New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-12
TIL: DRAMA
Nine. Bernhard in 'ELes Bout.
fons" at the Globe Theatre.

Nine Bernhardt is indeed a wonderful
woman. She completed the first week Of
her present engagement III this city. a
week Of ten performances, on last Satur-
day night with If memory serves, her first
appearance in comedy in New York If
on the night before she showed unmis-
taxable signs Of the fatigue which such a
record of hard work must involve, she was
fresh and delightful in NJ Miguel Zama-
ccis's charming poetic comedy Les Bout
fons.'' made known to this public some
time ago by Miss Maude Adams as THE
TESTERS the performance of the original
on Saturday night demonstrating once more
how much loss is involved in even a con-
scientious and workmanlike translation Of
verse
Nine Bernhard has steadily reganed
during this week of laborious nights and
matinees much of what on the evening of
her rather inauspicious opening she ap-
peared to have lost during the years that
had elapsed since her last previous ap-
pearance here on Saturday the Illusion of
romantic youth created by her was nearly
perfect The play demanded il far more
insistently than did the serious dramas
which have preceded it, and it was there,
most of all in the laughter of her eyes.
which We're the eyes of joyous, glorious
youth revealing in the masquerading of the
Count de Chancenac, tasting to the full the
romance of the wooing of Jacasse- Her
carriage was debonair. elastic. upright; her
gestures free Even her smile. with her
voice the chief betrayer of some part of the
numbers of her years-that smile usually
so slow so weary and somewhat pathetic,
not with age but with the experience of life
age brings, grew younger and gave the eff
tct of spontaneity. The demands which
the comedy makes upon the mask end here;
the wooing of Soange takes place in the
dark of falling night. Nine. Bernhard
took the Mon prenom, cest Jacasse" in
her familiar rapid tempo. but the verses to
the breeze We're admira bly, delivered and
the sparkling delight of wit foreseeing its
victory was in her answers to the COM
peting testers Altogether. Nine. Bernhardt
in comedy was an enjoyable. artistic pleas
ure. One remembers that her first honors
at the Paris Conservative were won. near
Iy half century ago, in this lighter form
of her art. And if while witnessing her
performances during last week the spec
tator has abstained from looking into the
past and drawing comparisons, he may well
have been led to speculate upon what a
possible future may still have in store Tor
this wonderful woman.
Nine. Bernhardt's company of players
showed itself at its best in this comedy OF
the young nobIeman of the knightly days
of long ago who woos the lady of his heart
in the disguise of a jester and wins her by
his wit, his eIoQuence. his merit, making
her forget the artificial physical deformlty
which he has made part Of his disguise.
The witty. sparkling verse was well de-
livered with a welcome subordinat1on OF
scansion to content. NJ. Decoeur, as Nul-
cano. was an entertaining braggart; Nine.
Due a sweetly appealing Solange NJ. Co
queIet's imitation of the accent with when
an Italian speaks French was hugely en-
joyable, because skilfully and truthfuliy
done. But all concerned in the performance
won their share of the abundant laughter
and applause with which it was received
nv the crowded house The ensemble act
ing was spirited, the scenery attractive
CAST OF LES BOUFFoNS"