The San Francisco call., 1905-02-25
MAKES BIG HIT
WITH HUGO PLAY
Bernhardt Revives in Paris
Angelo, Tyrant of Padua,
Popular Fifty Years Ago
DRAMA A MASTERPIECE
Play Gives Divine Sarah
Opportunities for Acting
She Seldom Has Had


Bernhardt decides on another Ameri-
can tour it is pretty safe to say what
will be one of the first pieces selected
for her repertoire. Bernhardt was in
spired recently to revive Victor Hugo's
half forgotten drama, "Angelo. Tyrant
Of Padua," chiefly by the fact that her
great predecessors, Mars and Rachei,
both made successes in it, and without
much idea that the play would draw to
any extent. But 10 and behold! this
work of Hugo's, unacted for more than
fifty years, has hit Paris so hard that
1t looks like running for months. In
reality there is nothing surprising
about it, for the plays construction
shows the masters hand. its move
ment Is as rapid as though 1t had been
written yesterday. and 1t gives Bern
hardt such opportunities for acting as
she seldom has had recently.
The plot is thoroughly Hugoesque.
The time is the middle Of the sixteenth
century, when Padua was a tributary
to Venice. Angelo, the Governor of
Padua, though married, Is madly in
love with Tisbe, the beautiful leader OF
the half-world In his city. But she
keeps him at arms length, for she is In
love with Rodolfo, g. young nobleman
But Rodolfo, on his side, treats T1sbe-
Bernhardt-almost as cavalierly as she
treats the Tyrant, for his heart has
been won by a beautiful woman whom
he has seen only once and has not been
able to identify. Suddenly there ar
riVes upon the scene spy named Ho-
model, sent by the Council or Ten at
Venice to make trouble. He contrives
to get possession of the secrets of the
different personages of the drama and
promptly resolves to play them against
each other. Homodei also discovers
that the mysterious lady with whom
Tisbe's beloved Rodolfo is infatuated
is no other than the wife of Angelo the
Tyrant. Whereupon the spy decoys
Rodolfo into the Tyrant's house by
promising to show him the woman he
loves, and also brings Tisbe there to
prove to her that the man she loves is
unfaithful
A POWERFUL SCENE.
The scene in the palace is a power
full one. Caterina, the Tyrant's wife,
and Rodolfo are together when Tisbe
enters, and the man has just time to
hide himself and thus avoid actual dis
covery. But the demi-mondaine sus-
poets his presence and she upbraids
her successful rival with bitterness and
is ready to bring down vengeance on
her head. The opportunity is favor
able, too, for suddenly the Tyrant en-
ters, attracted by the noise. Tisbe is
on the point of denouncing his wife to
him when she discovers on the wall
crucif1x given by her own mother to
young woman who had saved her from
the gallows Bernhardt's glance at this
| little cross and her portrayal of the
woman's struggle between jealousy and
compassion are conceded to be among
the finest bits of acting seen in Paris
| in recent years. Compassion wins and
Tisbe makes specious excuse to An
gelo for his wife's presence there and
thus saves her.
| Now, however, Homodei, the Vene-
| tian SPY, sends the Tyrant letter
proving to him that his wife loves an
other, but does not reveal Rodolfo'S
name. Angelo decides that his wife
must die and gives her the choice of
the axe, or poison. But Tisbe saves
her rival again. She volunteers to help
| Angelo make way with his wife and
advises Caterina to accept poison. In
stead she gives her a powerful mar
cotic, undertakes to get rid of the body
and has Caterina taken to her own
| home. Rodolfo, learning what has
| happened, hastens to Tisbe's palace. 1t
| is she, he believes, who has murdered
his sweetheart and he curses her to
! her face. Sure now that she has no
| hope of being loved by Rodoflo, Tisbe
| has but one desire-to die at his hand.
! She cries, 81 killed her, I tell you,
strike mel" and Rodolfo plunges his
dagger into her bosom. At this mo-
ment Caterina awakens, and as Ro-
dolfo asks. Great God, who saved
your" Tisbe, with her last breath ex-
claims, by me for thee
One doubts If this character ever was
played before as Bernhardt plays it.
Her anger and frenzy at Caterina in
| the second act and her pathos after the
discovery of the crucifix move many
| to tears. Blanche Dufrene is capable
Caterina and the Homodei OF Max is
subtle piece of acting.
COQUELIN FOR THE SENATE.
| Will "Cyrano" become a French
Senator? Paris is wondering, and
rather chuckling at the thought. In
| the minds of Parisians, of course. Ros-
| tand's hero and his greatest portrayer,
| Coquelin, are associated fnseparably,
and Coquelin has just been invited to
stand" for the Senate. The invitation
comes from country constituency and
the actor actually has accepted It, 1t
| is not unthinkable that he will be
! elected. His duties as a Senator would
not necessarily interfere with his
| theatrical cereer, for important days
| in the Senate are rare and the great
! comedian would be considered as doing
| his duty If he only attended once
month.
Sardou and Mascagni have met and
| formed friendship ana as result
| the composer Is going 70 make an
opera out of one Of the dramatist's
works. Mascagni is now in Paris,
where he is being feted in a way that
| is making him forget his rather tragic
experience in the United States last
year. The other day, it having come
| to his ears that Victorien Sardou wished
| to meet him, Mascagni went to the
playwright's house, to be received with
| open arms, Sardou declaring that he
was the first to applaud "Cavalleria
Rusticana' in France. After a while
the dramatist said, How would it be
If you, young, and /, old, should work
| together? If to the ardor of your
youth should unite my long expert
ence to the theater! What do you
say?"
sI shall be only too honored and
happy" was the prompt reply.
"Then," said the other, "chooeel
With the exception Of Hatred, which
dream Of having acted in France just
as wish, choose from all my works,
They are at your disposal!"
| Mascagni named one-whfch, he viii
| mt saw hr1f IL ia one of the older of