New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-04
Paris. February 20.

Paris, February 90
La Piste," the new light comedy in three
acts produced last Thursday at the Varieties, is
the seventy-fifth play written by VIctorien Sar-
dou. Although the grand master of theatrical
deXterity. OF stage effect, of rapid dialogue and
OF situations succeeding each other with cine
photographic precision and swiftness is in his
seventy-fifth year. his productiveness probably
constitutes the record among living dramatists
Sardou remains in the twilight of his career
what he at its dawn-pre-eminently the
personifcation of the theatrical idea Fran
cisque Sarcey once said of him: Everything as
sumes for the author of 'Patrie' theatrical form
and shape; the landscape he admires is a stun
ming bit of stage scenery a charming fragment
OF conversation that he listens TO is "a CAPITAL
dialogue, a graceful girl that passes is an
adorable ingenue,' and the misfortune crime or
catastrophe that he reads about becomes a
situation, e scene or a DRAMA" Sardou's
peculiar mentality compels him to dramatic
everything that he sees. and he sees with vivid
stage color. 1t is related Of Frederic Lemaitre
who was at heart an actor off the stage as
well as on 1t. that he unconscously shocked those
who had gathered at the church OF Saint Roch
to attend the funeral OF Lemaitre's son. and who
had awaited for half an hour the arrival OF the
priest by excaiming in a stage whisper, isn't
II time to 'sonner les trois coups'?' Ito ring I'D
INC cuTLdiIJ. Safdou Is just like Lemaftre in
this respect. He is the man of the theatre
whether entertaining his guests at his beautiful
country seat at Marly-le-Roy, or lunchtng
amid his family at his delightful Partisan
apartment in the Boulevard de Courcelles
La Piste" is a twentieth century development
or Les Pattes de Mouche' the English adam
tation Of which is entitled "A Scrap of Paner"
which was produced for the first time at the
Gymnase Theatre in May 1860 EVERYTHING
turns upon "a scrap OF paper" which In the
new play, instead OF letter is a little bIue
pneumatic telegram. Florence Mime Rkiane,
recently divorced. because of incompatibility of
temperament from Jobelin. whom she never
cared for, has married Casimir Revion whom
she azores Casimir, searching in the drawer
vi 4 table for the address of an art dealer IN
eHpeetedly finds a pneumatic telegram with the
signature and date torn off but the contents q,
which incriminate the unknown recipient Flor
ehce turns pale at the discovery OF the telegram
whleh she recognizes an old message TO her
ifoih an admirer whom she favored in the time
" her hrst husband She replies to her present
husDahds questions that the table came from
the Hotei Drouot, where she bought IL at auc-
uoh' and added that 1t formerly belonged to an
@O'iess' VINO had doubtless left some OF her love
'etle4s III IT, Florence leaves home 10 mako
'isits Caslmir, only half satisfied by his wifes
answer examines the telegram with a magnif,,
ing glass; and in company with a cousin inst
returned from voyage around the world comes
70 me conclusion after an amusing series of de-
o0eN0i@ ol nv Sherlock Holmes type, that the