New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-04
THE PARIS STAGE.
AZ DIJMAss LAM DIES FEMMEs'-THE
DEFECT OF THE FRENCH ACTOR AS
CENTLEMAN-HOW FRENCH ACT
REsSES HAVE LEARNED TO
PLAY THE GRANDE DAME.

Nice April IL.
So meagre is the list of new pieces now to be
seen at the Paris theatres that the best Of the
new is an old one by NJ. Alexandra Dumas, fils.
"I,Ami des Femmes." first brought out some
twenty-five or thirty years ago. at the Gymnase'
now playing at the Francois. Those were the
DAYS OF Marie Deaporte. These are the days OF
Mime Rartet Like nearly every piece OF that
neriod or earlier 81 Ami des Femmes' has GER
tain air Of antiquity II is out of date In so FAR as
II is a comedy OF manners. What Keeps IL lresh
is the study of human nature which NJ. Dumas
in this case put before those sketches OF social
neculiarities for which he has always mad Keen
eye.
The caricature Of an individual has no lasting IN
terest on the stage. The individual winners anu the
counterfeit; presentment OF a dead thng ainuses
robodv The presentation Of type has better
chance Of Immortality. The type also may ois-
anpear so far as 1t is dependent on external char
acteristcs; not II it is essential and derived from
traits or qualities common to all time or all hu-
roo,,,v or IN the people of the country TO which
IN. dramatist himself belongs. Celimtne. Tar
+ufe Agnes and even though in less degree Mas
c,ri,ls are perfectly fresh to-day-they and many
another as modern when Moiere drew 'hein'
None Of them was modelled on an individual OF
composed in such way as to make merely IRAN
silent peculiarites prominent. Inc coquct'e 'ne
,,rssnv bvpocrite. the ingenue.-all these de-
scend from generation to generation IN an uhia'i-
ing line The genius Of Molere was such as 10
enable him to select out OF a hundred QUALITIES
those which were decisive and descriptive; those
which are always found in the type ana not mere
~ sometimes found He flung into literature and
established upon the stage characters when VIII
live as long as French literature lives and the
French stage.
Whether NJ Alexandra Dumas has endowed
anv ~ his numerous creations with immortality IS
still a question. LIANT des Femmes Is very lar
from being one of his masterpieces, yet u Is
thought good enough to resurrect at this ia'e uay
and is-at least. by comparison win anything u
It's own which this late day has To oiier' IL coh-
tains two good characters: De Ryons VINO Is
himself the Ami des Femmes, and Jane de SINE
rose which might have been written 10 measure
for Nine Bartet, so perfectly does IL III her' lie
D,.ors &c an amiable cynic who has devoted his
life TO the study of women, and, by MS own at
count. to befrending them as occasions arose
He has good nature. wit resource win an acute
perception of the foibles Of both men ana women
n. Worms is his representative at the Francais'
a,d that excellent actor sees fit to play him IN the
wrong kev throughout. Such character as lie
Pvons is only conceivable. and In a drawing-Toom
would only be toerable with easy manners anu
f. light touch, with a smile for every sha'P INNS
he says, and with n reserve complete th'us" !"
mask his dangerous qualities ENterhh'S III van
he nothing more or less than man oi '"' "'''"'
well-bred, quiet. simple ana careiu'y "'"p""s
himself 10 the tone az the society whieh he s"''
ICES and whose secrets he penetih'"s i'' '
nlsvs him with emphasis, with extfavagant seH'-
ures-extravagant even for fFeh'h'h"" ""'
deiiyers his Trades like the professor 81 e'c""'"
"A Inn %
nrofessor The eupdis, would take alarm ~
,,esa demonstrations And. like all ffonch'n'n
-, tho stage and n gren, many on. NJ dc Worm"
dresses badly lila clothes looks ~ u 'h'F n"'
co,ne from "A roady-mnde shop. ana his No'"in"''"H
scars leaves but half an inch 81 linrn visible w.
naphacl Dunos. recent importation l'o'' NV
oymnasc hae still more sc'ond-hahn ''oh'
,,u mora voluminous lowered scarf ana s'ili lc's
lnen. and an air as If he found himself IN polite
company for the first time in his HE.
7, IS sad to say such things Of the Theatre fran-
rails. still more sad that the things themseNo7
rho,,,d owls, there. In measure they have al
WAYS existed On the male side, ana ior n'ouei"
,,nes and the society Of to-day. this admirable
stage has never been a school Of manners II Is
rare to see a gentleman played in gentleman
IT, NAV The French actor we told has
few onnortunities Of making himself acquainted
with the usages Of society lie has never Deen
lionized as his English comrade has; never !"
fact with perhaps an exception or t"o hdu at
cess TO the lesser world which in such matters
legislates for the larger world. Paris never
showed the interest in the personality OF the
actor which London has shown during the present
generation.
70 this is true Of the French actor IL still more
true OF the French actress. She has never been
received In society In Paris. No respectable 'front.'
horo i, hor
sional capacity and for professional purposes
In London IL Is possible TO NEE, In private lie,
and in So re otherwise irreproachable houses. act
resses whose distinction on the stage Is supposed
., Hind the beholder the notorious Irregular
Ties Of their private life Never is this true Of
Paris; now or any time
wbv &c II then that the French actress shows
on the stage so intimate a knowledge OF that so
cletv from which she is so rigidly excluded? That
she does show IL is beyond dispute. In dress. in
manner in her familiarity with the customs ana
manners of the salon. she is, not always. but
sometimes grande dame to the tips OF her fin
gers She sets the fashion In dress She gives
lessons in department. She has caught the note
Her gestures are sober. The voice. even WIN the
ex,gencies Of the theatre making different tone
almost Imperative is seldom raised above the SOFT
,,w kew OF the drawing room The French actor
eycs Won the impression that he Is trying 70 ini-
tate the bearing and demeanor and dress OF a
gentleman. and trying in vain With the French
actress there IL no effort visible imitation. She
seems 10 you and externally she is the woman or
good breeding and position whom 1t is her business
10 impersonate She must have learned her lesson
somehow but how?
The answer full answer. would take Ills far'
on the whole. farther than can venture to ask
an American audience 10 accompany me. Nine
Leverdet asks de Ryons how men are to be stud
led. He answers I'll faut frequenter les femines
II you care TO understand the secret Of the social
knowledge OF the French actress, you have only to
reverse the question and answer The whole doc
trine and practice Of morals among the women