Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-11

cellent opportunity to judgc of tho meth ods employed by French and American actors to obtain the samo effects.
 At tho outset it may be stated that the American production surpassos tho French mmoasurably so far as costumes, scenery, ste, are concerned.
 "Mmc. sans GCno" Is said to have been written for Mme Rcjane. and it is to bo expected that tho character would suit her. She Is n woman with an unprctty and still very attractive faco and an alto Sethcr odd personality. It would bo diff suit to coujure up person better adapted to impcrsonato the washcrwoman who, through the military prowoss of her hus- , band, became tho Duchess of DantZic and power in tho land us tho wife of tho gal lant field marshal And yet in some re- spcCts Miss kiddCr is moro satisfying than Mmc, RCjano, although 1t should not bo iOrguttcn that tho former enjoyed the ad- vantage of studying tho lattcr's methods tn the rOlo last summer in Paris and was therefore in a position to copy what was best and discard that which was worst
 Tho most startling difference in the methods of tho two actresses Is found in tho strong bits" with which the play is Iibcrally pcppercd. When Miss Kiddrr is about to say something bright, sho lets the
 
 glance and a knowing wink thrown acruss tho footlightS Mmc, RCjanc delivers the smart SpVCChcS just as sho does all tho Oth- erS-at the actors, not seeming to rCaliZe that thVrO Is any one at all in tho auditO- rum. When, in tho third act Mime. sans Gono explains to Napoleon her connection with the army as vivandiCrc, Miss Kid dor gathers herself for n GrUat effort, strikes n heroic attitude and rattlCs of her lines as though sho wvrO rCCitinS piece" at q | school exhibition, RCjano tolls the story with eyes half dOwnCast, looking up timid- | ly every now and then tO ubScrvU that the emperor is not displTasrd and thCn pro 1ccdin2 with q tritlu morc boldnosS In thu prologue as tue bustlinG washer | woman Miss kiddrr neither looked nor | acted like the carCless blanchissCusC while RCjano was absolutely convincing In | tho first act, however, Miss kiddcr Is | much better in tho scenes with the trades l men than Is MmG Rejanc. and if the American actress would curb her tendency | to cNageoratiOn her work in this act might with justice be considered really great | Tho third and fourth acts arc all in favor | of Rcjanc simply because Miss kiddor is l mCrCly an imitator who. by introducing little patches upon anothcr's groundwork, mars tho Cntiro effect.
 In short, the two productions of "Mmc. Sans GCne' In this city serve to show that tho French novor neglect the smallest item of stagc business, rccusniIing. as thCy do, that atmosphere" Is tho u'st important feature of play. The .Amvrlcans in this instance, whCro they attempt 10 produce tho same insults. morCly rCSort to stage tricks which aro SD transparent as tO defeat l their own end. Moro observable even than l with tho two leading actresses is this the caso with tho NapoleOns-AugustuS Cook ] and M. DuSucsnC, Tho former is accept | able, and one is apt tO consider his work very fino until he has scon tho latter. Then he rcalizes that, whilc Mir Cook has