New-York tribune., 1902-01-19
ON THE FRENCH STAGE.
SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTION OF lie DE.
ToUR"-PROFITABLE PRODUCTIONS.
Paris. January 7.

!
Gymnase Theatre promises to be decided sue
cess Like Guy de Msupassant's ~Yvette" ic
Il the story of a pure minded daughter Of a deni-
nnondaine. who makes a desperate struggle 70
lead respectable life. but IS repened by the
frisfd hostility OF her husbands family The
action OF the play is rapid. logical and clearly
presented Jacqueline Is the daughter OF Ray
monde. and she is twenty-five years OF age. and
her mother is thirty-eight- The mother as often
happens with Partisan professional beauties has
brought up her daughter with the strictest pre-
cepts OF honor and morality notwithstanding
her dubious surroundings. As the daughter Is
pretty and attractive. she has many admirers
Cyrt, Fred, NissOL But only one OF them
Armand Rousseau-speaks OF marriage. and
when Jacqueline tells him that she does not love
him. he overrules her objection by assuring her
that love Will follow afterward We next find
Jacqueline living with her husband ar Cher
oourg. in the house Of her parents-in-iaw and
here her troubles begin. On account OF her
mothers frivolous reputation she is sighted
and tnsulted on every occasion. She Is not asked
to dinner at house where her husbands reIa-
ttves are invited. Her sister-in-law's engage
ment with a retired naval officer is broken OF.
owing to Jacqueltne's bohemian origin. and at
last even Armand himself refuses 20 take his
young wife with him on trip 20 Paris because
he has partner whose better half objects To
L. Armand
JacqueIine are no longer living with the old peo-
pie. but have taken villa in the neighborhOod.
1t IS the summer season Jacqueline's mother
comes il her yacht with some friends and calls
TO her daughter But Armand grossly in
suits his mOther-in-law, and the cup OF Jacques
lines bitterness flows over. At this psycholog.
ical moment in the young woman's life. when
she is spurned and insulted by all who form
the narrow minded circle OF her husbands oOur-
geOfs relatives Cyril. Of the girls former ad-
mirers. appears. and persuades her TO return TO
existence free from the conventionaliries,
cruel rigidity and uncompromising severity OF
the commercial society OF Cherbourg. So
Jacqueline quits her husband. and goes back to
the world Of pleasure and liberty after her
roundabout career. or "detour."
The play is written in bright. sparkling Ian
guage and the characters are strongly drawn.
The part Of JacqueIine is admirably acted BY
Nine. IL Bargy. wife OF the socistaire OF the
Coincide Francaise who made her debut in the
character Of Jacqueline. and proved herself 70
be an actress Of remarkable talent Nine. Ia
Bargy is only twenty-three years Of age; she
possesses a warm. penetrating voice. and her
portrayal Of subdUed concentrated passion IS
highly commended. Some Of the Partisan critics
in their exhaustion overstep the mark by re-
ferring TO Nine. Ie Bargy second Desclee'
but at all events we are likely to hear great
deal about this artist for she is devoted 70 her
calling. and is intelligent. Industrious and am
bilious
The author. NJ Henry Bernstein. Is twenty
eight years old, and may be congratulated on
his work. which the leading critics pronounce 70
be the best high comedy produced so far during
the present theatrical season Consequently
Paris is credited with possessing one more
clever dramatist, and also a new actress OF IN
questionable talent.
1t has become quite a fad Of the Partisan crit-
les to dwell upon what they describe -crisis
which the French stage is undergoing" but
which seems fairly disposed OF by An examina-
ton OF the receipts at the Paris theatres for the
month Of December 1901. which are the highest
attained for December since five years. The
figures. being controlled by the municipal in
spectors. who calculate the percentage set aside
each month for the poor, are absolutely ac-
curate. and are as follows; December. 1897,
S4O3.145;- December, 1S9S. $414, 500; December,
1899. $40. $50; December. 1900. S4SS.O66; De-
cemoer 1901. S447,20O.
These are the monthly receipts Of the twenty-
three leading Paris theatres The highest re-
ceipts during the month Of December. 1891. were
those at the opera Comique. where Massenet's
"CIrisendis' was given twice week. and which
amount 10 Sol. .502. Next come the receipts Of
the Opera, which are SJO,S1S for December the
Theatre Francais is third, with $4,000. Paul
Hervieu's -'Enigme' being the leading attrac-
ton there. The Theatre Sarah Bernhardt IS
fourth ('.L'Aiglon" was running there during
Theatre Antoine. which is a comparatively small
theatre, and where The best seats are only 81
aptece were $50 $40. The dimtnUtive little band
box OF a theatre. Les FOles Dramauques, rose
from 81 241. which were the total receipts for
December 1900 10 So 600 which were taken
IN in Decern ber 1901. the cause OF the increase
being the success OF the lively and irreststtbly
funny military farce called lie Billet de Loge-
ment"
II seems singular 10 relate that Parisianz
should have been obliged 70 wait full gen.
Grafton longer than New -Iorkers before hear
ing "Siegfried' 'Siegfried" was, however, pro-
duced for the first time in Paris Git had already
been brought out at ROuen some years agO) on
TayT Years Eve with superb scenery and cos
tunes and Afforded Jean de Reszke oppor-
tunity TO appear in Paris where he has not sung
for some ten years The result was disap-
pOintment. Although the dictiOn and the acting
were as remarkable as ever, yet the verdict OF
the critic and public Is that the popular tenor
has irrevocably lost the generous warmth and
youthful elasticity that made MS voice so truly
marvellous in bygOne days. Miss Bessie Abbott.
the young American soprano, scored a decided
success with her hutelike Warblings OF the bird,
and after her delightful representation OF Juliet.
il Is announced that she viii before long sing
the part Of Ophelia in Ambrose Thomas's
Hamlet
Admirers of Wagner's music will be interested
TO learn that, for the first time IN Paris, ana per-
sung simultaneously in both German ana
French. II happened IN this way The pubic
on arriving at the NOuveau Theatre, where the
Sunday IamOUreUx concerts are gwen. 1ouno
notices Losted that Nine. Litvinne was tndis-
posed and would be replaced by Nine Adtny.
and II was afterward explained from the plat
form that Nine. Lirvinne had only been seized
with sudden hOarseness two hours before the
time fixed for the performance, and that under
these circumstances Nine Adiny would sing N
German. while. of course, French would be en-
ployed by her companions. The result that
even in the opinion Of the Partisan public. after
hearing the two languages used in dialogue.
there cannot any longer be the slightest doubt