Evening star., 1896-11-28

Mentioned and administered by the state as
in the time of the old kings. BY this cnar-
ter the players form kind OF corporation
for their owa benefit, but overlooked ana
guided by the state. The actual memners
of the corporaton-that Is to say. the
profit-sharers, "societaires" by name-may
not increase their number or fill vacancies
without the approval of the minister OF
public instruction and fine arts. FOR eN-
ample, WORMS after seven years OF con
slant progress and valuable services was
elected "soc,etare'' unanimously by ths
troupe; but the ministerial appreciation be
ing too long adjourned" for some reason
best known to the politicians of the time
the great jeune premier accepted an en-,
Ga cement in Russia, where he stayed
twelve years and afterward passed to the
Paris Gymnase until recalled to the Com,
edie Franchise again. TINS tlme Win iuii
assurances of his confirmation as soc1etaire-
1t cast the subvention theater SloWO 10
have him released by the Gymnase. 1t being
SO much time and money wasted because OF
the caprice of a passing munster: si:, e hea
tape, indeed is strong wherever civil serv-
Ice is perfected. The present corporation
is composed of twenty-five OF these soGie-
taires; of mon. Mounet-Sully, Coqueiln'
cadet: Prudhon Silvain, Ballet. LIE Bargy,
de Feraudy, Boucher. Leloir. Truftier, Al
bert Lambert. fils; Paul Mounet Georges
Berr ard Pierre Laugier; OF women, BAR
tet, Reichenberg, Baretta-N orms, Dudiay,
Person Muller. Ludwig. kalb and Marsy.
But there are many other actors and ac-
tresses seen constantly upon the stage,
some fifteen each. who are paid salaries,
under the name of "pensionnaires. Ii Is
very rare, absolutely exceptional. that q
comedian should be received into the cor
poration itself directly from the outside
world; 1t is almost always incumbent on
newcomers to serve a longer or shorter ap-
premiership in this lower rank: to be
pensionnaire is to be on the ROAD 10 the
envied state of societaire.
To be a socetaire of the Corledie Fran
caise Is the very pinnacle Of ambition for
I
in the profession and high place IN the
world of art and letters but also great
present emoluments, great ease, luxury ana
culture. and old age splendtdly PROVIDED
for Even the salaried "pensionnaires' are
granted pensions after ten or twenty years
cf service the case may be; while the
societaires themselves continue to be OF
the house" and its profits so long as they
live. What this really means can only be
appreciated after visit to the Theatre
Francais in the daytime.
The Theatre Francois is much more than
a mere play house. Like the Opera, 1t is
q monument" a museum, a great library
and an artistic club house for the for
tunates who have the entree to 1t. Spacious
anu dignifed as are the halls and salons
open to the public. they are small and
bare in comparison with the part reserved
to the actors and actresses alone Che
foyer des artisteS in particular ts most
noble hall: and, what, with the library and
mt scum, the private parlors Of the actors
and actresses, the spacious and beautiful
sale du ccmite and the salons given over
to the administration. the great building
contains in itself whole social and artistic
world. The whole troupe could live in it
without ever having need to go outside the
building. Dozens of Suppers are nightly
served behind the scenes. where actors who
are not "on' for the evening while away
the time with chosen friends. After per-
formance fully 800 people may be called
behind the scenes to hear the reading OF
play or figure in some special social func-
md going
the foyer-the one true green room" of
the worlds nearly always filled with
notabilities of art, literature. politics and
science. The actors and actresses OF the
Coincide Franchise are in their own home.
and 1t is palace to which they are able to
invite the best society the capital affords.
Accepting n New Piece.
The way in which the company accepts a
rev piece will give a good idea Of the
| formal decency of all its proceedings. The
| author-any one may write piece and
| offer it-hands over his manuscript to that
| comedian who happens to be on duty for
| the week. busted with the little details
| of the troupe-a task which every one must
| take in turn. This "semainier." by virtue
of his office, forms part of the assem-
| bly," which holds its meeting every Mon
| day afternoon. The "semainier presents
| the new piece to them, whereon they vote
| to fix day for its reading. AT the reading
| the author alone has the right to be pres
L
| assembly. After its reading he retires. For
| the voting each member of the assembly
| is given three balls-one white, for the
| sinple acceptance of the piece; one mar
bled, for It's acceptance with changes, and
| one black for absolute refusal. After each
1 actor and actress, in order Of seniority, has
| given expression to his views, the voting
| takes place. II the decision is simply that
| changes shall be made In the piece, the
| author has the right to a second reading
| when he thinks he has succeeded. After
| this second reading second ballot takes
| place, this time with only white and black
| balls II the piece is received the author
seeks the appreciation of the police.that Is
the "censor"-and the piece Is on the road
to being played-some day-by the grea
| company.
The repertoire of the Coincide Francaist
! is nowadays very modern, despite the duty
| of the house to keep the memory Of the
| great classics green. The great French
| classics are Corneille, Moliere. Boursault
| Racine, Hauteroche, Regnard. Favart
| Beaumarchais. Patrat, Marivaux, Piron
| Voltaire-and so en-.