The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-21
GREAT ACTORS
OF TIE PAST
ADRIENNE LEcoUvREUR.

AdTeunc Lecouvrcur. around whom
the greatest glorics OF tho greatest
thcatcr in the world, the Comcdie
Franchise. is written. was born i'm 1892.
in little village near Paris. Her ia
ihcr. Robert Couvreur. poor village
halter. moved TO Paris in 1902, Ed
oucated under miserable conditions
without the slightest contact of any
kind with art-that she conceived
desire and acquired abilities 10 inter.
prct the refined poetry of the old
French dramatsts, is only another
strange story that one meets in seek
ing out the WAYS Of genius.
AT the age of thirteen. this wonder
full child astouished Parisians as
member of an amateur troupe by her
rccitals of Corueille S verses and as
Pauline in Polyeucte, displaying
new method OF delivery, unlike the
character of defamation so prevalent
AT that time. Adrienne had an aunt
who was a laundress and among her
customers was lie Grand, a societiere
of the Comcdie Franchise lie Grand
was an indifferent actor but clever
and original character THROUGH the
patronage of the Dauphin, the son of
Louis XIV, he was given a position
with the theater, writing light comic
plavs none of which however, sur
vivcd bim, but at tie time, attained
considerable popularity at this thea
ter. lie Grand. however bad be may
have been as an actor, was good as
a teacher. and through the intercession
OF the laundress. the little Adriennc
was placed in bis charge. and through
his instruction which was most intel
ligent and most effective, succeeded in
promoting the development Of the
child
Al the age Of sixteen, lie Grand
l. II. I..Ay L. L.,
Fromprc. Il wc!l-EUown actress of her
time. who was lust about to under
tuke the leadership of the thcater in
Lille. So pleased was Mmc. Frompre
with the clever novice, that she WAS
engaged at once, and in Lille
kdricnnc LccouVreur made ner debut
in l70S. The young girl gained i'm
mediate success and by her original
talents and fresh beauty. il was but
a short time before she became the
leading actress in the Provinces. After
nine years. travelling about in the
country. she attained tho position OF
leading actress i'll Strasburg, which
possessed one Of the finest provincial
thca;ers.
Had it not been for asserious trou
ble caused by an unfortunate lovo al
fair which drove her away. it is .
question whether she would have ever
gone TO Paris The faithlessness OF
the Count de Klinglin. who offered hel
marriage and then forsooi her to mar
ry a lady Of his own rank was thc
turning point in the career of the girl
who was 10 become the greatest ne
iress. not alone in her own time but
of centuries to come, and also n turn
ing point in the history Of the Com
cdie Francaise.
ii was Adricnnc Lecouvreur S indie
pendent art that opened tue eyes o.
the public TO the empty mnDnerism
Of the old school. For thirteen year
in Paris. she was the idol Of rich an,
poor alike Although she Tough
against intrigucs instigated by les
talented associates. still with he
great intellectually AMI unquestione'
art, she was appreciated by the bes
men and women OF her time. Th
new element which Adricnne Leeou
vrcur infused into dramatic art wa
Just what il had lacked for many years
aud which may be expressed in the on
word-soul.
A contemporary gives the followin
graphic description Of her art: ''Sh
never appeared on the stage withou
seeming 10 be penetrated by her part
Her ewes told YOU what she was goin
10 say; her fear, her anxiety, wer
pictured in her face. The spectato
Welded himself up TO all her emo
tious; he was as deeply stirred. a
., overcome, as she. He feared, walled
trcmbled with her, nay. his teaI
aroraed before hers. This is not SUI