New-York tribune., 1912-03-19
THE DRAMA
Nine. Sinone in "Frou-Frou' at
the Hudson Theatre.


first time last night must have wondered
what the playgoers of thirty and forty
years ago saw TO admire in this tricky bit
of theatrical composition. All the spec
tators of last nights performance VINO re-
membered former presentations or TINS
play must have known that at the Hudson
Theatre a good deal was lacking which IN
earlier days lent attractiveness to the
piece. or which, at any rate, gave strong
reason for its existence.
Never. perhaps, has distinguished
actress appeared AS Frou-Frou with COM
pany so little able as last nights to give
10 the several parts in the piece an ap-
pearance of lightness to the life which was
sunnosed 10 he depicted. Characters which
have been impersonated by some Of the
ablest players Of the European and Ameri-
can theatres fell on this occasion into the
hands OF actors who seemed 10 have only
the smallest notion Of what the parts have
been and Of what they should he Conse-
ouently. the old play Creaked and dragged.
and not all the efforts which Nine. Simone
made heroiCally 10 carry the heavy load
compensated for the drcary experience OF
sitting through the five acts and the l"nG
and tedious waits between them.
As for Nine Simone's Frou-Frou. the
most that can be said Is that Gilherte is
not one Of her best parts. To he sure, she
played It last night for the first time. But
even at a first performance an actress ot
her celebrity and experience may he OK
pected to exhibit thorough understand
ing Of the part she plays. Nine. Simone
may. and probably does, understand Frou-
>rou. but she does not convince a spec
tator that she understands her Nine.
Simone pIavs the part heavily. and Gil
herte is anything hut heavy character.
Nine Simone makes GNherte urattra ctive.
and GiIherte is anything but that. Nine.
Simone makes her look mature and
shrewd woman. and Gilherte IS anything
but that
The first two acts pass without any ade-
ouate presentation Of character by any
body in the cast. Madame Simone ap-
peared n he saving herself for the out
bursts Of the third and fourth acts. Tho
rehearsal scene went for nothing. Neither
the star nor any Of her associates gave the
impression that this scene had any par
ticular meaning BAT who that can rcmem-
will easily forget how much was made Of
the rehearsal scene by actors, French and
American? That scene used to lead up to
all that followed. Every instant Of II had
significance But there was an astonishing
lack of significance in 1t last night 1t was
really an amateur rehearsal and nothing
more
What Nine Simone seems chiorv 70 80"
in the part of Gilherte is the opportunity
to express jealousy and rage and frich',
she seems not 10 perceive. at any rate not
to express, the hishtinoss, the irrcsTon-i-
biity. the supcrdcialty Of the character.
Gilherte has played 50 that audiences sym
pathized with her But with Nine Simonc' S
Gilherte il IS impossible to sympath.ze, he
cause she makes YOU think that all TN"
time she knows perfectly well what she
is doing and what the consequences will be.
But this cannot he true of Trou-Trou. who
never knew moments serious thought
until the consequences Of her acts brought
her 10 death.
Nine Smono showed plenty Of fore" in
the third and fourth acts. but these displays
Of force were accompanied with passionate
reclamation almost unintoNiginl" A. far o.
words went II was quite Impossible" Sd
these passage 10 understand what :he
actress was saying The death seen" was
good, because II was quiet. The actress
did not. as more than one of her pr"d"0es-
sors has done. die All over the stag" When
all was finished there was feeling NJ ro-
lief that a play which has Il tawdry and
tricky effect I'm 1872 although nobody mag
have thought 50 IN the 7o.s and 81, when
acting atoncd for tho inartistic sins ~ dra-
matistsD had come to an end II IS easy
TO see that an emotional actress may wish
10 play Frou- Frou, hut It is not easy Ia
believe that audiences iu the second d""ad"
Of the twentieth century win care greatly
10 see this play There ar" so many better
plays And Nine. Simon" has done mu"n
better things I'm New York. Evidently she
is woman Of courage \. ".