New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02
WRITTEN FOR AMERICA?
Attest Partisan Success Said by Critics to Have Been
Written for Export-Ihe "Parsfal Trouble
at Monte Carlo

way-like Sardous things-only its inno'
cence is even more mastery
AS comedy the piece has variety OF
types and characters, landscape oppor-
tunities easy humor. simple arguments
and pleasant compromises about all sorts
of ISSUES. There Is i'm il extremely youth
ful love at first sight, legitimate amorous
pressure from a money baron who Is
neatly blackmailed with disclosure Of his
Jcwshness by the pious Archbishop; an
automobile accident, public auction of
q lovely chateau. where the heroine has
always lived. the intriguing of marquis
coonel-uncle borrowing of money in a
hurry and crisis by the virtuous and in
solvent from the wicked and solvent; the
religious conversion OF the son OF q noted
athest-himself utterly without his faith
cr's ideas. prcjudices, principles, or any
thing at all except amiable lover-char-
atcrfstics. tears. rights peadings. and
no end of opportunities for accomplished
acting on details II is agreeable.
amiablc, charming, empty and sleep in
ducing If il should be taken TO the
United States not a syllable Of II would
call for alteration. II is drama for young
persons. par excellence; i'm other words.
drama and water.
At the Comcdic FRANCHISE they have
Just f6tod Moliere's anniversary 10y a
brilliant performance of Les PENNIES
Savantcs' and lie Malade Imaginairc.
The tradition of the fetc is an old on
and is never broken. Even during the
siege of the city by the Prussans in 1871
! MI
together and played lie Dept Amoureux"
and "Amphitryn" to a packed house.
which went wild at the reading of a
patriotic ode by poet already forgotten.
The next day the interchangeable Sarcey
! was out in his morning paper with
( gigantic thriller about the evening, COM
/ forting the few citizens who were not
| fighting in the lines out 'beyond Saint
/ German or Nncennes that for hundred
! years German drama had done nothins
| but initiate Moliere-rather q whoppcI,
/ even for Sarcey and war times.
! The men who are running the cam
raign for the artistic decentralization IF
| France" inaugUTated last year. and
whose purpose il is 20 take good things
down to the provinces, bring native GOOD
]
thorough distribution OF intellectual ac-
tivities throughout France, have produced
at Rouen's leading theatre la Terre Qui
Neurt." a sort of little opera by Marcel
Bertrand based on the plot of soclV-
logical novel by Rene Bazin, the AGA
/ demic.an. The experiment was curious
rather than interesting. the scientific sUp-
ject matter OF the story being oddly eccen-
trically impossible of musical treatment
The state is sincerely interested in the
| general movement and il giving il ever,
assistance. The effect hoped for IL to
sscatter intellectual interests ard artistic
creative activity to various centres. IN
stead OF keeping everything at Paris. the
sort of division of honor and labor in
such things which has grown up natu-
rally in Germany where no city has
monopoly being regarded as an excellent
thing for the development Of the country.
The Theatre dAstres." another special
organization. having for its end the pro-
duction of works by young. unknown
authors, has just given AN evening full or
one-act plays by dspirants 20 dramatic
fame. The critics are having their fun
with the plays, OF course. though the
work of the society is praised and en-
couragcd. So far it appears that the SO
ciety has not succeeded in discovering
any noteworthy talsnts really able
youths whose elft is of a popular urn
manage 10 get their things put on I'm 'he
regular. commercial theatre. while the
more serious ones. of perhaps large
powers prefer waiting for name ard
favor on a strictly professional bass to
the semi-charitable advertisement Offered
them by the society Hence the foolish
PLAYS of the weaker amateurs are about
all the eXcelently intentioned organize
ton can produce or encourage.
The case of the Coincide FRANCHISE
versus Mile. Marcelle Geniat the actress.
who recently broke her contract with that
body, is 10 come w in court very soon.
Considerable interest attaches TO 1t.
because in former suits of the kind nots-
. bly, in the struggles with Sarah Bern
hardt and Coquelin. the elder. the Cons
die made a rather weak showing. Mile.
Geniat has actually left the states thea
ire and is finishing reheaI sails Tor a play
which will go ON shortly. Another suit.
similar i'm character but already in court
is that between the Coincide and NJ lie
Eargy retired, pensioned actor. wac
started playing again in a private theatra,
DESPITE a forbdding clause in the rules
OF the Comedie Franchise. as laid down
by Napoleon / in the famous Edict o.
Moscow
In his weekly dramatic article in IL
Temps" Adolphe Brisson urges that the
Corledic De fortified financially agains'
such scandals as these by the assistance
, OF the civ of Paris. which At present
gives nothing TO il, everything coming
from the state 1t is quite clearly low
pay which is the chief cause OF desertiors
at the House OF Moliere.
KoLs LECTURES CONTINUE.