The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10


Mr.. Short announces that n change has
been made in the ordcr OF the Bernhardt
rcperfory next week. on Monday. Tuesday
and Wednesday nights and the Wednesday
matinee "L'Aislon'' will be given;
'Cyrano dc Bcreerac' will be played on
Thursday night; La Tosca' is down for
Friday night, and Camille will be given
OF. Saturday night and Saturday matinee
II is n matter Of some reGret that Nine.
Bernhardt and her management have not
seen fit TO announce Hamlet for nj least
one o. the ST. Louis performances. There
las beer much curiosity 10 see the famous
French woinan's Interpretation of the part
nearly always played by men. II woulc
have been interesting, too. for Shakespear-
cans to see their favorite tragedy in the
hands of the French. a reading of the
play in French develops much of amusing
il terest. In some cases the fine phrases are
lest entirely. For example. imagine, "Ay,
there's the rub,'' rendered. 'oui. VOLTA
IcbstacleI"
Most of the interest in the Bernhardt
farewell tour conters about AZ Aiglon" and
"Cyrano." Camille" widely considered
the !adv's best performance. will have
large attendances.
Writing of the Hamlet of Sarah Bern
IITrl. aT- w u. ttpWeilS saws IN fi3T-
per's Monthly Magazine: From the first
it was evident that she had three things
overwhelmingly against her: her sex. her
race and her speech. you never ceased to
feel for a moment that IT was n woman
that was doing that melancholy Dane. and
that the woman was 4 JeweSs and the
Iewess a French Jewess. These three re-
moves put n gulf impossible between her
utmost xiii and the impassioned irresolu-
lion of that inscrutable Northern nature.
which is in nothing so masculine as It's
feminine rcluctancies and hesitations, or
so little French as in those obscure emo
tons which the English poetry expressed
with more than Gallo clearness. but which
the French words have failed 10 convey.
The battle was lost from the first, and
all you could feel about 1t for the rest was
that IL it was magnificent it was not war"
In all history there Is no more beautifully
pathetic figure than that of Napoleon's only
son, the little Duke of Reichstadt DIETER
known. perhaps. as the king Of Rome')-
who. bearing upon his slender shoulders
with n palpable sense of effort and inse-
curity the destinies Of France. ii not all
Europe. died of consumption when only q
years old. Rostand-who showed us in his
"Cyrano de Bergerac." that in his case we
have to do, easily. with the greatest dra-
matte poet of our epoch. selected this story
for the foundation of his latest masterpiece
"L'Afglon," in which he shows US how the
crafty Metternich did his best to convert
the Eagles son into an "Eaglet." that
Is to say. To bring about his early death.
and succeeding in the pathetic death scene
turns coldly away. saying. without any 4;
show of feeling. Bury him in the white |
uniform of an Austrian Colonel" as the |
curtain falls slowly upon one of the most !
touching tableaux in the history of the
theater.
The action Of fba -iara n H., ,ta r-f-- I
olous Austrian Court of Maria Louisa. the !
stage occupied by a bevy of pretty women
and gay portiers and all in merriment and !
laughter. but there is a sufficiently serious /,
undercurrent. Sympathizers with the Duke
of Reichstadt are secretly urging him 10
come forward and redeem France-the reyo-
luton of 1890 is just passed. but the Duke.
subdued perhaps by the conditions of his !
upbfinsing. h%esitates and darcs make no
decision. Metternich has tried to fashion /,
the lads spirit. MS very soul. in Keeping !
win the theory of his diploma ~. he has
given ffirn masters who trave ted' the his
tory of his father, and, if ali historr says
be true. has directly aided and ahetted in
a life Of pleasure that served well 10 hasten
the inevitable end. In this act his two
masters are instructing him In their garhled
historic versions Of the peace between
France and Austria, VIXEN the little Duke,
who has learned the actual truth from the
books. carefully hidden in a mattress of his
pcl. SPEAKS 10 th.in eniEusiaStiCdlly of the
victories OF Nagran and Austerlitz. while
the frightened professors hurry away to
bring his mother to repTiman4 him. Then
Fanny Eilsler. the great dancer. appears.
Out of love for the "Eaglet' she has learned
by art the whole history of the epocl-rnak-
ing Napoieonic era. and standing on a table
she recites 1t. while the little Duke. Wild
eyed and enthralled, listens.
in the next act We find him about to take
a lesson in the art OF war. and We witness
ms deighted surprise III finding that some
Kindly hand has secretly repainted his
wooden soldiers and that. instead of mas
queradins as Austrian mariorettes. they
giisten bright and new in the giitterinp upi-
forms OF the Grande Ar;nee. Metternich an
pears and is angry enough al the change and
o[oers 'nat they all be reprinted in the
white uniforms of Austria. But a man near
the little Prince, King. Emperor-vho, 90,
"ili-whispers conso.inBly: Never mird
monsignor, l will recolor them again" This
man Is the Grenadier Flambeau. an old
soiuier Oh the Legion. and an archcop-
epna.or win the Countess Canierata in the
pan TO place the little Duke on the Impe-
RAJ throne Of France. Here We meet ,jso
Marsnal Marmont, who betrays the Drte,s
father. but now he has returned 10 hi. al
legiance. After much persecution. the Duke
a. last consents, the meeting is TO be on
the historic field of Wagram. and there ba
Will come-at last he agrees TO ito ioin
with the conspirators. But Metternic5 is
and suspects. In the neyt art ,n
az, impressive scene. he places the trembling !
iau before a mirror md, pointing oIt his
weak. debilitated frame. male face om nhs
limbs. taunts him with his nbvs-
lcai defects. and asks mockingly how he
oare dream of a throne, he an Austrian.
BUT. after an intervening scene. the lad
10 "asram TO the meeting of the con-
spnators. as he had agreed, and here all
placed under arrest. the meeting hay
ing been discovered by the police. Rnt
,,...a.,