The morning call., 1893-11-14
AT THE THEATERS.
The French Players at the
Grand.
Ethel Brandon's Benefit-"The Dan.
ites"-Dailey at the California.
ala Tosca''-The TivOli.

French players began their second week
at the Grand ODera-house last evening
with double bill-"La Joie Fait Peur'
and "GringOire." They are opposite in
character The first is tenderly pathetic,
the second is buoyant with Bohemian vi
vaciousness that Gringoire the wandering
poet. infnses. Gringoire is not buffooD,
as one of our local papers describes him.
He is poor and a vagrant. but full of
tender sensbiities and the divine
afflatus of genius. Otherwise we would
not find him. as described by Nj
cole, sitting under the portico OF a
house in the Rue de Cygne with two little
abandoned children on his knees. on
winters day, shelteriDg them with his old
torn doublet and rocking them to sleep
with hymn to the Virgin-otherwise we
would not find in him the author of that
pungent poem. 1.-THE Orchard of the King"
-"Ballade des Pendus"-that stirred
Louis XI and his hangman, Oliver le
Dain, to their deepest depths. The late
Lawrence Barrett was very ''nutty" on an
English adaptation of this mon oact.
originally by Theodore de Banville. and
he gave it with great effect during one of
his engagements at the Baldwin. His
Pierre Gringoire was one of the gems in his
repertoire. and his reading of the ballad
of the Executed" "On the Broad Arms
Extended" or. as it is in the original,
pieces of recitation. LA Joie Fait Peur"
Sunshine follows rain). by Nine. de
Girardin, was one of Dion Boucicault's
most ingenious thefts from the French.
He played it at the California, taking the
part of the faithful old servitor, Noel, the
hot eli .oI Lac
ing, and for the motto Of his adaptation.
Sorrow is with the night, but joy cometh
in the morning" All who saw him know
how well the lamented Dion played it, and
talked about 1t, and are still talking about
it. now that, in his case. the rose is above
the mold or his mortal remains.
Nine. Jane Hading was not in the
Girardin ''comsdie"-as it is called-but it
is not a comedy in the English sense. It's
grief and suffering from beginning to end.
Mme DIES Aubiers (Mme. Patrv) sorrows
for the loss of her son Adrien, and the SUM-
shine that follows her rain of tears is his
unexpected return. The central character
sustained by NJ. CoQuelin is Noel. the SER
want. 1t was played with all the finish Of
which this great actor is capable. He
gave Us an idea of the source whence
Boucicault drew his inspira ton in the same
part.
''Gringolre." in which both the Coque-
Nus appear, bUo SUI as LOuiS Al anu Inc
father as the wandering poet, a sort of
Ange Pitou of that period, and Mime.
Hading as Loyse, the old Fnurnieux's
daughter, is built up on an incident in the
erratic French Kings life. The scene is
confined to an excursion that that disagree
able monarch was fond of making to get in
touch with his people when he Gwelt in his
favorte residence. s-les-Tours. He
is in Simon Fourntiux's chamber supping,
aud here Gringiore is brought to him by
Oliver-le-Dain and two of the Scottish
Guard-such Scotchmen!-andc comp eiled
to recite the ballad describing the
''pendus" be found hanging to the
trees in the forest. Oliver-le- Dams
work. and which he calls the kings
Orchard" Gringoire is hungry and wants
to eat, but 1t is mo song no supper" with
him, and so he recites the ballad that
angers the King to such an extent that
Oliver thinks be has another job on hand.
and that Is 10 add poor Gringoire to the
''pendus" already OF the branches of the
forest trees. The supper scene was full
of peculiar grim humor, the conversation
being between Gringoire and the King, the
former by this time knowing who his
auditor is, and also that it may be his last
meal on earth. He. therefore. eats heartily.
However, he is not hanged. but
by caprice OF the King his Of
Tense is condoHed on condition that
Re marie. Loyss (Jane Hading). old
Fournieux's 17-year-od daughter. The
Interview between Coqueln and Hading in
the latter part of this monoact, and before
the timd GringOire has been brought to
the proposing point. Is full OF exquisite
phases of acting, perhaps one of the best
examples of their respective powers we
have yet seen.
The programme being short one NJ.
CoQuelin filled out the evening by couple
of monologues-"Le Nanfrage," by Fran
co.'s Coppee, and La Vie" by G. Dan
cony.
The music by the Hinrichs orchestra is
very meritorious feature of this engage
ment
"Frou Frou" is on the bills for this
evening.
Miss Ethel Brandon had good attend
ance at the Stockwell last evening on the
occasion of her complimentary benefit.
The play was that tIme-honored one
East Lynne" dramatized from Mrs.
Henry Woods novel of the same name
The leading busiDess-a dual role, Lady
Isabel and Nine. Vine-was assumed by
the bene fclary, and in the Interpretation |
of both characters Miss Brandon played
with true and lncisve power. She was
sweet and womany as the loved and |
loving wife in the sunshine OF her |
life, and when the dark shadows |
OF misfortune obscured its brightness |
we had most touching picture of despair |
that bordered on desperation. The audi |
ence were easily affected by the natural |
ness of Miss Brandon's acting all through. |
In her hands this ideal role conveyed u |
lesson worth needing, to the effect that for |
slight and causeless reasons a woman's |
life is often rretrievably wrecked, aud |
how careful one ought to be in studying |
consequences before the fatal leap is taken |
that sunders sacred ties never to be re-
united. East Lynne" will be played all |
this week. aud. old and hackneyed as the |
piece is. good results may follow, especially |
from Miss Brandon's strong acting
The California was packed to the doors
again last night, and Peter Daley, May |
Irwin, Ada Lewis and the rest of the |
Country Sport" company kept the aud
fence in a great state of good nature.
Some new specialties were introduced and |
there is a general expression of regret that
this is the last week of the perform aDce.
Frank Daniels opens in Little Puck"
next week.
"a Night in Venice" although not as
we'll known as Strauss Queens Lace
Handkerchief" or his Prince Methusa-