New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
FRENCH COMEDY.
A MONTH OF TT IN LONDON NJ GOT AND
MIR. HENRY IRVING AT THE
MANSION HOUSE.
London, June "A.

success which ITS projectors eNPc'fu' INV wv
of London for French Plays has always h''A III
termittent The most modest and most ambitious
enternrises have alike ended at times IN disaster,
nor has London been really educated mo
an appreciation of what is best and most charac-
tr;stic in the company Of the best French Theatre
Sir Augustus IIanis in cooperation with M"~rS'
Abbey and Maurice Gran. has brought the present
companv of the House OF Moli6re 10 D1ury Lane
a stage i'll suited to their style. He has all inc
arts OF the experienced manager and he knew
how TO fill his big theatre on the first night WIN
people whose presence was supposed to give the
stamp Of fashion. II was probably the company
or their own manager. who insisted on pp"hlh3
with two classical pieces for which fashion cared
nauCht The modern French drama has since
been performed on most nights which is far Dot
Ter liked in London, yet has been performed 70
thin bous,s. Ascot and the hot weather between
them monOpolzcd for a week the attention OF
fashion. Even Signora buses audiences deserted
no, dnrino that critical period What London
Ioves is a star. and If has admired tho Italian
actress because, she shone by herself The whole
constellation of the French Theatre is less daz-
cling 10 the British eye.
II must he admitted that the ancient spcndor
Of this French constellation has been dlmmea'
The glory of the theatre of the Rue Rchcleu Is
not what it. was One need not 90 back very
many wears to remember Mile. Croiscte Nine
Sarah Bernhardt. Mlle. Brohan, Mile. Samary NJ
Delaunav. VI Coquein, NJ BreSSant, AMI Others
all OF whom We're at the same time IN TINS sahe
company. and many of them often actinc III 'he
same piece London remembers them an mc'
were all. with perhaps one exception mere To-
octbor on ,hc first visit Of the French Ca'n"dN
20 Tondon in 1871. They arc all gone. NJ. Got
is left an actor Of great force though iho'o,o
mons in method Others have come, but are the
old nlaces filed We all know they are not
Mile. Bartct is the chief acquisition; an ARTIST
of real distinction of manner: manner tha' UT
hans has never in our time been eqnallcd on 'ne
stage in at least one respect Mile IT'r'e'
rr.rdo dame The Faubourg st. German has
nothing 10 teach her: perhaps because IL 'ausn'
her some time since all that it had to tF''h III
department, dcmeanOr, speech, ana r'Iheih'"''
On no stage is there more finished artist Oh no
English or American stage has she rlNal III 'ic
delicate perfection Of her style. She has con-
siderable range also; from comedy, III whlcA sl'
il most admirable, to the lurid drama oil VI
Richenin in which she is also admirable. Ana
ret Mile Bartet is not star; she Is merely a
member of what is still the best society oil actors
in the world She is not advertised except III u
modest way in connection with her cohra''S'
there is no suggestion of patent pills or Oh any
body's soap in the form of publicity chip'oNei
IN recommend her to the notice of the British
nublic But so demoralizcd Is the british pn'h'
tC purs and by the more coarse ana vulgar lorhs
of notoriety that it can hardly imagine 'hc "Ni''-
ence Of any real merit which is not thrust upon
its notice by sky sign or colored poster
Mile Bartet is admired by inc JudiciouS anu ''''
injudicious let her alone.
Mile lane Uading, who has always bc'n an IN
teresting individuality. is a much newer recruit
than Mile Bartet She is also much better Known
in London where she has starred 1t Often III uih'S
mast Her beauty and her strange fascination
won her a public and diverted attention from h'r
MANY deficiencies As an artist. Inc dehchhce'
ORC still MANY. and when l saw her in Paris she
seemed a little out of her own country on me
s,anp of the French Comedy. Attractive she SUN
was. and is.
Yet so i'll are things managed with reference "
.ha nuhlic taste that Mile Hading has appeared
mt once in London and II is said Will not appear
again. The parts in which she would hke 10
,,ior ,,o ,nonopolized by her seniors; to whom Dy
.hn statutes and customs of the theatre 10 when
an. now belongs seniority of membership gives
right of monopoly if they choose 70 assert H. Ana
nnon these classical boards there Is as ELSEWHERE
n good deal of human nature Jeaious!e' cAi'' a.
we'll as rivalries, and the newcomer may ne anu
ia relocated TO an obscure corner thhK 'iie
London public. by help of little cS'ver manage
ment. might easily he induced 10 take less IAN
enid interest in these two actresses.
Emf no clcverncss and no management would
suffice 10 fill Drury Lane Theatre, at present
priccs The playgoer will not give % ioi hl'
.,au and &c he cannot have it for less, he stays
AWAY The policy of doubled prices mas di'loS'
olvavs been followed. and has almost never sue
ooodoa II il defended on the ground Of the
heavy pavmcnts that have TO be made 70 the for
fhe cOmnAuV
hut tho point is whether the total receipts from
ouinea stalls are likely 10 be greater than from
half Guinea stalls, with the rest of the house IN
rronortion Once or twice or three times the
higher rates have been printable. III" speculative
rar,cer always hopes of course that they will
no profitable this time He tries 1t on Inc
nuhlic generally rcsents being eXperimcnt"d on
and STAYS away But if this particular form OF
oorb,ipc seems 70 the enterprising manager 10
include entertainment enough 10 pay hm Tor inc
almost inevitable loss, he entitled TO choose for
himself lie need not perhaps lose much more
money than he would lose at Monte Carlo in the
same time.
T. costs. ! am told, under the present arrange
want with the French Comedians, $4,000 night
% raiso the curtain at Drury Lane. The house
holds a Good deal more than that at ordinary
priccs Sir Augustus Harris might have rejected
That the doom of his French season was sealed
on that brilliant first night, when the Prince OF
Wales chose to 90 to the opera instead OF gong TO
,lo French Plays. But the opera. also, l. I'll
Ausustus IIarris's venture and he could not cN-
meet the Prince to be in two places at once. ONLY
the fortune Of opera being at present assured IN
7 ondon. the Prince would hay" been moro useful
10 Sir Augustus at Drury Lane than at C"vent
Garden And what is Prince for. if not to be
useful to Sir Augustus Harris
NJ. Jules Claretie is here with his troupe. lie
Is rcckoned good and successful manager In
Paris and the theatre thrives pecuniarily uuder
his administration. lie is able TO fill his house
twice week by subscription, Tuesdays ana
Thursdays. and does a good average business on