The Detroit times., 1910-11-18
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

Old Father Time and Nine Sarah
Bernhard are not on speaking terms
as anyone could see who Witnessed
the performance of the greatest &C
tress I'm the world, Thursday eyening,
in the Detroit opera house, in the
name part OF Rostands poetic drama,
Il Aiglon.
Madame Sarah presented this play
in Detroit, on the stage of the same
theater early in 1891. during a mem
orable weeks engagement with her
great French fellow.artist. the la
mented Couquelin, when "L'Aiglon.
"Cyrano de Bergerac.' Camille" and
double bills succeeded one another
in rapid nightly changes. Again. in
May 1906, in the Light Guard armory.
TO which Madame Sarah was forced
for her Detroit engagement owing To
her disagreement with the theatrical
syndicate from whose houses she was
barred during that American tour, she
gave the second act of "LAiglon"
One might have been in the past
five, ten years ago, Thursday even
ing, for all the difference there
seemed 10 be in Nine. Bernhard s
personal appearance or acting. To-
day she is the same divine Sarah of
ten, even twenty. years ago. True.
the lissome Sarah. the butt OF the
joke writer's because of her extreme
slenderness in the early days OF her
American invasion, has become round
ed almost 10 embonpoint, but there
is no hint yet OF a too, too solid
flesh and the Bernhard figure never
was so attractive.
The strongest opera glass or lorg-
nette in the house-and there We're
hundreds OF them constantly leveled
on this extraordinary woman-could
detect a single line or crows foot in
the smooth, delicate face. Not "A
trace OF the passing years was visl-
bic in the beautiful hands-the ten.
tale feature OF added birthdays The
famous. deep-set Bernhardt eyes were
as clear and expressive as a child
and the golden voice has lost none Of
its wonderful cadences. There was
no touch OF human pathos in the pass
ing OF great artist about Nine
Bernhardt. She made no appeal be-
cause OF the past and its greatness.
She lives today as Incompatible as
twenty years ago-the greatest. dra,
matte genius OF her day and the most
remarkable example OF perennial
youth. Her movements are as light
and graceful as those OF fawn. and
in the character of the young Duke de
Reichstadt, she seemed the very en-
bodiment of youthful boyishness. Not
once in the four hours of her assump-
ton OF the character did the actress
by look or gesture permit her audi
N 10 Il -
woman playing the part. There are
no feminine touches about the Bern
hardt male roles.
The story of "L'Aiglon" is more or
less familiar through the great vogue
which the play had several years ago
when Nine. Bernhardt brought il to
America and Charles Crohman made
production of il, in English, for
Maude Adams. The reading public,
too, had both French and English YER
sions OF il in book form. Il created
as much interest and discussion as
the French poets recent "Chante-
cler. Nine. Bernhard and the la
mented Coquelin presented it on the
stage of the Detroit opera house, with
in a short time OF Miss Adams APP
pearance, so that local theatergoers
had opportunity to compare the
French and American way. II might
be said in truth, there could be no
comparison. The American produc-
ton scenically. was as good, but the
French infinitely superior in acting
II would be absurd 10 speak of Nine
Bernhardt's presentation OF the young
duke and that OF Miss Adams in the
same sentence.
The action OF "L'Aiglon" is sup
posed TO have taken place in 1922, IN
Austria. and it's chief characters are
Francois Charles Joseph Bonaparte.
son OF Napoleon l.. and known as the
Duke OF Reichstadt: Flambeau, one
OF Napoleon's grenadiers and the
OF the young duke; Met.
ternich, his Austrian jailer; Marechal
Marmont, OF France; his mother EN-.
press Marie Louise and Emperor
Francis of Austria
In the opening scenes, the gay court
OF Austria is shown, where the young
duke is virtually a prisoner and where
every temptation is placed before
him that could possibly undermine
his already frail health. Flambeau
enters the court in the guise OF valet
and personal attendant upon the duke
and reveals TO him his true identity,
endeayoring to arouse in the young
Eaglet's" mind a latent patriotism
and ambition 10 recover his fathers