New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-26

ccured By an incident this week, as not
inf-equently happens at Paris. where the
liycg Of actors are more dramatic thal
are these % tie characters they imper-
;onatc. The Comedie FRANCHISE has
c,,ua IN ro- arothc~ blow. within Il fort
ni.ht ar;or i;a considerable los through
the vithdra wei by NJ. Henri Lavedan Of
all ~ his vorls from the rcpcrtory Of
the states theatre. Milo. Marcelle &c
Mat has let director Jules Claretie kno"
that she is quitting the House OF MO-
Ii1rr for tas NOR" modern commercial
theatre az Paris and 80 much 81 IN"
ro..l az the world as she can conquer
/, i.:clf ,his is not Surprising, since
nan, excellent players do desert inc
government. for re practical managers
every now and then. But Mile. Genia
Saws she win rot serve the remainder OF
the seven years term TO when she -
hound and will not even endure the sup
ulated pcriod OF six months notice. IN
short. she will leave on the instant ana
II lie Coincide FRANCHISE doesn't IKE H.
vol. VIVA. IS il going TO do about II
II Wa. four days ago that Mile Geniat
had her first interview with NJ Claretie.
Already the newspapers are full of edi-
toriale n bout IT, Adolphe Brisson has de-
voted the whole OF his weekly article
i'm lie Temps" TO reproaches on the SUD-
iect: Alfred Capus has gone into ii In
his Courier de Paris" in lie Figaro
and every cafe has rung with talk or the
inside lew of the case. No duels yet'
but they are promised While as Tor W.
CIaretie ard the government. 1t IS an
nounced simply that if Mile. Genlat does
really kick over the traces the courts
viii be sought for injunctions restrain
ing hef from appearing elsewhere anu
suits Will be Instituted To cover losses
and provide punishment Meanwhiie'
the actress has left the Coincide bag
and baggage. and is hard at daily re-
hearsals ~ "L'Epate." a new comedy III
three acts by Albert Say Dir and Andre
Picard. To 20 on at the Femina Theatre
shortly anyway. she has the start on
the government
Because the only Importance OF the m
cideut is rs a test Of whatever force OF
character there MAJ be left in the an
Gent house of Moliere; in other words,
whether the Coincide FRANCHISE Is dead
or d,ing as "a sort Of schoolmdster set
over the theatre. just as the Academic
Franchise and the Ecole DIES BeauN-Arts
arc said To Jc as ., CARDS literature ana
fin. fin, arts. the article by NJ. Brisson Is
az hing else winch
has been written either in defence of the
states ihsatre or Of Nile. Geniat NO
other critic has faced the question. is the
CcmGGi- Ftancai<r a back NUMBER .
Henry Bidou. in ne Journal DIES DeDats'
indeed. not even mentioning the incident
while Alfred Capus and the rest morallze
about the theatre rs an.institution rather
than about the old versus the new inca
, tre ion France.
MN. Genint. saws the eminent critic OF
IL Temps imposes upon the state a
s,:ddeU brea King OF contract which she
cot very Luckily indeed. and very quickly .
only three years ago. she got her eu"-
! cation or the state, and got IL fasl' 4ol
nothing Now she proposes to carry II
and her reputation earned by the laNo'
of the states theatre over 10 the coih-
n.,rcial field. Her sriefs are vague, en-
barrassed. inconsistent and Of naughty
girl sort generally, according 10 her own
statement She is prepared To follow the
more notable players who determined 10
ert out of the house of Moliefe early
enough 10 live long careers Independently
Sarah Bernhardt and Coquelln.
l. the great house in decadence? asks
NJ Brisson. From 1870 To 1864 II had a
period of misery and splendor mixed
From 1861 To 1878 ii was perhaps little
mediocre. except in comedy Between 1913
and 1850 Il re-establshed its equilibrium
on the strength of Sarah Bernhard ana
Nounet-S ully. That was doubtless It's
manifest time The house was then more
than literary; il was the height OF las"-
ion; It was chic, From 1889 on it lost Pc
cause ii had no longer its greatest play
crs At the present time, asserts NJ
Hrisson. the Coincide possesses tragedy
troupe which is unique in the world
and uncomfortable for comedy, il two or
three stock types were not lacking.
None of which, of course. gets away
trar.dN Not q word has tho critic for
modern drama, which he clearly doesn
love. any more than does NJ. tlaretle
When he writes Of plays he Is thinkioS oil
Nloli;re. The first night of herman Is
still a shocking memory 10 many French
/ critics
/ Financially the theatre is better of
! than ever before. If one rcckonS nalNely
! i'm francs and contimes. From receipts oil
! ,ao 9u francs in 1929 the business has
! grown To- one of 2.t6S.000 francs in 1911.
From Twelve PLAYERS i'm Moliere's time the
company has grown to thirty-one socie-
| taires and about forty pensionnaires'
/ which is too many. according To VI. briS-
! son. The most mediocre among them
are necessarily the most tenacious, the
! pull which has opened the door before
! them still being there TO keep II closed
/ behind them in more senses than one
| Ministers of state actually interfere In the
matter OF the personnel of the company
To get over part of tho politics NJ. Bris-
son suggests Il return TO the old rule CT
debuts before engagements by contract.
Under the present system director VINO
has incompctents thrust INTO the company
on pull can only let them draw theis
nav and do no work. But the favorites
may COMPLAIN 10 the source of pull In
which case tie director may be compelled
| to let them play parts
NJ. Clarotie's administration has been
notable for it, announcement Of youns
p,avors. But his happy family com
pany has all broken out into general con
die, between ambitions. Now il Is ru-