Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-24
SARAH BERNHARDT.
she Tells Of HuEo's Amusement Years
ARO.

YOUTHFUL sat against the purple VeIVot
OF sofa. Not u jewel narred the color
harmony of the exquisitcly rcstfu tab
leau.
In one OF the sumptuous salons of her
hotel the great actress received me and
graciously answered. my importunatc
questions, In spite of the fact that "A
long and fatiguing journey had inimed
lately preceded our interview. Who
would ever guess from the fresh evellcc
rhysiognony of tho great artistic that
she had just returned from a busy tour
in Swansea. Bristol and other provincial
towns? And she is hurrying off this very
evening to rehearsal! Yet all this. she
tells me. with smile. is nothing to
what she can accomplish in one day.
Fearing to let the precious moments
slip without hearing all all had come to
learn. ] began to pour forth volley
OF questions, my first. Of course. deal
ing with Angelo" Victor Hugo's dram
attic masterpiece Of sculpturll prose, AZ
Thcophile Gauticr calls it. Il am APP
pcarng.' replied Nine. Sarah Bcrnhardt,
'for the first time in London as l.t
Tishe, "A part. as you know, which has
been inpcrsonatcd by three celebrated
actrcsscs-Mmc. Dorval, Milo. Mars and
Mile. Rachel For many years ! loneed
to interpret the role of tho passionate
courtosan ri medieval Padua, the out
cast of society," to USE Victor tiugo's
own words, the rival in love and beauty
OF the noble dame. Catarina Malapi"ri,
who. like CcasarS consorts. is above
suspicion. In ls12-l was then rehcars-
ing 'Ruy Bias at the Odeon Theatre
| went to pay visit to Victor Hugo
to express my wish Of interpreting the
part OF La Tsbe The poet | rrmem-
Der, was then standing and sketching
at his desk one of those fantastic land
scapcs he was wont to execute with either
ink or charcoal, or even SCOT. He
laughed so loudly and so heartily at my
suggestion that he sank exhausted in
his armchair.
My dear child, he easpcd. as soon
as he had sufficiently recovered breath.
before attempting to play LA Tisbe, you
must acquire greater physical strength
and artistic experience. 1t would take
You years and years,
And you Scc. added Nine. Sarah
Bernhard. "it took mo just thirty-thrce
years to have my wish fulfilled for. AS
you know it was only last February
at my theatre in Paris.
"lns Oil inc production ol lctor
IIugo's prose drama. ! propose to appear
again during the present season III Vic
toren Sardou's La Sorcicrc 1t has been
limited that a passion for the mysterious
and the occult, in fact. for what was
once called the Black Art. prompted me
to incarnate on the stage the character
Of Ioraya, the sorceress. This is. of
course, another of the many wild lc-
"a hc h,,
that unknown. irreprcssiblc mystiticatcur
the person who knows At one time.
it is true. took great interest in spirit
ualism. and even acted as Simone d'.Au-
bcras in Nictorien Sardou's 'Spiritsme.'
the part of woman resuscitated from
the dead. Our veteran dramatist be-
levcs still. I think. in the influence of
what he calls the mysterious and I'M
controllable Power. but as regards my
self. have. for a long time, lost all
faith in spiritualsm and other kindred
subjects"
OF the forthcoming performance in
London of "Adrienne Lccouvreur." Nine
Sarah Bernhardt spoke with enthusiasm
both as an actress looking forward to a
new creation and as an author antici-
pating the production of new work.
For the play, which is to be staged next
week at the Coronet Theatre, is not.
as Daily News readers know, the we'll
known piece by Scribe and Legouve. but
an original work written entirely by
Mime. Sarah Bernhard
Not content with being a great act
ress, a painter. a sculptor. AN art critic
a novelist and even an aeronaut, Nine.
Bernhardt has also written for the stage
After producing her first play. IL Aveu.
some years ago. she will now make her
second bow to the public as a dramatist
in "Adrienne Lecouvreur.
The author explained to me that she
had woven a plot round the story of
the Duchess de Bouillon and Adrienne
Lecouvreur. Her stage version differs
from that Of Scribe and Legouvc's, in
that 1t comprises six acts instead of
FIVE, and introduces now scenes in the
Eastile and the Luxembourg Gardens.
and new parts. AS those OF N"ltaire
Count dArgenthal, Du Marsay. la Bali
court and the hunchback Able Bourret
"A very effective role. entrusted to NJ
dc Max.
TO what" ! hazardcd. de we owe
the fact of such sensational premiere
taking place in IOndon?'
"Ah. You will scarcely believe when
| I'u Nou Ttplitu Ni'it. I''ihii"i''
with flashing eyes. and reaching out her
arms in an inmitable gesture of de-
SPAR: "thc Societc des Auteurs actu-
ally refused to allow me to produce my
own play in my own theatre. And so, ;"
she continued, now smiling, II place my
self and my work at the mercy of a
London audience"
Pressed for particulars of her future
plans, Nine Sarah Bernhardt kindly
gave me her program. Three weeks in
London. then touring in the provinces,
where she will appear with Mrs Patrick
Campbell in Mactcrlnck's "Pelleas ct
Mclsundc." then off to South America
and back again in Paris for the winter.
when she will produce "Sainte Theresc.'
drama in verse by NJ. Catullc Mendcs.
Another intere sting item of the pro-
gramme is the revising of the proof sheets
of les Memories de Sara Rernhardt."
which will be published in the autumn,
simultaneously in Paris, London and
New York.
"But when" ] asked. do YOU rest?'
"Oh, ] may spend a few days at my
seaside villa in Brittany, where l some
times turn to decorative art for relax
me that she is fond of casting fish in
plaster molds. to form quaint designs in
tho cart nouveau" style. Il work them"
she said. lin marble. bronze. silver or
gold. l am now engaged on a dccorat-
i've fountain in this style. Some of my
designs have been adapted and used