The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
IN HOTEL DE BOURGOGNE
STORY OF THE FAMOUS HISTORICAL
HOUSE USED IN "CYRANO.-
Place Frequented by Richelieu, Mont
heury and the Only Rival Theat-
ricaI Company to MoIiere's.

where there is the ordinary confusion of
the days performance. The marquises,
decked out with ribbons which hang in
tangled array from knees, collars and
pockets, are seated at the sides of the
stage and discuss fashions in high falsetto
voices. The precieuses, the super-refined
young women of the four hundred, are but
half seen in the dim boxes around the par
terre. The bourgeois, in palmer costume,
discuss with Difference the Academic Fran
cais The pages in galleries blow beans,
make catcalls, fish the wigs off the unsus-
pecting heads in the seats below The buffet
girl calls out her delicacies and serves
orangeade and macaroons to the gallants,
who, tired of fencing or gambling, wander
about the dimly-lighted hall. There is the
smoke and smell from the candles which
flicker in the draughts, and a marquis calls
out shrilly to have them snuffed. And yet
there is an air of the drama about the
place, a fascination of art with the subtle
surroundings of age, for this Hotel de Bour-
gogne was built nearly hundred years be-
fore, in 1913, by the Brotherhood of the
Passion OF Our Lord" on the site of the
ducal residence of the Bourgogne. On the
door outside is still to be seen the insignia
of the brotherhood, the cross, crown and
nails, and within these walls were the re-
ligious plays founded on the Bible and the
legends of the saints. Great crowds of ev-
cry condition came and they were motley
assemblies. AT last the King forbade the
performance of the plays of the passion and
religious drama came to close.
The brotherhood was not studious, and
as Spanish and Italian plays were the only
ones worth performing the members were
constrained to give curious vaudeville per-
formances in French in order to attract a
public which you wanted what it could not
get Trouviers and troubadours came in
from the provinces, but the houses did not
pay, and finally, in encouragement, the
Hotel de Bourgogne was rented with its
privileges to a rival theatrical troupe which
played the well-known Spanish and Italian
plays and called themselves "Troup royale
de comediens." The plays were farcical,
Fantastic and groteSque, and were an
nounced by professions in costumes or short
performances before the door, on which
was fastened the red posters giving the bill
and cast.
Not till the seventeenth century was there
any charge for admission, but as the hotel
was falling into disgrace because of the
frequent robberieS and braWlS it was de-
cided to charge regular prices to keep out
the mobs., And more candles were ordered,
too, to prevent theft. The change was ex-
pressed by another poster, which read
Xenez done, tous les curieux,
Nenez; apportez Votre trogne
Deoans notre Hotel de Bourgogne,
Nenez en- foule; apportez nous
Dams lie partierre quinze soils,
Cent dix soils, dams les galleries.
but even after these restrictions a writer
OF tn. the period complains that the place was
house and cloak of Sathan." No doubt
ne was the father of the critics who, to
this day, find the origin of all the sins of
humanity within the four walls of the
old writer rallied against the audience,
whereas the modern one rails against the
So popular was the Italian drama that
nearly all the actors took Italian names-a
napit which has chung to the profession.
Bellerose, who appears on the scene lust
once amid the confusion OF Cyrano's attack
on Montneury, and gets no farther in his
speech 10 the audience than Noble Mi
lords" was the first French actor to give
dignity and character to the stage Car
dlnal R1chelieu was so taken with his talent
mat he presented him with a magnificent
costume Tor one of his famous roles, and
paid to his company an annual stipend of
lzOOO lvres. Richelieu was a great patron
OF ART ana letters. He had crystalized under
the name of Academic Franchise" a little
circle or literary men, who met at each 9TH
ers houses and at the cabarets to read and
or literary interest. Richeieus patronage
cid away with the informality and spon-
taneity or the discussions, but gave prestige
TO all opinion emanating from the group
and made possible the continued influence
winch to-day is exercised by the Forty I'm
Inortala When the cardinal enters his
we can imagine the deferential bows from
the members OF the young Academic. the
ones whom the old bourgeois has pointed
There, is Boulder, Boissat and Cureau de
Ia Chambre, Portheres, Colomby Bourzeys
bourdon, ,Arbaud, and not one of these
names VIII die. All, but that is fine!"
Ana to-day, two and a half centuries after.
who Is there, unless perhaps, some pedantic
student STU en- OF the period, who even recognizes
Jodelet, who. after Bellerose. tried to sneak
10 me audience, was well known, and so sue
cessful as the valet who intrigues and acfs
the buifoon in turn that the Character he
came known as Jodelet. But most famous
OF All az this time was Mont1uery. He was
the Due de Guise until the theatrical fever
seized him and led him to join the company
AZ ,,Io the Hotel de Boursogne. He was enor-
m1ously rat, and made an imposing II not a
olBnhed King in the pompous SPANISH
drama. He had played the Cid and Horace
WIN success, but his appearance as a sher-
herd boy in an Italian ldyl might we'll have
reused the Ire Of Cyrano even il he had nor
page toaSl S s1heeps eyes at Roxane. Later Moere
Versailles. which was played before the
kang; Mohere's company was the only
tho bitterest feeling existed between the
two. After Montfieurys death-like many of
ms contreres, he was seized with apopiexy
while aeting-his son, to avenge him, started
q scandal. which still holds its place in
Moneres biography, though it is not now
neneved to be true Moliere, by the way, at
around the corner on the Rue Saint-Honore
perhaps near Ragemans famous bakeshop
AS child his father used to bring him to
this theater, and that must have reused his
first dramatic ambition. Indeed many of
his plots were taken from the Italian plays
produced about this time. But he so COM
pletely Molierized them that they became
more original than their originals.
The company of comedians at the Hotel
dc Bourgogne was sort Of republic. 1t
had president, chosen from its members.
treasurer a secretary and controller
Profits and losses were shared, but each
actor was supposed to have a patron to en-
courage him artisticaly and financially
Cyrano de Bergerac had none. There were
usually four performances a week Begin
ing at O'Clock IN the afternoon. At that
hour the porterS took up their stations at
the entrance to collect the admission The
free list was almost unlimited, but the por-
ter could not mistake those who had its
rights for the beribboned MARQUIS the cav
airy officer, and the royal page could be
easily recognized by their apparel. The
pickpockets did not object to the nominal
toll when they could catch glimpses of lace
ruffles and CLEANS of gold chains The bour-
geois was glad of the chance to sit near his
'betters," eye the DANES in the boxes, and
sniff at those standing in the parterre. The
place nearest the stage was then the equiva-
lent of our peanut gallery"
Later 1t was decreed that the PERFORM
ances should not begin till after vespers
but the placards still announced 80 O'clock,
and many an unsophisticated countryman
found himself waiting for two doleful hours
in the gloomy, musty room, lit by one flick
ering candle, where the stage carpenter put
up the scenery, often single piece of can
vas. E,ut at the crowd was there and call