Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-03-19

Jion oardcu nas q wonderfully rertile I'M
agination. and 10 must be owned that he ID
fairly just 20 the feminine character and
fairly wise In regard 20 its COMPLEX charms
and its capacity for mixture of good and
evil. In the selection Of tho causes TO lead
up to his climAxes, all of which are thought
out before the story, and often before tho
characters are selected, he has mn alnnst
infallibl6 instinct In regard TO what will
move house to enthusiasm. He has
missed this sometimes, as was tho case In
his handling OF his horoino In "Thcrmi-
DOR" much moro touching figure to him
than she proved to tho public.
Whom Saydop has selected his main id0a,
which 10 II plain at first conossns forco
rather than people, he proceeds to select an
attractive back ground for his story. Ho
selects time, place and people, and that
done tho rest Is something like matho-
matical problem for him, for no proceeds
to open an elaborate ledger account with
tho play, end In that notes down tho ma
ferial no collects for It, This takes months
and often years. Both "Theodora" and
"Thermid6r, for example, no had In his
mind and partly completed 25 years. In
the case of "Theodora" as long ago rs
when he was usher at school and taught
history Procopius suggested her as good
and fitting heroine for a picturesque play,
and In the case of "Thcrmidor" he waited
many years for tho proper time to come
for him to speak his say on the French
revolution, and yet with all his cleverness
he spoke too soon. "Gismonda" was for
mulated six years before it was written.
He pores over every volume he can find
which bears on the subject he has In hand
and reads and studies until he Is absolute
ly soaked In the period. His knowledge
of history, OF the people, the architecture,
tho laws and the customs Of other days Is
remarkable and his enthusiasm while no
is at work most interesting
In Sardou's plays the dialogues are the
very last thing DONE and to him evidently
tho least important, for many men can
write q good dialogue who have not tho
very least skill In constructing a play.
The actual writing Of "Gismonda" occu-
pied but three months. 1t was begun last
June and finished In September and was
written at his country place, Marly-le-Roi.
No wonder Sardou Is wealthy. Fanny
Davenport alone has paid him in ten years
over $75, 900 in royalties. On "Gismon-
da" tho advance money, which preceded
the delivery of the manuscript was $10,-
600, twice what he had for any of his 9th
Or plays.
Since 1885, when Fanny Davenport pro-
duced Fedora" she has paid out $780,
900 In staging Sardou's plays When this
ls added to the $3.50 she has paid in
royalties, and 1t is considered that Miss
Davenport is reputed to be worth $500, 900,
some idea of the popularity Of Sardou can
be computed
Miss Davenport's relations with Sardou
are most cordial. They have had long
and the American actress
has made many suggestions that the
Frenchman has accepted The title of |
. 'Gismonda" is hers, for example. Sardou
originally called 1t 1.-The Duchess of Ath- |
ems, and Bernhardt liked that title Miss |
Davenport is supcrstitious. She had been
very successful with Fedora, I" LA Tos-
"a, Cleopatra" and she wanted to keep |
10 that final A. She wrote Sardou So and
10 fell right in with the superstition and
changed the name for her.