Evening journal., 1908-11-11
Editorial Opinion
Viotorien sardou.

NlStoTicn Odrdou.
New York sun.
Sardou has been calisd the "incarna-
ton of the theatre" bur that is not very
kind to the theatre. He had the face
Of an actor; he lived with theatrical
people: two actresses save him his
first clue to theatrical success; another
actress procured him his definitivS
apotheosis; far more than any other
dramatist he has ruled the European
and American stage for the last thirty
or forty years; if one takes into account
not merely the number of his pieces
but the variety of genres" he success
fully essayed. he was more fertile than
any dramatist yet seen: he was by far
the most abundant theatrical money
getter of all ages; no playwright has
ever been so widely international with
in the limits Of his lifetime, and few
writer's have hitherto better Illustrated
the truism that those who write only
for to-day win be forgotten tomorrow
He was a Journalist Gf the stage. one
may say a yellow Thespian journalist
Sensitive to every wlnd that blew
francs and cents. he was a weather
cock among authors ana performed the
complete "gyro" of fruitful possibilities.
There was no stage form which he did
not touch. and none which he really
adorned. Invariably successful. he
never succeeded for longer than al
hour. A warning rather than an ex-
ample from the point of view OF pure
art. he was the kind of warning many
prefer to examples of tho highest sort
He was a warning ornamented with
green papers. red buttcnhole. castles
and a limitless bank account Yet ne
had in the end an extremely healthful
influence on the contemporary stage,
his mastery of theatrical tricks was 81
complete and beyond rivalry that he
brought stage tricks into contempt. His
relation to a more natural style OF
play was that of Mime. Blaise to
royalty:
"The king has often walked behind,
When she has gone befcre."
Lavedan. Donray. Carus, the prac-
titioners Of the recent potless, lifelike
meander of drama. were the offspring
of a SardOu thrice denied.
This may SOUND like malice. unchari-
tableness and benefits forgot" Sardou
ha sentertained the theatrical audit
ence of two continents as no other
single writer has ever entertained it,
He has presented successful plays IL
( America--"L'Oncle Sam" and lie.
Americaines a fEtranger''-before they
We're given in France; and has ticklet
| the Russian groundlings with materia
that was caviare to Paris. He hal
delighted London audiences with I;
"Robespierre" written fer Irving 9nC
! ignored by the Theatrs Francois. Blu
these very foreign successes condemn
him as n French genWs. though no
as predatory capitalist. The hour o
the International playwright had strucl
and Sardou heard the summons an'
obeved IT, 1t yielded him a castle a
Marty. but not one leaf Of the i'm
mortal bay. His name is inevitahl.
linked with that of the genius of Saral
Bernhardt--as the chief opportunity o
Sarah's DEGRADATION. Jp provided he
with excellent situations in which T.
die. and in which she id die, as al
actress loyal to the true interests of he
art There was a splendid stage SCI
ting in "Theodora." "Gismonda" an
the rest. and no other splendor. Sardo
was not an incarnation of the theatre
truly so called, but of the theatrics
pocfor