Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-27
recognized, ana everything new IN fiction
from hin pen Is almost popularity hailed.

ccrnea. II is "The Queen Of Lars, py
Daudet and Leon HenriIue. wh'ch wa
successfully produced In Paris. ana wn,en
Harrison Grey Eiske has adapteo io'
Mrs. FisEe's use.
Daudet had the beginning OK many
great genius. lie was Graded III Pose'
~. and his youth had hardships WIZ
sinister traces the great success =, e,sS
years could rot ob.lterate. HIS in'anu-
ism to-day IL a legacy OF early sunerihs.
Daudet began 10 write for the news
papers while mt college. Weary or the
ungratefui task OF a teacher, whicn II.
had been forced TO undertake. ne "eh'
IN Paris. whittier his elder brother, II
nest. had preceded him. After Inohtns
of grinding poverty and unsuccessful ~.
ten,nta IN secure publication or his hrs'
volume OF verses, "Amoureuses." he was
finally successful with this child or MS
imagination. He was famous IN uay'
and now he began to write Tor fhe ~
caro-. - 49,,
Daudets first play, "The IDOL, was
produced at the Odeon In lsds. Inc .oi-
lowing year he wrote comic opera. "Ao-
sents" rrhe ABSENT. In 1864. "L'Oielle,
RIanc" (The White Pink, which was
first called lie Lys." but which was re-
named for political reasons, was produc-
ed. ,,,
His next dramatic venture. in 1868. was
.t,rere A,ne" (The Elder Brother), but
This made no great impression. In 1865
AZ, the vaudeville, was produced his Le
Sacrifice" and this was most favoraoiy
received. In 1874 Daudet was asked 10
take charge Of the dramatic critcisms oi
the Journal Official, the organ or tne
French Government. In 1872 he wrote IL
Arlesienne." which many critics cohcei'-
ed 10 be the most charming and human
OF his plays, and for which Bizet, the
composer OF Carmen" wrote exquisite
music But the play was too simple and
idyllic to appeal TO the faded palates OF
the Parislans at the time. 1t was re-
yiyed. however. al the Odeon In $50 ana
scored a tremendous success, such IS pun
lie caprice. In 1872 also. 'I.ise Tavern'er
was produced at the Vaudeville. IL was
successful. In collaboration with Elzear.
Daudet dramatized his novel lie Nabao.
which was produced at the Na"dsVi'ie ih
1855: In collaboration with Lafontane he
Grammatical his Jack" which was pro-
duced at the Odeon In 1881: in collabora-
ton with Delair lie dramatized his Les
Rois en- Exil." which was produced AT tls
Vaudeville In 1883; In collaboration WIN
Belot his "Sappho" was put In stage form
and produced at the Gymnase in ISIS, ana
his Fremont jeune ct Risler aine' winch
was nut on az the Gymnase In 1885.
In 1857 Daudet wrote "LImmortei, q
satire on the French Academy. One OF
the personaces of the book, Paul Astier'
IS the symbol of all that Is evil. unscrupu-
lous. and criminal In the young men OF
the day who sacrifice everything to attain
their ends He Is the prototype OF the
men whom Daudst calls 1.-THE strugsiers
for life" The sequel TO this book was
his play la Lutte pour In Vie" with
the English subtitle. Struggle for Lie.
This play was produced at the Gymnase
on October 10 1889 It is Il problem play
admirably Constructed, ending WIN
wholesome and logical, though tragic
denouement. This play enjoyed run.
At the some theatre in 1880. "LOtstacie
WAS produced. 1t was an interesting
drama but seemed 10 lack elements OF
popularity. His latest play-also produced
at the Gymnase--was the dream when
Mrs. Fiske is to produce this season. IN
der the title of 1.-THE Queen of Liars.
Few OF Daudets plays have been seen
IN this country. Fremont Jeune CT Risier
aine" was produced by 4. VI. Palmer at
the Madison Square Theatre some seasons
ago under the title of partners" Re-
lane last season played 'Sappho" in this
country. T. Henry French produced
"LObstacle" at the Garden Theatre, New
York. under the title Of "Betrothed.
This is believed 10 comprise all OF Dau-
diets dramas that have been seen IN
America.
The most delicate piece OF mechanism
must have its motive-force and its minor
parts all adjusted to its purpose. The
watch can have but one handspring, one
lever. one balance-wheel, though It's
smaller parts may outnumber its
main pieces. And thus, while a given
musical instrument alone In masterlu'
hands may be a source Of pleasure, IN an
orchestra IL must be performed upon with
reference to the other musical values
that make up q symphonic whole All
the eroups-the strings, the wood-wind'
the brass-wlnd, the percussives-must be
so graduated that melody results.
AS it is in mechanics, IN music, anu
in fact. in all matters OF assembled forces
and effort. so 1t Is as pronounceuiy IN
the play. a company OF actors, to give
the most artistic results. must be graded
I'm intelligence. in personality. ana In
force, in order that the story they enact
may have verlsimilitude.
Bouccicault once remarked OF pre-
sentation Of one OF his plays in London
by a company picked from several no.
table organizations that 1t would have
been far more satisfactory had the cast
been made wholly from any one or the
companies whose more prominent mem
bers were assembled for the event. Ani
this has been true of other occasional
presentations that have employed al
star casts. Casual curiosity may be
satisfied in the presentation of play
nv actors. each one of whom is a promi-
neut figure alone, but art has never yet
been served by such an assembling. Per
hans the most remarkable EFFORT or TINS
kind in stage annals was the production
the the Metropolitan Opera-House, New
York. of Hamlet" I'm May, 1885, for the
benefit Of Lester Wallack. In this Ed
win Booth was the Hamlet; Lawrence
Barrett, the Ghost; Frank Mayo. the
King: John Gilbert. the Polonius; Jo-
seph jefferson, the First Grave-Digger
W. j. Florence. the Second Grave-Digger
Rose Coghlan, the Player Queen, and
Modteska, the Ophelia, while the other
parts were taken by celebrated players
and. even In the crowd of supernumerary
figures were seen actors and actresses
of stellar note. AS an unprecedented
grouping of great players this event was
a success, but, as performance oil
Hamlet" Il was sadly out OF artistic
perspective. because its chief personages
We'd with each other on the lines oil
their habitual domination.
ANY dramatic company assembled by
an artist, with full conception of eff
fects to be produced, and with the de-
finite purpose that guides the hand OF
a painter OF a picture, will always give
even to a mixed audience. far greater
pleasure than an il-balanced company
gathered mainly with reference to repu
tations already won In varying environ
ments.
Alexander Salvini is booked at the
Academy. Montreal, for the week OF
October 2Sth. and then follows with a