The Washington times., 1911-02-05
INTEREST IS HIGH
IN BERNHARDT TOUR
Select Pieces of Her Roper
toire Chosen for the
Capital.

Never before in the history of Nine.
Sarah Bernhardts tours has such in
terest been shown as in her present
visit to America. That interest promises
to be sustained in Washington this week
when she comes to the National Thea
ter.
She will open her engagement tomor-
row night in "L'Aiglon," Edmond Ros-
tand's poetic drama, which tells of
Reichstadt, son of Napoleon 1. He is
known as LAiglon CThe Eaglet, and
when the play opens in 1880, is living
at the Vienese court with his mother,
Maria Louisa, second wife of Napo-
leon l.
Metternich, chancellor of Austria, to
whom the Eaglet has been given IN
charge, conceals from the boy all knowI-
edge of the history which Napoleon, the
Eagle, has made. The young duke, how
ever, is haunted by visions of his faith
ers fame. He longs to be worthy of
this great inheritance, but shrinks from
initiative, fearing his own incapacity,
and imaginative and vacillating, wastes
away in the fires of an hereditary am
bition, which he can neither control or
gratlfy.
Will Play Camille"
On Tuesday evening, the audience will
zee in Camille" by Dumas, fills, the
pathetic figure of Marguerite Gautier,
not of flesh and blood only, but of
heart-a woman flashing nobler impulses
and exhibiting an earnest desire to lead
a better life. AS in the present and in
the past, so in the years to come, Ca
mille' must be identified with the per-
SonGlity of Bernhard.
The performance on Wednesday after
noon of Madame X" by Alexander
Bisson, will be welcomed by the many
who would see the great tragedian In
that melodrama OF mother love, so noted
for its trial scene and its portrayal of
a wrecked life. While the play was
written for Nine. Bernhardt, it was pro-
duced in France by Jane Hading and
in America by Dorothy Donnelly. Nine.
Bernhard gave it for the first time
during her present tour
The Jeanne dare" which Nine.
Bernhardt is to give on Wednesday
night, was first produced by her in
November, 1909, and should not be con-
founded with the Jeanne dare, by Jules
Barber, presented by her in 1889. The
complete title Of the new play is lie
Process de Jeanne dare" a quaint and
impressive work, based upon records of
Jeannes trial. Emile Moreau, the au
thor has made every effort to be his
toricaIly accurate, giving in this pro-
duction the exact words obtained from
historical archives as spoken by the
Maid of Orleans during her trial.
The chief notes of the drama are her
establishment at the knavery of her
tcrmentors, her revolt against the bru-
taIity of her jailers, her sadness when
she is deserted by the divine voices, her
dignity with Bedford. her heartrending
hesitation to consent to perjury, and
above all, the mystical illumination of
her whole being.
Sardou Play Booked.
On Thursday evening, La Tosca," by
Victorieu Sardou, will be given. The
cumulative agonies of the terrible tor
ture scene are easily followed in their
rapid development.
'Sapho," by Alphonse Daudet, is
booked for Friday evening. The in
fatuation of Jean Gaussin for Fanny
Jegrand, and his repeated efforts to es-
cape the infatuatlon, are we'll known.
This French version is not to be con-
founded, however, with the one seen
here in English. 1t was made by Daudet
himself, and does not contain the stair
case scene which aroused so much COM
ment in this country.
Nine. Bernhard will end her. engage
ment with a repetition of "L'Aiglon' on
Saturday afternoon, and Madame X''
on Saturday evening.