The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17
SARD0U'S VARIED FORMS.
Different Versions Of - scrsp Al,
Paper"


, victorien Sardou's "A Scrap OF rauar,,
in the fifty-four years OF It's life No.
been the best represented. n not N.
most frequently revived. of all that an.
thor's pieces. The year after its sue.
cess at the Gymnaso Theatre, Parts, IL
was brought out at st. Jaincs's Thca.
tire, London. very successfully despite
a rather undstinguishcd cast. \ Wlpau
Is recorded as the first actor Who ever
spoke in English the line of prosp,.y
Courdmont, and Mr.. Wigan's wifc-ap.
parently marriage for those upon the
stage was not deterrent in tho 500
was the first of the English speaking
Susdnnes. William Seymour says tina,
''the Wigans were tho Wallacks, Ken.
dals and Alexanders OF their time"
The text then employed was "a very
faithful rendition of NJ. Sardous brill
liant three act comedy into English" T.
Palgrave Simpson. Esq. member q,
tho Dramatic Authors Society. made
the translation. Mr.. Simpson was alao
the author of "Poor Cousin Waller
prison and Palace" "Only Clud." "a
Smack for a Smack" Romance" and
endless operettas. This was the tcXt
used too when "A Scrap OF Paper" was
first played in America at tho Clnhs
Theatre, Boston, with Carlotta Leclercn
as Suzanne. w. II. Floyd as Prosper. W.
f.. Sheridan as the Baron. Mrs. Thomas
Barry as Louise and William Seymour
as AndtoL Mr.. simpsons text llkewiss
prevailed whenever, which was frequent
"a Scrap of Paper" was revived at the
old Wallacks Theatre Thirteenth street
and Broadway. Then Lester walack
was always the Prosper and Rose Cogh-
Ian was Suzanne.
In 1883, with the Simpson text prov
ing itself the best. T. II. Sothcrn acted
Prosper at the Lyceum Theatre. IIls
company included Helen Dauvray az
Suzanne. Ellie Wilton as Lopisc and
Nelson Wheatcroft as the Baron
Les Pattes de Mouchcs' Cas tho .sar.
dou piece is called In the orlginaD un-
derwent it's second version when Mr.
and Mrs. Kendall made fresh produc-
ton OF the piece. first N England IN
1888 and on October :. 1889, NJ the Fifth
Avenue Theatre. The piece was thcn
styled IAN English version Of a Scrap
Of Paper" The programme read:
Col. Blake Trospcr) ............Mr Krnaal
sir John ingram Ghc naronl T. II wonmnn
lazy lazy Ingram ILouiscD .... Violet Nanhrush
Or. Penguin tBriscmouchel. u y nndson
Ahat"I' '.'....''.'.'.'. Seymour Hicks
In this Kendall version. which was
afterward employed in this country nv
Rose Coghlan as a star in San Fran
cisco. whore she acted SusdHnc at the
Baldwin Theatre in 1873, the entire Sar-
dou text was not only Englished but
Britlshed. Everything about the play.
the names Of the characters tho local'-
ties and all objects of reference-w
altered to make the play easy of British
consumption. This left scarcely any
| thing Of Sardou's LES pattes ds
Mouches." fact which very many play
| goers-and very many more critics-r~-
scented extremely.
Accordingly when "A Scrap OF Paper"
took on its general vogue in various
celebrated theatres In different Amer,-
can cities Mr.. simpsons text gradually
| gained the ascendancy over freer YER
slons Every notable performance of
the play in America has been marked
! by fairly strict adherence to the orig
inal Sardou teNt--the parts when dis.
tributed were found to be close trans
laticns rather than adaptations. Such
was the rule always at the famous old
Boston Museum when "a Scrap Of
Paper" was brought out every season
Annie Clark was then Suednne and
Charles Barron was Prosper. So too. IN
the late 'T0s and early sos al BaldwIn'I
| Theatre san Francisco. a rather literal
translation OF Les Pattcs de Mouchcs'
was the favorite text when Rose Corh-
Ian appeared as Suydnnc. James O'NcN
as Prosper and James \. Hearn as the