New-York tribune., 1911-01-01
BERNHARDT'S SEASON
Her Plays, Her Art, Her Defiance
of Time.

exhibition of exceptional physical endure
ance, II for nothing else. During that
period she gave thirty-seven performances
in twenty-four days, ten during the first
week and nine each In the three succeed
ing ones. Her repertory consisted os
ten plays. five old ones-"BAiglon," La
sorciere," "Sappho," La Dame aux Came
las" and La Tosca"-and five new ones,
two OF which had already been made
familiar to the New York public in transla-
ton. Rostands La Samaritaine," Emils
Moreau's Jeanne dare" Miguel Zama-
cois's Les Bouffons," Blsson's La Femme
x" and, John W. De Kays Judas
sixth novelty promised, the Italian la
RefYa" had 10 be omitted because the
necessary scenery had not been forwarded
from Paris. while "Phedre," though re-
peatedy announced, did not reach COM
plete production, an act or two from Il be-
ing ultimately made part OF last nights
combination bill.
The bravura OF this woman of sixty-
seven In retaining part OF the repertofY
of the prime and the maturity OF her his
trionism commands respect. 1t was
challenge flung by temperament TO MEM
ory. an invitation 10 comparison bold 10
the poInt Of recklessness, for, in the retro
spect OF many years, It must be chronic!ed
that Nine. Bernhardts Camille" "Tosca'
and 'Sappho" are no longer what they
once were in her hands. They have become
mechanical, lessons In technique still, TO
be sure, for all other actresses, but lack
ing the compelling illusion OF old. The
artistry remains but the hand Of physical
age is upon It, This was perhaps most
nerceptible in Sardous La Sorciere,"
which, curiously enouSN. was the first play
70 he written for the actress with regard
TO the approaching limitations OF her age
Through the first three acts sardou held
his hand to save her for the fourth. in IT.
self not protracted in length, however
great its momentary demand upon inten-
sity of simulated emotion. Like the other
three old pieces, one is inclined to believe,
II Is doomed to be laid aside with the rest
Of Nine. Bernhardts discarded earlier
renertory. 1t is not a question Of her
marked slmplifcation Of her Interpretation
OF these four parts, for that may wen 10
ascribed. as it was five years ago. TO
tardy recognition by the actress Oh lAo
merits of realism, but the fact is that the
love ~ woman for man. In its lawless,
tempestuous aspects. is no longer the pest
vehicle Tor uer ART AZ Ni'N
age of her womanhood.
Rostand must have seen this ten years
aqo when he furnished her with "EAiss
lon" In which that love has no place ans
which. therefore, so cleyerly suspehoeu iu'-
ther comparisons on the part OK the pup.
lie by showing the actress as youth Oh
the other sex, gentle. melancholy soH's-
what effeminate, conscious even pelo'e
Metternich's brutal revelation, OF the Ani-
itations put upon his ambition ana hs
will power by his physical frailty' IL vas
a trick. a tour de force but IL was III
tended TO be both, and II succeeded IN l's
nurpose. that Of creating seemingly new
Sarah Bernhardt. Others beside Rostahu
ware quick TO see the point, the actress
herself among them, as witness her ap-
pearance shortly afterward as Hamlet
There are rumors now OF planned pro-
ductIon Of Faust on her return TO PaIls.
with herself in the title role not IN that oi
Gretchen Mr. de Kay's Judas IN Wheh
she took the title part, IS too unlmportahS
TO call for further consideration here, either
as drama or as vehicle for her presehI
resources.
The departure from the long succession
of plays of profane love. It's ecstasies anu
miseries, its doubts, suspicious, reVenges'
murders and violent deaths inaugurated by
Rostands play, which, too, may soon %
retired as having served Nine. Bernhardfs
purpose, was a revelation TO other clever
French dramatic authors. They, however,
did not so much break new paths. as TO-
turn 10 the drama OF older days, when
limned. not a rounded character, or the
melodramatic counterfeit thereof, but
single emotion. And they took care, with
the indicated end in view, that or check
ing all comparison with the past, 10 make
the emotion as remote, as different from
those OF Mime. Bernhardt's earlier repertory
as they could Rostapd himself chose rec
ligtous exaltation in la Samartaine,'
whose lover lost IN the mass Of villagers
as her first convert, causes no conflict OF
wills. no distracting complication In the
same spirit NJ. Emile Moreau wrote thu
new Jeanne dare" an exposition OF the
mystic's depths and ecstasies OF emouonai
experience. NJ. Zamacos deserves thanks
for his venture into poetic comedy lie,
too. proved himself skilled 'dranlauo
dressmaker" In a light. laughing, happy
vein; moreover. he furnished the actress
a belated opportunity 10 reveal a neglected
side OF her talent. And, like Rostand, ne
demonstrated what a tower Of strength to
a past master in the art Of acting is thar
stumbling block Of the incompetent-ths
drama in verse. NJ. Bissons violent and
unreal Madame X" which may or may
not have been written for Nine. Bernhardts
although In essence a return 10 the sensa@
tionalism OF Sardou, yet differs from II IN
this that il pretends TO deal with mother
love. But for this Limitation OF age, ana
Nine Bernhardts recognition OF II, N.
Henri Bernstein, the author OF "Baccarat'
would be her best dramatic dressmaker to-
day
Under the impulse OF Nine. Bernhardts
opening performance in New York this sea-
son much was said about her present re-
sources that did not bear subsequent calm
review. Considered absolutely, without re-
gard for the past, Bernhardt is a remark
able actress still, worth seeing and seeing
again in the new repertory created for her
by French art the secret or whose charm
and strength at its best is found in tactfui
adaptation and elimination. But her voice
has lost much OF its magic, its wooins, us
emotional power. Studied. watched ana
controlled with skill as intelligent as any
great prima donna's In her decline, IL turns
tones grown fiat or dissonant TO astonishing
&c cd purpose by making them appear de-
liberate. The mask. grown rigid perhaps
through the years, is called upon In the new
repertory for only one scale OF expression,
from despair to ecstasy. but that was the
case also. though not SO exclusively, ana
for different purposes. In the tempestuous