New-York tribune., 1900-03-16
PARIS SEES "AIGLON."
SARAH BERNHARDT PRODUCES
RosTAND's NEW PLAY.
rcopyright; 1890: BY The New-York Trlbune.l J
inv CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.1

,-,-,sb. 1900: BY The New-yo,x Trlbunel
rBy CABLE TO THE rRIBuSE.l
-.s March 15.-"Aiglon." the historic drama
u.hi,h Edmond Rostand. taking for his theme
. :. +-sns;ent existence OF the Duke of Reich
- hae woven in resonant Alexandrine verse
-,,,sntsc version OF the Napoleonc legend,
= nroauoed tonight at the Theatre Sara
,1-rbardt. The performance lasted six hours
-s-,,rr Al 5 O'Clock and ending at this
-.,ng Each of the six acts afforded well
s-,ted occasions for ovations to Sara Bern
-. - the perfection Of whose acting in a terri
- ,seustinc role blinds the audience TO some
= ,,e faults and redundancy in the dramatic
.o~kmanshp Of the play.
> Sc bavond question the grandest and the
-,s+ picturesque drama produced in Paris this
-.sson but it is not calculated to rivet and hold
-. et+ention Of the public, and especially of
= French public with intensity. was the
- with rCyrano de Bergerac." The clever
.-.-s,acstion. brilliant wit and word painting
= a-vrano' are here. but the play lacks dra-
-rs+,c sequence and action.
some Of the Napoleonic and patriotic soIilo-
ias are simply monotonous. There is one
-,,,s-b scene which enables Nine Bernhardts
-.,ius 10 make itself felt with a force and
so,rrancv unsurpassed in any Of her familiar
,s~.,o-sonations It is where Prince Metternich
-
~ leading him before a mirror. and, in i'm
..es,oDed invective, somewhat suggestive of
1-.-,ie.ts comparison Of the portraits Of the two
- Danes points out the discrepancies OF
sooa form and character between Napoleon and
h,s frivolous degenerate son, until Aiglon, in
4-anzv Of rage and disnay. rushes at the mirror
80 Ssshes it into a thousand pieces The
-,asked bail by moonlight in the garden of
c,h6nhr1lnn is beautifully put upon the stage.
:. &c also the mystic twilight scene on the
n.,,l.seld Of Wagram. where the voices Of the
slsin burst forth into a weird chorus.
:, the death scene at .the close Of the play
ume Bernhardt has discovered a new and most
a-es,ive way Of dying Aiglon sits beside his
,,otber Marie Louise. reclining on his fathers
,-on camp bedstead beside which is placed the
familiar imperial cradle in which the King of
Rome was placed after his birth. This juxta-
,osition OF cradle and deathbed, being sym
bal,caI Of the fieeting negation Of the Duke Of
paichstadt's life and death ensues while the
f-ourt Chamberlain at Aiglon's request reads
sloud 70 the assembled family Of the house Of
Austria description Of the pageants celebrated
81 Paris at the King Of Rome's birth
Nine Bernhardt's makeup is astonishing IN
,.s vouthfal effervescence and feXibility. She
,asrs no wig. but merely her clipped but
,,eel, c,1ried hair and her radiant Austrian uni
form. white from Tip 10 toe and fitting her form
ike glove. is captivating NJ. Guitry as an ex-
corporal Of the old Imperial Guaro Is admlrapie.
The auditorium Of the Theatre Sara Bern
hardt all done in gold and pale yellow velvet
:. ,ozr the most luxurious OF the theatres in
Paris The average playgoer may not care TO
SEE .Aiglon" twice, but this poetic presentation
of the Napoleonic legend. set by Rostand IN d
delicious framework Of romance and sadness
and admirably mounted, promises to be the
most attractive theatrical feature Of the exhi-
-. ...son c. l. B.