New-York tribune., 1903-02-05
NEW FRENCH PLAYS.
Three Of tie Latest Attractions on
the Paris Stage.

Paris January 70
Les Dernieres Cartouches," old fashioned
thrilling 1nelodrama written in a patriotic cnord
by Jules Marie and Emile Rochard. and pro
duced at the ATnbigu Theatre, is renlarkaoIe
as the first play in which an incident Of the
battle OF Sedan has been put on the Paris stage
The drama has all the sensational features
required by the public Of the Amoigu There
is woman with past. There are three muir
ders an elopement, a seduction, two weddings,
and a session in q court of justice. These cpl
sodes are strung together very loosely, and Ger
tainly do not form play with poignant ectloh
and logical sequence. There is one scene. now
ever, that is highly effective and powerful. ana
atones for five acts of wild incongruities II
is the reproduction of AIphonse de Neuv1IIe's
familiar picture, Les Dernieres Cartouches,
that saves the play. The scene passes in the
famous house near Sedan group OF women
are seated in room scraping lint for bandages-
A group of soder-a Hnesman. a riheman
and a zouave-burst through the door the
women retire The sound Of the battle. the whir
of the shells the sharp barking discharges OF
the rifles, are heard. The din OF battle ap-
proaches. The last cartridges are distributed
and discharged. A shell comes crashing
through the ceiling and explodes with terrific
effect: The stage carpentry and mechanism
are admirable and realistic as to elicit from
women IN the audience nervous little hysterlcaI
gasps OF emotion This is what the Parlsians
call the "clou" of the piece, and 1t is certainly
worth seeing.
lie Devoir ConjugaI." a comedy in three
acts by Leon Gandillot. brought out at the
Vaudeville Theatre, is somewhat disconcertlng'
for it opens with excellent first act OF society
comedy. followed by a less satisfactory act OF
pure vaudeville. and terminates with rather
wishy-washy third act in sentimental drama
There is much skating on very thin ice. and
secrets of the alcove are bruited about Win
aggressive enusion a newly married couple.
who are passing what should be their Money
moon at the villa of friends OF more mature
A,nAriAnca in life diseover-or rather the hus-
band discovers-that real love Is lacking IN
their union The husband comes to the con-
cIusion that marriage is failure The VIE
confdes her secrets to her hostess, and the
husband confides his grievances 10 the ho5t'
The situation is freely discussed. The young
wife resorts TO the old fashioned remedy Oh
flirting with chance acquaintances in the hope
Of leading the husband to see that others DO
not disdain what he makes light of. There are
graceful and witty dialogues. Very naushty
things are very prettily said, and finally the
husband, after a deal Of introspectve eXaInlha-
ton finds out that after all he loves MS VIE.
At last matters. 1ncluC1ug IHe fSclpIOCdI IOAl-
jugal duties and responsibilities, are happily
understood and concluded.
La FamiIle du Brosseur," described as vau-
deviue, but in reality a broad farce in three
acts by Tristan Bernard, was brought out at
the Folies- Dra1natiGues and succeeds LIE Billet
de Logement which this week withdrawn
after five hundred performances La Fanille
de Brosseur" is also a military piece, dealing
with fancful adventures Of a young gentle
man Of good birth and fortune who puts in
his two years of cavalry service in a town
where he becomes a favorite with the COM
mandant's pretty wife, and is visited by his
own family and relatives in 1ngeniously con-
trived situations. 1t is a military farce Of the
traditional type in which there is a thin skein
of sentiment, and It ends with narriarge. iris
tan Bernard has put into this piece, which IS
drawing good houses, a fair share Of the ex-
quisite hurnor, dry wit and sense OF theatrical
situation that are to be expected from the alert
observing author of "L'Anglais tel qu'on le
Parle," LIE Mari Pacif1que," and "L'Afaire
Matthew"