The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-22
SOME ACTING DESCRIBED.
BERNHARDT'S ART APPLIED TO
TWO DUMAS HERoINEs.

Sarah Bernhardt devoted her last evening but
one at Abbey's to q first American appearance
In ia Femme do Claude.' This Dumas play
had been acted here In English, with Minnie
Madden Fiske NJ Its heroine, and in italian,
with Eleonora Duse. but never before In the
original French. Bernhardt represented the
wanton wife carefully, skilfully. and brilliantly.
There Is no such thing possible rs making tho
wretched creature agreeable. or even tolerablo.
IL Is said that the author wrote the piece to
prove that, under circumstances which he might
invent, he could win an audiences approval OF
tho murder Of a woman by her husband. His
eHort IN that direction was almost n success, IL
not quite. The CGsdrire OF this piece, fnithless
and consclenceless. insincere even in her ayowed
desire OF reformation. n Turing t~raitress and .
despicaolc thief. gets scarcely any pity when
shot dead by her husband at the end OF tho
play. whether or not he Is to be punished
by the law for his deed Is not limited
at by tho playwright, but II the jury were
chosen from the audience, there would at
least be q disagreement, and probably q
verdict OF acauittal. Bernhard showed her
pantomimic ability In the r0lo OF Crsdrtne. The
woman passes through several important
scenes silently. either as o listener spoken
directly to or as an eavesdroppor, and in either
case tho actress was amazingly expressive. She
listened quietly yet sensitively. and the mental
effect of every word that she heard
was graphically shown. In tho passages
Of her heartloss caiolery and entice-
ment OF her infatuated lover, the
beneficiary Of her husband. she was the very
soul Of amatory allurement, not gross, but
devilishly subtle. In tho angry, resentful,
furious quarrel with the husband she became
stormily demonstrative without forcing the
passion Into the smallest degree OF unreallty. 1t
was n thoroughly Bernhardt. performance. art
1t could not become sympathetic, 1t stirred the
audience into q feeling beyond cold approval OF
her acting, There was responsive applause and
some actual enthusiasm.
There are three incidents of Sarah Bern
hardts acting in Camille striking enough to
make the role Of Marguerite Gduthier distino-
tive Of her genius and art, even If the actresses
perfor nance OF the Dumas heroine were not
in It's entirety so especially fino that her fame
Is most likely to survive through the rccol-
lection of this role. Two of these incidents In
the last act arc said by Bernhardt to have
originated with her. and no subsequent Camille.
despite their effectiveness, has ever appro-
priated them. The first is in the scene in
which the weeping Camille reads the letter
from Armand. Bernhardt takes it from
under tho pillow OF her bed. tottcrs feebly
across the stage to the lounge, and. after kiss
Ing the paper, fervently presses II to her breast.
Then she commences to repeat II slowly, show.
ing that she has learned the contents word for
word; and only once, toward the end, does she
and turn to the writing. This is o
effective suggestion of the wo-
affection and fidelity. and Bernhardt
to the physical expression of the scene
an frresistibly pathetic atmosphere Of hope
lessness and despair. Adeeper tone OF the same
sentiment is given in the scene with, the mir
rOr. which follows Ihe reading of the latter
A table stands close to the lounge, and, as the
woman's hand wanders over 1t, she feels tho
mirror.
This has been treated in 30 many ways by
different actresses that any originality would
ever forget Fanny Davenports sudden halt
Ing before a large cheval glass. and the sur
OF her changed appearance 50 oyerwhelm
It represented about the absolutely antithetical
inditferently, and when she has
comes into her face. Flow
lrst timo the real truth Of her condition had
OF death. against which she makes nc
struggle. She puts down the glass. and 1t
y her look. and slowly she stoops down to
up tho mirror. Her face tells the story.
Ise bro TSrst AND appf III fos!ane are Il b trnsi to The ae,S glass
The final scene Of tho play contains one
other Incident that IL delicately imaginative
ling gown. She crosses to Gami,le, who is
ropes In the future to lead with 1rmand, As
'he turns TO en- orace !N,tchstte the sight OF the
' Ts yell seems TO a.! her mind; She sei,Ys
.econd later the scene OF death ends the play.
dominating element in the great French wo-
mans performance than the character of puri-
essa ans II love for WIZ" .hTma smo p Seye tP'G In 'h Ho6 oSep.
ion nor illustration IS there the suggestion
Srossness or sensGality. Her manner, her
Genes with him are always those which
night have come from any pure woman. and
ates that this is the nature of her love. May
&c that Is. just as false to tho woman's char
.a,icn as on aAS w PiSg y s s9 ihief Gui has az + sn ihe i np a
refined. and almost Incompatible
OF this Dumas play.
The public Gambol of the Lambs Club at the
Broadway Theatre yesterday afternoon would
been stupid to an ordinary audience. but
amused an assemblage OF stage people
The fun was all pertinent 10 theatre
al affairs and to nothing else. The matter
las all new, and had been written by mem
ers for the OCCASION. or had been used only in
40 club house. All the performers belonged
D the Lambs, too, and they included many
actors. "A Part OF Maryland" was
augustus Thomas's travesty of The Heart
( Maryland" and 1t was q genuinely humor-
Us maltreatment of that war mclodrama,
it'll stress laid upon the theatric effects. and
18th pointed references TO Mrs. Carter's red
ess of hair and consplcuousness in the action.
hat actress was caricatured by De Wolf
Topper. while limitations OF other characters
the Belasco play were given by Cyril Scott,
gorge Nash, Ralph Delmore, Clay NJ. Greene.
nd Mr.. Thomas; "The Notorious Adventures
lcDonough's jocose attack on Pinero's The
Mrs. Ebbsmith." with witty gibes
/ the other dramas with wicked heroines. aud
vas performed by John L. Kellerd, Walter
/. Hale, and Leo Dietrichstein. 1.-THE Guyer
I Danes was Edward PaultOn's assault on
umas's The Squire OF Danes" with rid
in it Tor John Drew. whose mannorisms
ere Initiated by William Gillette. Others In
lie cast were Walter Craven, Joseph " heelOck,
T., Edward V. Morgan. and Mr.. Paulton.
Perfect, l0:3U.' also by Mr.. Paulton,
as a representation OF a stage rehearsal, and
tickled tho audience nightly with It's hits
the whims, vanities, and manners OF players
! such a time. This sketch was acted by
'ilton Lackaye az a self satisied leading man,
.enTy +. Dixey as q leading lady who stuck
to the centre of the stage,
harles Klein as an author whose work was
Iisused, Joseph -Grismer as a typical stage