The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

strong feature of the ensemble in New
Orleans, will be kept up to the same
high standing, and the entire organi-
zation, which will number 100 people,
will be the best equipped for a long
road tour of any company which has
gone out for many years.
Il was in Paris one week. OF course
most of the Partisan pieces are pretty
bad morally, according to our way of
looking at things. In fact, most all
of them have something-somethin
the matter with them. But they don't
shock the Frenchmen. It's just con-
dition of society. The public passes
them by as a matter of course. and.
after little while, you begin to have
the same feeling. The language is so
different. anyhow. Things are handled
so delicately that they don't sound
offensive. II YOU translate them into
plain, direct English they're brutal,
vulgar, altogether impossible, 'Paraitre'
is perfectly moral. however. and a
most trenchant satire against state
of society in which every one is alb
sorbed only in keeping up appear
ances. La Piste, the Sardou play, is
not one of the melodramatic works the
public generally associates with his
name nowadays. It's a comedy, de-
lightful comedy, in which Madame Re-
jane appeared to great advantage
Maurice Donnay, who wrote 'Paraitre.'
is really the Pnero of France."-Jacob
Shubert in New York Dramatic Mirror
Either on the stage or off the stage,
Sarah Bernhardt's voice is the most
wonderful thing about 1t Is a
voice that. once heard. can never be
forgotten. 1t is young voice, yIbrat-
ing with magnetism and music aud
81.
the passion Of a woman to whom no
emotion is unknown. The dramatic
power, the acting in the voice are mar
velous. The whole story of the play
can be read in its matchless tones.
There is lure and lull and caress in 1t;
one moment 1T is eloquent with love
and tenderness, the next it can change
in a fash to anger and jealous hatred.
and there is the venom and the hiss
of a serpent in it In the remuneration
scenes in Camille or La Dame aux
Camilles" as Bernhardt prefers it
called. the throbs of tortured and
breaking heart seem beating in that
voice. Despair and anguish speak in
the voice in the inquisition trial scene
in - fourth act of La Sorciere."
In the rage and fierce vengeance of
Floria Tosca. as she plunges the knife
into Scarpia's breast the hoarse and
cultural snarl of wild animal thirst
ing for blood issues from that slim.
white throat. could not help wonder
ing IL Bernhardt did not study her
voice work with the fierce pets of her
famous menagerie.-eirace Hortense
Tower in-q'he Theater
When John Philip Sousa writes the
music for an opera it is bound to have
swing and dash, an abundance of vital
ity, a spirit of youth and enthusiasm.
1t lis with good reason that Sousa Is
called The March King. There Is no
resisting his martial strains: even
those of the elect who scoT at Sousa
music cannot keep their feet still when
the band begins to play. The Free
Lance" is probably the best comic
opera he has written. Not only is
theye an abundance of march numbers.
but There are some tender lyrics and
jolly comic jingles. as well.
Harry B. Smiths book is hardly in
Keeping with the music. which deserves
especially fine. instead of a
pleasant, mildly amusing libretto.,
built up upon perfectly safe lines He
uses familiar musical comedy theme
in a way not sufficiently original to be
startling. but as always, be succeeds
in giving an imposing pictorial climax
The words for the songs are charming,