The Washington times., 1907-11-10
GUILBERT
NOW LEGITIMATE
COMEDY ACTRESS
ComeIy French Dancer
and Singer Makes Hit
In New Play.
Political Drama, lie Man
teau Gu Roi, " Vehicle for
Jean Coquelin.

TARIS, Nov. 9.-Yvette GuiIbert. APP
rearing for the first time as a 'legiti-
mate" comedy actress with songs. is
the making of "L'Amour On Benque,
the latest new play at the Varieties.
Tie now plump and comedy Yvette cap
uvates the public with hcr gay friski-
Eess and her singing in English of the
old coon song, Il Want Yer, Ma
Honey" She is supported by Max
Learly, who Is vastly amusing in his
iGea of an American millionaire.
Although slight and weakly construct
ed. the story OF the comedy is a novel
one Yvette Guilbert is Suzanne de
Nerignan, wife OF an a-lstocrat with
Tie gambling fever. Playing al Luchon,
the Pyrenean pleasure resort, De Merlg-
nan loses $4,000. and then plays ecarte
with William .GravesOn Max Dearly)
Tor his ancestral mansion and loses.
Suzanne, who knows noJhiug Of the
transaction, returns to the house, where
Graveson soon arrives and taxes pos
session of his winnings.
Relents When He Proposes.
To her. establishment, Graveson makes
himself perfectly at home and very soon
begins TO make love TO her. Tor he has
reen attracted by the fascinating Su-
zanne at Luchon. She receives his ad-
vances coldly. but reIenLs when he pro-
poses that they shall have game %
ecarte to decide who shall have the
mansion after all.
Before they play they sup, the meal
beng an amusing scene, in which
GrAveson imblbes freely of champagne,
while Suzanne is strictly abstemious in
view of the mOInentous game OF cards
t. follow After supper, and as pre-
lminary to the ecaTte, Suzanuc sings p
couple of songs at the piano-.a French
ditty and the coon song already men
toned. Yvette's reversiOn - her old
vaudeville style is rapturOusly ac-
claimed by the audience.
In the game of cards, Suzanne wins
back her husbands loss.
Policeman in Play.
But in the midst of her triumph, a
commissary Of police arrives 10 ''estab-
lish a first case for divorce" Here the
curious French law intervenes and
makes the story difficult to follow.
Graveson, it appears, is pretending that
he is divorced from his own wife and
that the de Merignans are separated, in
order TO persuade Suzanne to be the
second Mrs. Graveson. De Merignau
then appears. and is furious to find his
wife in the company or Graveson, the
man who has ruined him. Refusing to
believe his wife's story about winning
back the house, he insists that there
shall be a divorce.
In the third act. the affair is rather
Iamely smoothed over, de AIerignan takes
back his wife and his home, and 50
there is happy curtain. This slender
little story is made into an evening
truly Partisan entertainment by the de-
Iightful acting Of Mime. Gulbert and
Max Dearly The latter is exquisitely
humorous as the American and brings
in some English phrases with very
quaint effect.
Coquelin's New Play.
One of the most interesting produe-
tons at the Paris theaters in the newly
opened season in the poeticaI drama oil
NJ. Jean Alcard, LIE Manteau du Rol, 81
at the Porte St. Martin Theater, IN
which NJ Jean Coquelin appears as a
buffOon and NJ. "a Max as a king OF
heroic romance. Il is a poetical philO-
sophical play full Of beautiful verse.
NJ. AIcard. who is one Of the younger
rank of poets, IS a kind of disciple OF
Sully- Prudhomme. and in his childhood
knew and was much Influenced by La
MARITIME He is now a candidate for one
of the vacant seats at the French Acad-
envy, and viii very likely be elected.