New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-20
PARIS THEATRES.
MCRGER'S VIE DE BOHEME - NEW
PLAYS FOR THE COMING SEASON
BY SARDOC, DAUDET. LE-
MAITRE AND OTHERS.


sicians. critics and dancers. and the theatres an"
cafe corners from the Coincide Francaise opera
Comique and Vaudeville, down to the naughty HI
tie CIgale the indscreet Scala and the mere'rcio"S
Carlton. already in full swing
The Paris theatrical season opened last nish'
with the much talkcd-of revival az the 'omedi1
Franchise Of La Vic de Bohame," written In 1873
by Henri, Mircer the original inventor Of Partisan
bohernanlsm who. in the five acts OF combined
vaudeville and melodrama. painted his own
checkered experience penniless artst OF IN.
Latin Quarter. with s joys. sunerings. reveiS m"
misery. The plot Of la Vie de Boheme IS 700
well known to be described here. but suffice II 10
say that the personaGes OF Musette. Rodolphe ana
Schnunard a re as familiar to Frenchmen as are the
three musketeers. and Mhrger's Mimi Is az popular
In France as Du Mauricr's Trilby Is In America vi
England. Il was Mimi. In la Vie de boh"m''
which suggested to Dumas his conception OF Mar
guerite in La Dame aux Camelias.' and nothing
better illustrates Dumass genius than the way la
which an incident-qui;e commonplace and hanai III
Mdrgers PLAYS deepened and transformed by the
hand into that ever-me morahle scene De-
tween Armand DuvaIs father and Marguerite.
with such artists Coquein Cadet Albert Lam
bert-whose make Up accurately repre- sented y tr"d
dc Musset-and Mile. Marie Leconte-whose debut
last night has won for her foremost position
among the pen.ionaires 81 the Naison dc Moii'r'-
LA VIE Dc Bohame' will hold its place AT the
Francois FOR a month or So
In to u and attention IN tn' Hl-'Il'"'
ton OF tho roles and the excellent manner in which
tho MAY i staged II seemed quite evident from tn"
first nights performance. that LA Vie d" Boheme
was quite ont Of date. and ny no means came UP
70 the requirements NJ the Partisan puhl'. h''-
crate but empty rf-paintingS. recN'e@S CON.
tempt Of money freaks Of love and youth were ~
palatah'e enough some years ago before me IN
fuencc Of Ihsen or Of Maeterlinck MS recognized
adaotad and modified by the French authors OF IN
Young and rising school. who to-day aim ~ Son'-
thing higher and more impas9ion'd thAn VI" XII"
some bohernanisn ~ Mhrger. ara VINO S'rl'r !"
attain something NOR" substantial ana t'H "'''
tho dazzling houlevardsm Of Meiihac. bohemian
Ism ~ 1st and $50 even that Of the tim" Of
."Trilbv"-is widely different from that 81 TO-DAY
Robemiansm still exists OF course-it is more Vli'
than ever hcfore-hut Il has climbed mp to me
heights Of Montmar,re and blossomed into eccentric
cabarsts and impressionisi evolutionS ana ~"
duced tho Forains and Caran d'Aches Of the hour
The gortu'ehomme sails who created the chat
Noir has become a landed proprietor. and tho citi-
zen Iisb,nne - a millionaire grocer. LA We De
Boh6me" Musette. Mimi. Schaunarf and MHrger
himself are dead and gone. AMI nothing remains
but 10 pronounce a dc profundis.
The important occurrence. however ~ last night
p-rformanc. was the revelation ~ the unmisiakahe
talents OF Mile Marie Leconi" who made her debut
at the Francais N the role ~ Mimi Mile l''onte :
A very young actress who appeared Last year ~ ~"
Amhlgu and AZ the Gymrase In quite insignihran'
roles She Is rather small IN stature bN' i '>''''-
ingIy graceful m al her movements She has az
admirable voice. clear sonoroUs ana impaTsloh"H
Her enunciat,'n Is perfect and her acting Is free
from effort and exsggeration and - capable Of gus
tanning the most f.frculi draman" situations. An
eminent Partisan critic sdlc last night ~ m"
close ~ Minis death scene. Marx nv WORDS
Mllo Leconte has TOW proved herself 20 10 one OF
the foremost actresses the French stage. ana
before long she Uin b. heard % ~ ond wide
This Is perhaps over"s'inating The success which
was 20 warmly accorded 10 her Inst night Hiss
IecoutA will remind Americans somewhat - MIS-
Maud Adams. II seems 70 many. however. that MI"
T.econto Is especially adapted nv her talents. IS
well ~ by her physique. 10 be m incorporate
ing@nue. and such she effectively replace
Nile. Rechemhcrg i that charming sociftalrc per
sisfs n her decision 10 retire from tho stage
II y 4 rather unlucky coincidence that TWO lead
ing theatres Ike tho Comedi" Francaise md the
Vaudeville should have opened he season wiki Old
fashioned commonplace. such rs La Vie q"
Boheme" and "fs~ Jocri-ses Dc rAm1ur' each
written by an author who b. dead Merger md
Barriare- while there T. such an array - talent
among dramafisfs SIN living. LES jo-riss"> de
rAmour.' IN which. by the WY. Nine Jane lIadlng
has mcagrc and unsatisfactory rhl"-Nili soon
have 20 be- Withdrawn. But. Notwithstanding me
bad start the coming theatrical season l. fun ~
promise Never before has there been such eager
compel zion among Partisan dramatic authors. II
seems II the entire literary talents 81 France were
TO be directed toward the stage. Alphonso Daudet
Paul Herveu. Paul BGourset. Marco Provost
and Francois Coppte are all busy preparing or
adapting some work or other for Paris theatres
Where ten years there was one playwright
there are now at least ten and. s!ngulary enough
the School OF Naturalism. Of which such great
things were predicted. has actually disappeared
Emile Zola and his disciples are not represented
by a single play the repertorcs of the leading
theatres for the season Of 1879 new ana
younger class OF dramAiists has now the ear 81 me
public and az VIII be by the lists OF new plays
accepted By the managers OF the various theatres
the names Of the younger men. such az NM Brieux
Hermant Degas. Hess Courtene. Guinon Gavault
and others. prominent.
Among the plays already accepted and In prcpara-
ton At the Coincide Francdise Tristan de
Ltons" a romance In IN three acts by NJ
Armand Sylyestre. In which the principal roles are
TO be interpreted by Mile Rartet and Albert Lam
bert: Catherine" play in prose In five acts 10y
Henri Lavedan. lie Mariyre five acts In verse,
by Jean RIchepln and 'struensce" i've acts in
verse, by Paul Meuricc
Paul Gluisty. the manager OF the OdHon. has
definitely accepted for the coming season no loss
than twelve new PLAYS. The lrst 10 be- produced
viii probably be "MeuOt'es.' three-act play by
Maurice Beaubourg. Nine. SECOND Weber will i'm
viii be followed by Don Juan" an historical drama
In i've acts. by Edmond Haraucourt, with Nine
SegondWeber and Philippe GARNER IN TIC prnclph!
roles 4 new version Of Bulwer-L yttons "Richeiieu
will also be produced at The Odeon. Among the
other olays ia hand At tho Odton are "Fablesse,
a comedy by VI. Porto Richie, 'Sdvoir.' by NJ Jul
lion; Mon Enfant." three cts by NJ. Janyer de Ia
Mote; "Couerblctte." by NJ Coolus; X lmpasse.
"A military drama by Paul and Victor Marguerite,
Les Aniibel. by Nm P9gylon and Artols, Win an!
music hy Georges VIDAL. "Thereso de ROuvraN by
NJ Len6tre; "Chenecn-ur." by Maurice Soue, and
la RENE Flamette" BY Catule Mendes.
The Renaissance. which remains under the dlrec-
lion OF Sara Rernhardt. will begin on the 10Th
with Pierre Decourcelcs's French adaptation OF
William C;illette's Secret Service" Nine. Bern
hardt Intends to make her re-eniiance at the
Renaissance in a new comedy In three acts. writ
lille OF the piece is LAnranch.e" Mime. Bern
hardt VIII be supported b. Lucien Guitry. She
will also give = French .Mpersonation OF Hamlet.
Be4rbohm Trees London company 1. under en-
gagement give series Of piays OF snakespe pear
[ Merchant OF Venice" "Othello" ard The Tanning
OF TIE Shr-~
cho preside over the destnies OF the Naude.ill