Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-16
LA SORCIERE' IS
A MASTERPIECE
SARD0U SAYS PLAY IS HIS
GREATEST
5ernhardt's Production for Friday
Night at Venice Written Es-
peoiaIIy for Her-synopsis
of Drama

For Friday evening, May Is, Madame
| Sarah Bernhardt will be heard at
| Venice auditorium i'm what is consid-
cred the greatest drama in her present
repertoire. When M. Victorien Sardou
wrote LA Sorciere" It was with the
| knowledge that Madame Bernhardt was
| to create the role Of zoraya. The
drama Is divided into FIVE acts with the
scenes laid at Toledo, Spain, in the
! year of 1907.
The first act takes place at the bridge
Of San Martino, near Toledo, with
Ioraya as the sorceress, where she
has by the use of herbs and knowledge
| of medicine saved the life OF a Moor
| who dared to be loved by a Christian
| maid. Don Enrique, a Spanish gran
dee, Is sent to prove the disappearance
of the Moorish subject, whom he finds
has been executed for loving the girl.
Zoraya holds Enriques hand till 1t
| burns, and he calls her a demon and
bids her fly before his men have time
to kill her Then, as she passes In
| her beauty she quotes the Arab
proverb: mo one has seen the light
of tomorrow"
Second Act
The second act takes place at Zor-
| aya's home, the home as well of her
father Moorish physician. Zoraya,
| having admitted that she removed the
body, Enrique, instead of arresting her,
falls in love with her in spite of his
| approaching marriage to the daughter
of the governor of Toledo. The entire
act is given over to the love of Zoraya
and Enrique. At first he was to have
been merely the target for her ven
geance, to have suffered at her hands
for the sins of all Spain-the oppressor
of the Moors. But now she has come
to be nothing short Of his slave.
Third Act
The third act takes place in the patio
in the palace of the governor of To-
ledo. Wedding bells ring out, but not
| for Zoraya, but for Enrique and the
governors daughter Juana. Enrique,
however, is still infatuated with the
Moorish sorceress. To defend her, he
commits murder and with her is ar
| rested.
Act four is the great act of the
drama and takes place in the halls of
the tribunal of the inquisition. To
protect Enrique, the tribunal of the
| inauisition forces Zoraya to admit to
having controlled him by the exercise
| of the black art Stoutly she denies
| the power of sorceress, but suddenly 1t
| dawns upon her that If she can con-
| fess of her own free will that some
potion of her mixing has caused the
downfall of Enrique, then he will be
safe. The cardinal condemns her to
| be burned after vespers, and Padilla,
| the commandant, drags Enrique away.
Fifth Act
The fifth act takes place in the public
square in front of the cathedral of
Todelo. AS Zoraya is about to be
burned to the stake the governor par
| dons her for waking his daughter
from hypnotic sleep. The mob re-
fuses to recognize the pardon and
rushes for her. Enrique is prisoner
upon the cathedral steps as she goes
to the stake. They had long planned
to go together. Zoraya takes a potion
of poison as she breaks away from
| the guards and with it upon her lips
kisses goodbye to Enrique, who in this
| action of farewell takes potion OF
poison upon his own lips and they
both die upon the cathedral steps.
La Sorciere" is known in Paris as
Sardou's "Inquisition Play" and was
presented by Madame Bernhardt at the
! beginning of her season at her own
theater in 1904 and enjoyed tre-
mendous run. The scenery is attrac-
tive and the gowns worn by the sor-
ceress are indeed picturesque.
Sardou considers this play his great
est effort, and the Parisians have ac-
cepted 1t as such. Special scenery,
| costumes ana properties duu iiiuCh "
the dramatic effect. The incidental
music was written by NJ. Xavier Le-
roux and is a feature of the produc-
| ton.
For Saturday afternoon Madame
Bernhardt has selected the drama
which has been considered the strong
est of her repertoire, Camille, In
which for thirty years she has been
considered the greatest living ex-
ponent. For Saturday night the great
est of all the Bernhard tragedies mas
been reserved. AS Floria Tosca. Bern
hardt won Paris as her very own and
placed the stamp of approval OF the
greatest dramatist upon her work.
| La Tosca will be the Bernhardt fare
we'll bill This is positively Bern
hardts farewell tour of America. Re
served seats may be obtained at Venice
auditorium or at Birkel music store
345 South Spring street Los Angeles.
Many good seats remain in all parts OF
the house for each event and at all
prices.
TRUTH ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO