New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-22
THE FRENCH STAGE
Three New Plays--"PrimerOse,"
"sa File" "Le Typhon."

contemporary Partisan comedy, have, n
a measure, revived the graceful sprign'-
! liness OF MariVaux and continued ne
fanclfu humor Of Meilhac. Their latest
achievement, "Primerose." "a three-act
comedy, produced with success on Mon
day at the Theatre Francais. which
| brings upon the stage a full hedged car
dInal who, with playful irony and fan
tastic POPULARITY. expounds the doctrines
/ Of the Gallo Church in opposition TO he
dogmas Of ultra-Vatican Catholicism.
! suggests comparisons with Ernest Re-
nan. "Prmerose" is a simple, old-fash-
| Toned love story that passes in an IT
mosphere Of clerical reaction. mundane
| frivo!ity and burning religious animosi-
ties. aroused by the application in "a
/ Vcndee of the French laws Of sequestra-
! ton Of churches and converts.
Mario Rose, commonly called Prime
rose" is the daughter Of genial roy
alist nobleuian Of La Vendte. She has
given her heart to Pierre de Lancry, a
young man OF high-minded disposition,
who returns her affection. Just as
Pierre is about 10 declare his love tele-
gram is handed 10 him announcing 'he
loss Of his fortune owing 10 the bank
rtiptcv Of his bankers in New York.
Pierre conceals the truth. end in reply
10 searching questions tells Primerose
that he does not love her He deliO-
| erately lies i'm order TO avoid the appear
ance of being an adventurer In quest
/ Of
sadly 10 America 10 begin life over again.
Primcrose, broken hearted enters a con-
vent.
\ year later Primerose with another
Sister OF Mercy. calls at her fathers
! chateau on an errand Of charity. Here
she UNEXPECTEDLY meets Pierre who has
returned from America, having sue
ceeded in saving half Of his fortune from
the disaster Pierre, in despair at find
In Primerose in the costume Of a nun.
end surprising that she Is thus lost %
him forever, cannot refrain from reveal
ing To her his passion. PrimeroSe
listens but rale as a ghost, walks away
with her companion Sister Of Mercy.
The convent IS finally sequestered; the
nuns ore disrer Sod. Prlmerose returns
to her father In Paris once more the
young lovers meet. Primerose's uncle,
the Cardinal who has all the while been
her conhdant. explains that not being
bound by final vows to religious life, she
is still free to rcnounce the convent and
give her hand to Pierre. The comedy
thus ends In a happy marriage
1t is brlmful of bright sayings and
witty retortJ. one Of the characters is
a banker Of Israeite extraction, who mas
'foreswcrn the religion of his birth for
that of Rome. He pays obsequious count
to the Cardinal saying that he has been
a devout Catholic since his conversion
in 1896"
Just like the French government
bonds" is the reply Of his eminence.
The butler remarks: In 1872 four
Jews came TO the castle and the counts
ancestor had them hanged. To-day four
Jews come TO the chateau and the count
SKIS them TO dinner"
"Primerose" will probably not take
rank as the best of the plays Of MIL
Robert de Flers and CASTOR de Callavet
II has neither the frank gayety ~
! Papa" nor the delicious irony Of lie
Bots Sacre." II is. nevertheless bou-
quet Of charming flowers. and Is a.
mirably played by Mile. Marie Lecomte
as Primerose and by NJ. de Feraudy 80
the Cardinal. II is beautifully mounted.
"Sa File" the four-act comedy BY
NM Felix Duquesnel and Andre Barde'
brought out last night at the Naude-
Vile. is a well built. clean cut. logical
play. and, like "Primerose.' ends with
happy marriage The Marquise lie
Croix -Fontaine is a former demi-mon-
dame. but is still beautiful and attrac-
tive. Her liason with wealthy British
peer, Lord Kingston, is ended by the
death of Kingston, who in his will left
ten millions to his ilegitimate daughter
Raymonde, now eighteen years old' VINO
Is TO come into possession OF her fort
une at her majority. Raymondes
mother, the marquise, inherits two MILL
| ions and is TO have charge Of Ray
monde's property as trustee. The mar
ouise. who has adroitly climbed into
society" persuades a broken-down'
profiigate nobleman, the MARQUIS dc
Croix- Fontaine, TO marry her The con-
ditions Of this matrimonial bargain are
that the marquis shall legally recognize
Raymonde as his own daughter and that
the marauise shall settle a monthly al
lowance on her drunken husband.
Raymonde. pure minded high spr-
tied girl comes To Paris TO live with her
mother. after having completed FER edu-
cation in England. She met in London
a young Frenchman Gilbert RIVERS
Ravmonde and Gilbert are in love win
each other and agree TO marry. Gilbert
follows Raymonde to Paris and arranges
Ia he presented TO the marquise. he
succeeds so well in entering into her
good graces that the marquise falls IN
love with him 1t is "A terrible blow Tor
,ba ex-courtesan To find that Gilbert
wishes TO marry her daughter. the
marouise i'm her rage and jealousy FOR
h,ds Gilbert TO come 10 her house ana
sends Raymonde off to convent AN
other motive for opposing the marr'ase
a. that she has squandered part OK
the trust estate belonging TO her daugh-
/ ter.
pavmonde. who believes that the mar
~, l. really her father. decides 10 apply