Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-03
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Nothing at the local theaters during the
last week calls for comment further than
already given. II Is not in discussions OF
the last weeks doings, anyway, that
theater- goers will find interest but in what
Is TO come this wcek-the engagement OF
Nine. BernharIt and VI. Coquelin, who are
to give US La Tosca." Bernhardt Is con
sidered very generally to be the greatest
living tragedicnne, while Coqueln IS
Frances leading exponent OF the dramatic
art. Therefore the opportunity which is to
BE- offered on Tuesday night Is one rarely
presented and enc that will be pretty well
taken advantage Of Judging from the ad
vance sale Of seats for the engagement.
When this sale first opened there we're
few people falling over one another to get
choice seats and at the end Of the first day
any number Of desirable seats were TO be
had. The demand has been steady. though,
and there is no doubt but what the great
stars will be greeted on Tuesday night by
an audience limited in size only by the ca
pacity Of Boyd's theater.
This is Coquclips first visit to Omaha, but
Nine. Bernhard has on Two former occa,
tions before graccl the local stage with her
presc,ce She first appeared here in 1857 a.
the old Boyd opera house. Her engagement,
was for three performances. and, although
al that time she was considered one Of the
worlds great actresses she appeared before
audiences rather ind II rent In size. Her
second visit was in February 1892 She ap-
pearcd at Boyds new thCator for one night
only, and her Offering was the same piece
that she Is to play Tuesday nght-"La
Tosca." The audience which greeted her
was one Of the largest ever assembled TO.
49, a.
done entirely in French, not an English
word being spoken from the stage during
the performance, every one seemed to gs
away from the theater pleased
After the performance Nine. Bernhard
accompanied by her manager. Henry Il.
Abbey, called upon f. Rosowater at The
Bee Office and we're shown the workings OF
great newspaper office at the busy mid
night hour The great tragcdienne was de-
lighted with the beauty of the building
which was brilliantly illuminated in honor
Of her visit, and expressed her interest and
admiration in the most charming French
phrase and manner.
There is not n little disappointment in
Omaha that Bernhardt is to play "La
TosCa" here. People wanted to see
"LAiglon." We are put off with a plea
that the syndicate under whose direction
the local theater is intends to bring Maud
Adams here with the English version OF
the ROstand play and that were Bernhardt
20 produce the play here now It would
destroy the business for Adams. This very
fno spun reason falls in two easily, for at
Kansas City "L'Aiglon" is put on and from
there the scenery Is shipped direct to Dem
YER where the piece will again be pre-
sented. In both these cities the syndicate
iS In control and n IA ginp1IIar hat bn b,,oi
ness OF Omaha should be deemed so sensi-
tive while in the others the managers are
willing to take the risk of a Bernhard
production affecting the receipts for an
Adams performance Last spring Omaha
had another similar experience. when Irving
and Terry gave us "Shylock" instead of
the "Robespierre" we wanted. This was, OF
course, Disappointing but not much so
as the present instance. for the divine
Sarah has given us La Tosca" before and
Fannie Davenport and Blanche Walsh have
made us qsite familiar with the horrors OF
the Sardou notion OF how to inculcate a
moral lesson through an exhibition OF so
much that Is base in mankind While Bern
hardt Will undoubtedly give us a most i'm
prCssive portrayal OF the several emotions
OF love, jealousy anguish, hope, despair
and resignation, the main interest In the
performance will center around the Scarpia
OF Coquein. He Is well known to Omaha
people by reputation as n comedian and to
see him in the role OF the cruel, crafty
Italian minister OF police will be the desire
of more people than would be attracted
solely by the Bernhardt name.
They cannot play the old Slays-these new
actor men and women who have been COM
ing to us with reproductions or revivals OF
plays made familiar by some one OF the old
guard. quite recently notable example of
this was given in Omaha when Mr. Keenan,
tried to interest people in a revival OF
Poor Relation " It Is no reflection on Mr..
KCcnan's ability that he failed. He is un-
questiondbly a clever artist, but his man
aEcr makes serious mistake in seeking to
clothe his star in the cast off raiment OF
another. Sol Smith Russell might have
failed, even as did Mr.. Keenan,. had the
latter created the part of Noah Vale and
then the former essayed its lines and bus
iness. In time a generation may grow up
which will know nothing of the man who
made the poor inventors woes and win
nngs "A part of himself, and then, perhap ps,
another may get a hearing in Poor Rela-
tion."
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