pleadings and arguments of the senior.
Hading does not make much of the
consumptiye cough, which seems the
principal business in the first act by her
English sisters. Marguerite is i'll, but she
lets the audience know it rather by her
uncertain manner and by an 0cca sional
snasm of pain, that draws her features
slightly and pales her face.
Through all the other scenes Hading
gave additional examples of her remark
able genius, especially in the final episode
the death Scene-which is made moral
lesson in her hands of more potency than
has ever been given it by any other actress.
1t has been said, and with truth, we think,
that the ait of the French school of acting
Is obtained at the expense of feeling; that
where the art is so perfect the heart is not
touched. Hadlng Is not open to this OBJ
lection.
As some one has we'll remarked. she is
an actress working from the source of
things outward. She lets her feelings
take possession of her occasionally. with
the result that we forget the art IN our
satisfaction with the artist Those who
saw the death scene OF Marguerite last
evening will admit this.
"Ici Pon parle Francais, was motto
that might have been appropriately writ
ten over the Opere-houSe doors last night,
for not only before the footlghts, but in
the auditorium scarce anything but French
was spoken.
spoken out of compliment to COQuelin and
Hading but because the audience was
representative French one.
Nothing showed this more than the fact
that every point scored by the actors met
with an Immediate response from the
audience. Not joke but raised a ripple
of laughter before the words that eX-
pressed it had died away. not smart
repartee but was enjoyed Immediately all
over the house.
To the rain and fog was no doubt at
tributa BILE the fact that there was a
marked absence of anything like dress
display in the house. One or two men
had dOnned swallow-tails and looked
rather forlorn and lonely in consequence,
but by far the greater number wore street
dress and there was even g0Odly display
of top coats.
Most of the ladies wore dark costumes.
and not one appeared in anything that
could be construed into evening dress.
Fanny Davenport, gowGed entirely In
black, was conspicuous in a stage box, &C
companied by Melbourne Mcdowell.
Other members of the theatrical profess
sion present were Miss May Irwin and
Miss Mckee Rankin.
As though to compensate for the lack of
toilet display among the ladies present,
Jane Hading was eXquisitely gowned in
each of the five scenes.
Some actresses, notably Eleonora Duse,
dress Marguerite Gauthier in five sue
cessive creations OF white. Madame
Hading wore white in two scenes alone
the ball scene and the death scene. In the
former her gown Of white satin was almost
covered with meshes of gauZe embroidered
wit Of u a
roses fell from the waist, and the satin and
lace cOrsage was one mass OF glltterlng
diamonds.
In the first scene her dress was the
palest shade of pink satin. over which was
worn a trailing skirt of Transparent white
gauZe, spang ed with gold. The effect of
this mbinatiOn. as the comedienne moved
about the stage, was peculiarly graceful.
Perhaps the most complicated and gor-
geous dress. however, was worn In the
second scene, when Mme Hadng appeared
il a magnificent sweeping gown of bro
caded yellow satin, heavily trimmed with
sable.
A rich girde of pearls was knotted
loosely at the waist and fell almost to the
actress feet, while the sable which encir-
cled her neck was fastened with large
diamond clasp.
Perhaps the most effective dress, how
ever, was that which Nine. Hading wore
in the scene with NJ. Duval.
AS the curtain rose she was discovered
looking like picture of sweet simplicity
painted by some great master.
Folds Of soft cream-colored crepe en-
circled her graceful shoulders and fell in
clinging folds to her feet, confined at the
waist by girdle of pale-lilac silk. In her
arms Nine. Hading tcarried a mass Of
jacQuemin0t roses, and as she bent her
beautiful head over her fragrant burden
she made so lovely picture that the audi
ence involun tarily applauded her.
Tonight the company will present NJ.
Saudeau's Mile. de la Seigliere."
This evening the Groye-street produces
a version of Jules Verne's Around the
World in Eighty Days." with Louis
Imhaus in the role of Passepartout. which
he created, so far as the Pacific Coast is
concerned, some years ago.
The support Of Norvsl McGregor as
Fogg will include Holden, as well AS the
full strength of the stock company. Little
Christie Stockmeyer is to continue her
pretty ballads, and expense has not been
spared either for costumes or effects.
Hamlet is to come next, in which
Darrell Vinton will appear. and the ex-
tensive preparations which are being
made indicate an attempt to give the per-
formance settings which are not usually
seen.