Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-09-08
"a GRe

Charles Fl. Heyedmann, the London
critic, whom Paul Blouet called ''the
cleverest writer in Europe" recently
published some interesting impress
sions o a visit to the stage of the
Theatre Sarah Bernhard in Paris.
MI. Heydemann arrived Just after a
rehearsal, and found Madame Bern
hardt at her busiest. "Here, in the
dim light of this quiet afternoon -
be says. 1--WE see her. the autocrat,
the goddess of her little world. Every
one bows and defers to her slightest
wish Here are Bassano's, the photo
grapher, with some new and wonder
full lashlight, waiting with all their
batteries and paraphernalia until she
speaks the fateful word. But who
a control the whirlwind. All in
o%uiries as to where, when, or how are
met by Struggling shoulders and open
palmed depreciation. Allah-il-Allah
it is the will of the Lord, and of Mad
anne Sarah. you must ask madame.
All is very well that, ask madame.
There she is raging about the stage,
her yellow hair, like the name of q
l~ioness, flying around her, giving
orders, short and sharp, here, there,
and everywhere, with imperious gest-
ures, slapping her thigh with rage
when De Max "a great artist, by the
Way forgets his replique, 'Cest tou-
jours la meme chloe avec vous.'
"Behind her trot o~bediently her
prime minister's and their assistant
regisseurs, authors, scene painters,
the submissive satellites to her will,
to her the cloud-compeller, the author
of rain or sunshine, as he likes. Are
we ready? commencons. All is hurry
aud hustle. 'Assez-enuugh,' the
storm is Gained. And so, whether in
the Hyde Park Hotel, where | watch
her decapitating her matitutinal eggs
with a Richard III. gesture, or in the
little dressing-room Of her own theatre
with watchful Cerberus to keep the
stage door closed, in case of draughts),
whether in Paris or in London, in
New York or Buenos Ayres | have
the same feeling of being under the
influence of IN imperious will and a
dominating vitality. What a royal
Elizabeth she would makel And that
is Sarah Bernhardt. 'Nulla vestigia
retrorsum, the proud motto of Charles
l, would fit her like a glove.
PERSONALLY, | don't mind admitting
that | I'm a bit afraid of her. Frank
ly, | have never met any one who
wasn't. | am surprised at my own
courage in being able to pen these
lines.
'Zira'', the first play to be presented
by Margaret Anglin at the Princess
Theatre, New York. was suggested by
the old drama of ''The New Magdalene."
This version is an entirely original one,
however, part of the credit for which
belongs to the actor Henry Miller.
Alice Nelsen's forthcoming tour Of
the United Staes will be managed by f.
Hiegfeld, Jr., husband of Anna Held.
Mr.. Ziegfeld is unsteady inclined him
self, while his father is president of Chi
cago Musical College.
Despite the fact that it has been in
New York nearly a year ''Fantana'' is
playing TO the utmost capacity Of the
Lyric Theatre The run has been twice
extended, and it is by no means certain
that the piece will leave Broadway this
winter. if it remains at the Lyric until
January 1t will have broken all, rEns
for long engagements in New York.
Paula Edwardes' tour is not to begin
this season until late in November. SIZE
will have a new opera by tie author
and the composer of The Royal Chef"
John Kendiick Bangs and acderic
Penfield, who wrote Lady Teazle'' for
the Shnberts, both are newspaper mer.
Mr.. Bangs was until recently editor of
Puck, while Mr.. Penfield is on the New
York Evening Mail.