New-York tribune., 1905-03-04
A PARIS PANT0MlMIST.
He WGs TnriUalJed When His art
Vas IN Its Prime.
Paris. February 21.

Paris. February u.
Il Il now ten years since Alexandra Guyon,
whose death occurred this week. finally left the
Paris stage Though popular to the end-he
ygas indeed. unrivalled in the art Of mimicry-
his real glories date back about forty years.
to the period when pantonime here was in its
pr.ns. Those were halcyon days for both actor
snd public. The best seats in the Funambules
the theatre which devoted itself exclusively to
psutomirne pure and simple, cost only Is pence
the cheapest seats being five cents. On the
Funambules stage not word spoken; the
whole action Of the play was presented in dumb
show. and Alexandra Guyon excelled in this kind
Of comedy He used TO tell characteristic tale
Of his young days, the early J0s, when the
FunEmbules was the haunt of all literary and
fashionable Paris. He arrived late on this par
Ecular occasion, and Pelletier, who was play
ing the role of the facetious servant, became
nervous when his friend Guyon failed TO put in
his appearance as the Marquis at the proper
moment. He endeavored TO I'LL in the scene with
business" and at last, forgetting himself, he
cut Joke aloud The manager. justly indignant
at this breach OF all the traditions of his house
fined Guyon. the cause OF the incident, u cents
and dismissed the sinner. Peletier. on the spot
Taken as an expression Of wrath from manager
10 star actor, e sixpenny fine appears to-day
somewhat Inadequate. few years later. in
1860. the Funambules Theatre disappeared. and
pantomirne has declined steadily in popularity
ever since.
Not that Guyon ever believed his beloved art
would perish With charming optimism he de-
voted the last years Of his life to writing PAN
to-nines. which he always hoped to see repre-
sented. But the twentieth century does not
care for this form OF entertainment, redolent. as
Il is. with the atmosphere Of the Renaissance
It originated in the masked comedies Of Italy.
and did not penetrate to France until Marie de
Medicis came to this country as the second wife
OF Henri ". She gave Paris the lovely Luxem-
bourg Gardens. SO Italian in their plan, and now
SO ultra-Parisian il sentiment. And the
merry strolling players Of Italy crossed the
Alps for the first time. TO follow their princess
10 France From the Italian masked comedies
these troops brought their well defined charac-
ters, including Harlequin. Pantaloon and CO.
lunbine. Harlequin in those days pervaded the
action, appearing in all the comic scenes which
slternated with the serious ones forming the
backbone Of the play. Columbine, too. was
originally Harlequins daughter and was al
ways courted by q bold village lover, who in
his turn. hunted by the representatives of
law and order. the prototypes of the policeman
OF modern farce. In countries where Italian
players were unknown there were comic rustic
figures. such as the English fool and clown, the
German Hanswurst (Jack Sausage) and the
Dutch Pickelherlng. In Germany a rude kind
Of dramatic buffoonery. corresponding to the
eoarser English form. was so long popular that it
retarded dramatic progress for centuries. When
II was al last suppressed. its place was taken
BY the modern Zauberposse. the Viennese coun-
tsrpart Of the Partisan "Feerie"
That heavier form Of pantomime which still
Survives IN England to-day owes its immediate
6r4Il md
which has delighted FrenchmeD for two cen
turies. The vaudeville, a graceful and witty
expansion Of the comic opera. also drew its in
sparstion from the italian stroling players,
whose sphere Of action at first limited 10
fatrg. where all dialogue song was strictly
Prohibited II was not until the eighteenth
century that these unlicensed and unprivileged
tctors we're permitted to set UP a comic opera
ctheir own. From 1925 TO 1850 until their in
oorporation with Italian opera, they provided
Hight entertainment, partaking OF the nature
q pantomime. bu- combined with dialogue and
song. which became intensely popular in the
capital and was before long transpIanted to
london AoVerre enriched the vaudeville By
siding dancing 10 its attractions, himself writ
ing ballets 10 be performed at the Opera Co
Haq1s so early as 1747. II was Noverre who
gave to the ballet an artistic and consistent
N'Slaine and, above all. music adapted to ex-
b-S1h and express the action. rendered the SEN
unent and situations ineligible 10 the specta-
VT contemporary writer declares that the
.SuosFllle and ballet called THE Death of
Ssptsln Cook" produced IN Paris about this
Nnae' possessed considerable dramatic merit
-o exhibited pleasing picture OF savage Gus
soas and manners"!
Somparing pantomine as we know ii to-day
4ln lts ancient model, the principal difference
Ha@l the most brilliant scenic effects are
80 accumulated On the last scene Of all, which
,sSss ,s upon the rally" the shadowy chase of
characters across the stage, and not on the
~@Asformatton scene
we ne commanding influence OF the clown, to
snS = q EFantaloon is attached as friend, hatterer
r. toA' Is also entirely Of modern growth He
p.ooho 10 Grimalci his best exponent.
n. aSn1oAnlIne no longer exists In Paris though
b., 1st St lew years have seen one or two brief
OF ~ kSf1ilant reyivals The "Enfant Prologue
c,y--., ARE, ana its SUCCESSOR the Pere Pro-
fhs The Prodigal Father') are fresh in
gn6 Ts-.oEy or most Of U.s. Paris, New-Ycrk
were tt'loon rang with their triumphs but they
art - nort or lived. Alexandra Guyon survived his
-~Asa its place.