New-York tribune., 1907-11-10
ON THE PARIS STAGE.
SENSATIONS OF WEEK.
Atmosphere Heartily Charged 1cith
Histrionic Electricity.
Especial by French Gable to The Tribune.l

Deputies. diplomats and leading bankers nave
all put in an appearance among the first night
audiences. The Paris atmosphere CONTINUES
heavily charged with histrionic electricity. me
first peal of stage thunder came from the Odeon'
where the manager, NJ. Antoine. had the pluck
to tear into shreds the French theatrical traul-
ton of go years by daring to produce Moilere
"Tartuffe" with elaborate mountings, dehclous
scenery. authentic Louis XIV furniture, sumptu-
Gus fittings and the subtle effects of modern the
atrical art
Hitherto all five acts of "Tartuffe' have passed
in one bare hall with cold classic severity, but
Moliere's masterpiece thanks to the revolution
accomplished by NJ. Antoine. Is now set with
majestic gardens broad terrace. discreet yet
luxurious boudoirs and glass panelled doors'
and the spectators live amidst the true air ana
surroundings of the seventeenth century TAR
tuffe' has gained immensely by carrying out
this idea that originated with NJ. BRAND. MIN
lister of Fine Arts, and which, according to the
verdict of the French public is brilliantly sue
cessfuI.
STOCK EXCHANGE DRAMA.
The next dramatic thrill from the
Theatre de Ia Renaissance. where Lucien Guitry'
actor and manager. brought out four-act
drama. entitled Samson" by Henry Bernstein.
author OF lie Voleur' and of La Rafale
Henry BernStelnS DOlner Is dn D-'-@
his uncle Is a banker prominent in New York
and Paris, and in the tragedy of Samson"
which is having extraordinary success here. he
has put an heroic dose of strenuous American
nerve force. The action turns upon a tre-
mendous crash on the Paris Stock Exchange.
NJ. Samson. splendidly acted by NJ. Guttry. is
athletic dock porter Of Marseilles. who by
energy, industry and intelligence has become
hundredfold millionaire and potentate Of the
Paris Bourse. known as the copper king. NJ
Samson marries the daughter OF Anne Marie, a
young lady belonging 10 of the most noble
families OF the French aristocracy who Is really
loved by NJ. Samson but having been practically
sold to a rich parvenu by her worthless parents
she does not hesitate 10 deceive her husband
with NJ. lie Govaine. dashing duellist and ath-
Iete of her own blue bIo0ded set.
NJ Samson learns OF his wife's infidelity. and
resolves TO take revenge by bringing about the
financial ruin not only of NJ. lie Govaine. but OF
all his wife's family, even Of himself. by sud-
denly unloading upon the market untold millions
of copper stock which they all hold on a margin
for a rise. NJ. Samson sardoncally invites NJ
lie Govaine to luncheon with him while the panic
reaches its crisis. As Wild cries OF newsboys are
heard announcing the catastrophe NJ lie Co
vaine tries to escape from the table where the
two men have been Iunching. NJ. Samson
vilest names and epithets (here the sewer
suces wide open, and never before has
such crude language been heard on the French
Stage), and nearly strangles NJ lie COvaine.
NJ. Samson has thus pulled down the columns OF
the temple OF the Stock Exchange. and has beg
CARED himself and his enemy and all the aristo-
cratic Philistines. The young wife now be-
comes fascinated by NJ. Samson and loves her
husband, whom she follows abroad 10 begin a
new and better life.
ATTACKS on ARISTOCRACY
This drama is a Robesplerrian Indictment OF
certain smart sets Of French aristocracy. upon
whose vices and moral rOttenness are concen-
trated the terribly excruciating rays OF NJ.
Bernstein's searchlight Leaving the theatre
after undergoing the sledgehammer nerve shocks
OF Samson" one has the sensation of having
escaped from some frightful automobile catas-
trophe. It is only fair to the FaubOurg St
Germain nobility to say that NJ Bernstein has
selected the most depraved and vice besodden
specimens for his diabolical onslaught and to
be-Iibel. 1t is a most painful injustice to take
II as a true picture OF French morality or do
nestle life Samson" beats the record for
force and brutality. and is 10 Balzacs "Mer-
cadet" and other more modern dramas based
upon stock exchange speculation what tabasco
sauce is TO a pinch of table salt. The play is
superbly acted by NJ. Guitry and by Mime.
Simonne lie Bargy.
Still another violent attack upon the French
I'm Monsieur de Courplere," a four act play by
Abel Hermant which. with subtitle cruel irony.
depicts up-to-date smart Partisan society
an assembly of swindlers. scanps and courte-
sans pandering to the Niest passions as
their habitual means of gaining a luxurious
livelihood NJ Courpiere a young viscount who
is finally rescued from being sentenced 10 the
gaeys for forgery by marriage with a young
heiress IS a twentieth century development Of
the Monsieur Alphonse of Dumas fills. AL
though Abel Hermant does not drenCh his play
with the language of the gutter. as does Henry
Bernstein, he says even naughtier things
wrapped In we'll polished literary phraseOlOgy.
The Vicomte Courpiere is perhaps the most re-
voting specimen of humanity ever presented on
the French stage.
IL SILENT DRAMA"
The third theatrical sensation came last night
from the Theatre des Arts leased by Miss
I.oie Fuller and ROBBERY d'Humieres. who have
drawn from the tragedy Of 'Salome'' "a silent
drama" in two acts. which was hailed by
Partisan critics as a revelation in plastic art In
fairylike combinations of colors and In electric
reflections upon waving Indian muslins, silks
and gauzes and a flowing robe. as Miss Fuller
has transformed the theatre into sort OF labo-
ratory of electric light effects.
AS Salome she first dances the Dance OF the
Pearl Necklaces" then the Dance OF the Pea
cock" and waves about with a spread. tail I'm
iridescent features four yards high Then
comes the Dance of the Serpents'' successfully
followed by the dances of Steel and OF
Silver" and concluding with the terribly real
istic dance of Fear" during which Ioie Fuller
holds on platter the head OF John the Baptist
which, after being pierced by a pin from the
hair of Herodias and spat upon, changes color
and is cast into the Dead Sea by Salome The
head of John the saptist reappears. emerging
from the sea and ascending TO the clouds amid
intense effects of concentrated electrio rays. pro-
ducinC vivid hues causing the sDeotators co