New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-17
SARAH BERNHARD
ELECTRIFIES PARIS
Floods of Tears and Frantic APP
plause ELECTED in New
Mother Play.

Paris. Dec. ia sensation has been
caused i'm Paris by an entirely new de-
yelopment Of the genius OF Sarah Bern
hardt. who electrified the public to-
night by playing the part Of widowed
mother who keeps a modest stationery
shop in a French market town. ana
whose maternal love for her only son.
a sentimental but nc'er- dO-well youth
OF twenty. is put 10 terrible ordeal
because the son murders his aged god
father. the village cooper, 10 obtain
500 wherevith to pay the debts OF
Fanny, "A mcretricious young proVln-
cial woman with whom he rs I'm love.
The son is arrested tried. convicted
and sentenced to the guIllotine. and the
loving mother follows each phase Of her
sons tragic downfall with an intense
We, simple realism. holding the audi
enre i'm "A spell Of emotion seldom
reached in contemporary melodrama.
This masterpiece Of Tristan Bernard
il entitled Jeanne Dorc,' but owing to
the powerrul human simplicity Of its
i've acts is worthy TO be called the
Mater Dolorosa. presenting as II does
tho evolution OF motherly instinct De
yotlon and suffering. The trial scene ~
different from but perhaps more power
ful than that In Alexandra Bissons
play. MADAME y" The scene where
IN. mother awaits AZ the railway sta
ton the arrival Of Diebler. the pubic
evecutioncr. who is coming from Paris
with all his guillotine apparatus Is
terrific condensation Of pathos never
o,lfdone bv Balzac or Dickens.
In fact. the play from start TO finish
is n gradual crcscendo Of human inter-
est. eliminating In prison scene
where a jailer allows the mother 10
speak ,o her son on the eve Of the exc
cution through the grated peephole or
his cell. The mother places her mana
ON the bars. Her son fancies II Is mat
Of the young woman. whom he loves III
spi,e Of her being the real cause OF his
crime He murmurs Fanny Fanny!
and bids his worthless sweetheart an
eternal farewell. The mother. heart
broxen because her son no longer
thinks az her. pretends under the con-
cealmcnt Of her veil that she Is Fanny.
and with a passionate love kiss through
the iron grating gives her Infatuated
son his last and supreme Joy.
sgsh 4
intensity has never been surpassed ny
any OF Sarah Bernhardts achlcN"-
ments. elected frantic applause ana
floods Of tears. After the performance
The Tribune correspondent was re-
ceiyed by the divine Sarah IN her
sumptuous dressing room where she
SAT surrounded by representatives. ~
Partisan intellect. letters, art ana
fashion. members Of the Academy
statesmcn and women Of note, includ-
ing Aristide BRAND, Louis BarthOu,
lean Rlchepin. Paul Hervieu, Henri
Bernstein. Henry Bataille, DR.. fozZi'
Henri Cain, Baron Henri de Rothschild'
Grand Duchess Vladimir. Comtesse do
Chevigny and others. Nine. Bernhardt'
I'm reply to the congratulations show
cred on her after this new ana uneA-
pected manifestation Of her art. *
claimed.
ron, you can't imagine how should
be delighted to play this Mater DO
lorosa Of the people to the United
States. and especially TO the New YORK
public. which ever has such warm
grip on my heart"
Tristan Bernard, the author also re-
ceived sincere congratulations, as well
as his son, Raymond Bernard who
made his debut I'm the part OF the head
strong young assassin. This was easily
the most brilliant first night OF The
paris season thus far.