New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-15
FRENCH PLAYS.
u,D.Nr REJANE IN MADAME SANS
GENE-WILL MISS TERRY PLAY THE
PART?-MADAME SARAH BERN
HARDT's REPERTORY-A
COMING EVENT.

Madame Rejane Is to most Londoners a new
discovery She may have played here perore'
hut ~ so she made no great general reputation
Her art Is OF a kind to which the London puoic
would require In ordinary circumstances an ap
premiership. That is to say, II Nine Re)ane hao
come unheraded from Paris and had appeared
to the British playgoer In one or those pieces Oh
light comedy in which she excels, two Things
would probably have happened. She would GER
ta,nly have been told she was improper, aho'
unless the improperly had proved piquant
enough TO attract on It's own account-that mas
hsen known to occur In London-she would nave
been neglected. She has been known In Parls TOT
fifteen years or more an artist quite incom-
n,rabe IN her own manner. She has been the
tov ~ tho Vaudeville and Of the Varieties. and SO
long as her husbands speculation at the Eden
Theatre lasted she very nearly accomplished the
impossible task Of filing that huge auditorium
with audiences who could only half see and hair
hear the best Of her acting and her most delicate
effects OF elocution and expression on stage
twice too large for the comedy she played.
Irit be permissible to let ones memory go for
aging amid pretty woman's past. can reca''
Retane-her comrades always and oiteh the
critics never think Of putting the Madame 70 her
name-in her early prime when she had the
beaute du diable and the diable au corps, DRAM
atically speaking. The two things are not 10 DE
COMPOUNDED. Beauty except OF the diaole-'hal
f. OF youth-she never had In the strctest sense
OF the word But she had piquant vlsage priii-
liant with expression. 10 which the very eAas-
geration Of the features. or OF one FEATURE rent
an individuality that had its own fascihauoh'
uer eves were a lesson in elocution; her sest-
-.es in audacity; her whole acting lesson ana
a delight. Yet she was not then 80 good an
pa Of
theatres delighted IN this hayward young
,na, The Paris which cares for dramatic
art. for the acting more than the actress mas
he.n faithful 10 her ever since. But know not
what would have happened II she had brought
"Ma Cousine" from the Varieties to London ana
acted Il here as she acted 1t there Probably the
Iondon County Council would have passed reso-
lutiona and the Lord Chamberlain would nave
anneered as the champion OF Mrs. Grumpy ana
London would have had a sensation on the iose
possibilities OF which II Is impossible not 10 look
back with regret.
Now. however. in the maturity OF her woman
hood and OF her art. Nine. Rejane presents her-
self to the English public as the heroine IN NJ oar
dou's Madame Sans-Gene" The French CRITICS
aa,,a this niece A tolerably hostile reception. To
mos, y, IN. English Il seems a historical drama
which they accept with Difference NO douo' NJ
Sardou has studied his two perods-for between
mo nrst and second acts there Is an interval OF
twelve years-and all that can be done oy the GUS
tumer-the English sometimes call MIN cos
tumier-has been done. The physical side OK
Napoleon and OF his court is given. the personal
and some Of the social peculiarities OF the great
man are faithfully mimicked. The spirit Is 'he
spirit OF Sardou. the playwright; clever Tricky
nic,uresoue pIausible but ever wanting In SIN
often written for Nine Sarah Berhharu'' "
order or rather 10 measure
Blu, he has taken Nine. Rejane's measure d
little carelessly. She is a pure comedian. az NJ.
Meilhac we'll understood when II became MS
business 70 provide her with part. NJ Sardou
has introduced a disturbing element dramatic
and even meodramauc. He has turned comedy.
moreover into caricature; and the invitation 70
overact has proved Irresistible even 70 this very
sedate artist. II she does not overact the daun-
dress she certainly does the hne lady ehioar-
raised by the splendors amid which has oeen Nv
Ing for years. without, II We are 70 trust author
and actress learning the elements OF department.
II IA n fault OF which Nine Rejane Is probably
aware.
She acts nevertheless. with a sincerity and nm
ish OF style Of which only one or two other come
dlennes even IN Paris are capable. She and the
play are welcomed with good faith. and with
some intelligence. She captivated on the nrst
night an unusually competent and dimcult
audience. There was throughout her perform
ance II one may use such phrase an eHer-
vescence OF intelligence The fnesse OF her style
IL not the least remarkable Of her merits. She
seems to be doing nothing and she does every
thing Even when she lays most emphasis on
her lines. and comes nearer as she does at mo-
hur
does not depart from the simplicity OF her
method. That IL 10 say. she applies TO bur-
esque the methods OF comedy. and produces ny
very delicate means effects which an austere
critic might perhaps call indicate. Paris. quite
regardless for once, OF the critics, thronged to
see her and her play. 1t has left the boards ana
filed the Vaudeville for I forgot how many
months That Is a fact Of which London was
aware, and It helped to kindle the interest OF
the British public at the start. The start once
effected. Nine Rejane has found no difficulty In
keeping the enthusiasm alive.
Nay. the British Metron has brought her
daughter to see Nine Rejane. There Is. on the
whole no reason why she should not; but II IT,,
nevertheless. highly probable that II the mothers
perceptions were as quick as the girls, questions
might arise in the maternal mind. As for the
London County Council. 1t is not supposed that
its Theatre Committee knows quite French
enough 20 be aware Of what Is really going on
Nothing has been said on the subject In any or
the reported debates OF what IL pleases Lord
Rosebery to call the Second Parliament OF Eng
land.
Among the first nights spectators were MI
Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry who. with
Mr. Comyns Carr occupied one OF the stage
boxes 1t presently announced that Mr.
Irving had bought the English rights Of NJ.
Sardous piece. and that Miss Ellen Terry would
act Madame Sans Gene Thereupon uproar
among the critics, with Mr.. Clement Scott at
their head proclaiming that Miss Terry
could not act Nine. Rejane's part. This seems
to involve some change In the relation between
the stage and the press. Heretofore 1t has been