Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-05
HE GREAT SARAH BERNHARDT, AGAIN
~ FREDERIC ). HASKIN

This was only one OF her escapades.
however. On November S. 1880, she
made her "yt appearance at Booths
lhc&te" In New York. playing "Ad-
ricnnc i.ecouvrcur." II was great
success She had been told that she
might receive 4 cold reception. but in
sican sh' had her whole audience in
tears. Willie after the play she was
met at the stage door by cheering
crowd. which escorted her to her hotel.
sarah did not wait for this cn.husi-
assn I" die down. She fell into the
river: she visited Al arinor factory and
fired of u new gun: ahc called on
Thomas A. Edison. and she stood and
fell on the back Of Il giant whale in
lioston harbor. so that by the lst of
January her name WAS known from
Portland to Seattle.
In this nnblicity campaign she WAS
greatly assisted by tho church. shortly
after her debut. the Bishop of Mon
trcal published IN eloquent dcnuncia-
tiOi or The actrohs, her company her
plays and the whole OF French litcra-
ture. which only added to her greater
glory. The public locked to see her.
When later. the Bishop Of Chicago
followed the example Or the isishop
OF Montreal. Sarah's manager sent him
THIS letter: Whenever visit your
citE am accustomed TO spoud $500 IN
advertising. But. As you have don.
the advertising for me. Send you 5000
for your Door"
Made Debut AT Eighteen.
me hrst American tour was nAda
as 4 means OF escaping from the gov.
eminent thehter In Paris--the Comedie
franchise. Here siio had mad. her
debut at the age ~ eighteen in Racinc's
'lphigcnie.' which attracted no par.
ticular attention, although in memoir.
she recalls that the audience laughed
wneh she raised her long and remark
f1,.
parts we're given her. but she soon
left the Comcdie. owing to 4 quarrel
with one of the senior actrcssc.
Harahs sister had the misfortune to
tread OF the gown OF this actress. who
showed her irritally aside and the next
moment had her cars boxed nv TIC
indignant Bcrnhardt From m.
1omcdic, She went TO the GIDEON the
playhouse OF the Latin quarter where
she soon became great favcrite with
IN" S'udchis who applsuded every
th'ng she did. Ia tho midst of her
engagement the Franco Prusslan war
broke out and the ,heaters being
closed. she proceeded to ts,1blish !,
hospital in the lobby OF the Oteon. or
which she herself took charge
VIC closc o. the war and the re-
opening OF the theatcr. Sarah had her
hrst great success. This WAS In Cor.
pee $ ie-act play lie PasEant," which
ran for 100 nights and WAS finally
played st tic Tuileries before Napo.
leoh ana EuEenie Later. she was
chosen by Victor hugo 10 ulu- Tho
queen in his play "Ruy BIas.' ana 70
successful was she In this part tnnt
the parssian critics were conquered
ana from that rmc OH she WAS sarah
berhhardi, Celebrity. Now the Com
cdie francais approached her with ~.
fious attractive offers FOR her return
ana she accepted. Here she played
one part after another. alwa,s win
sreater success. and worked 50 hard
that shc became run down and IadI,
~ heed OF holiday. This the man
aEcr would net let her have al sb..
decided TO Brighten him into rr,ntinn
her request for :, leave of ahsorrc
On. says Although the role was cos,
~ required TWO or three slrfeks which
.niiht nave provoked the vomiting OF
ni"od mat frequently troubled me a.
mat time" When tho time came
sarah uttered the shrieks in re,, rnrn
hoPihs 70 break something but IN
Sleah OF producing the desired result,
she was amazed 10 rnd her weakness
conc ana herself ready TO roeommeGre
t 5nr, play Ana marked this PER-
iormahce. sh. says. with /. little
white stone--:or that day learned
that my vital force was at the ser
vice or my intellect"
one Of the curious things about this
tour Is that in most cities the greater
porloh VI the audience il made up OF
young girls--girls who were probably
Twelve ana fourteen when she made
her last tour in 1914. playing on the
,au'c,i'e stage Iney arc her
siaunchesi admirers. The matinee girl
mas transferred her allegiance to her
own sex, and now worshps Sarah
Bernhardt While many peoplc I'M
donbtedly go To see Madame Bern
hardt because Of her past glory, or
because OF her artistic triumph over
an anatomical atfliction, she >still re-
taihs the power TO reduce her audience
10 tears simply by her yoice-and then,
remarkably enough, she does not look
old. Her makeup is very we'll done:
hcr arms and neck arc as firm and
beaniifui as those of a young girl. and
III her dressing room, cvcu without the
s"ttcnins effect of the lights, she does
not look day over forty Yet this
- the woman who was twenty-six at
Inc beginning OF the Franco-Prussian
War and who has seen the passing Of
eiSht wars, and has played Camille
2."oO and L'Aislan 1000 times