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Black Republic of Letters

Note - Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was one of the most prolific and celebrated French stage (and later film) actresses of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn more about Sarah Bernhardt.

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The Theatre
At the Comédie Française
Reprise of Le Duc Job, comedy in four acts in prose, by Léon Laya.

This play that, we are told, previously had (around 1859) a long popularity and counted as many as three hundred showings, now seems a bit outdated and old-fashioned. Some scenes in the second act still grab the spectator by the intensity of their situations, but more often the characters break into tiring monologues.

Jean, the Duke of Rieux, is nicknamed Duke Job because of his poverty. The Duke, according to the author, is "not much to look at"; he joins the Army in Africa, a young man's fantasy, to see Kabylia, "at the State's expense." Frank, loyal and generous, he cannot marry his cousin Emma, whom he adores, because Emma will not make do with an income of six thousand livres. And, although sometimes dreaming of her cousin, she is firmly resolved only to accept a man who can give he cars, horses, and all the luxuries proper for a great lady. A miracle occurs: Duke Job inherits four million. He marries the one he loves.

Reduced to this brief analysis, the data of Le Duke Job are absolutely those of Roman d'un jeune homme pauvre, published in 1857 by Octave Feuillet. But between the two plays there is a capital difference; Octave Feuillet surrounded his poor young man with a poetic and romantic setting, lending him the full charm of his delicate style. Léon Laya, conversely, preferred to keep his Job in the down-to-earth of an incredible vulgarity. The Duke is clearly a brave young man; but to judge him by his language—although he has taken classes—one would think he grew up in a caretaker's lodge. His conversation is peppered with trivial expressions, whose rudeness often competes with the incorrect usage of terms. His uncle the Marquis, his cousin Emma, his Aunt Madame David speak, furthermore, in the same idiom.

However, as was said earlier, Le Duc Job a few qualities of interest and of sentiment, which are essentially concentrated in the two characters of Duke Jean and his cousin Emma, finally pulled away from the material preoccupations by the power of sentiment that began vaguely glimpsed but that grew from act to act. This delicious role of a young girl sustains the play from one end to the other.

For that matter, the play, originally, was only launched because of a superior rendition. The posters of the era had, in effect, united the names of Provost, Got, Monrose, Worms, Barré and Talbot, and of Mrs. Nathalie and Mrs. Emily Dubois. This is still the rendition that was paid homage, the other night, at the Français.

Got, originator of the role of Jean, has taken up the role of the Maquis, created by Provost, from whom he borrowed a mocking bonhomie devoid of aristocratic pretensions. Mr. de Féraudy—Got's student—by force of verve and spirit, made the most of the Duke character, who is very difficult to reproduce.

As for the role of Emma, it was the opportunity for a great triumph for Miss Reichemberg, charming in grace and sparkling in cunning. Those who heard the incomparable ingenue eighteen years ago could only point to one difference: the substitution of a red dress for the white one of old.

The secondary characters are sustained by the talent of Messrs. Boucher, Garraud, Joliet, Roger, Samary, and by Mrs. Céline Montanans, excellent as Madame David.
At the Porte Saint-Martin
Mr. Victorien Sardou has begun directing rehearsals of Cléopatre, his new play.

It is known that in this drama—as in the legend—Cleopatra (Sarah Bernhardt) must die in a scene after being bitten by an asp. It seems that, with this scene in mind, the great artist spent six months familiarizing herself with snakes. There is, in the forest of Fontainebleau, a variety of snake that resembles an asp, but that is not dangerous. Sarah Bernhardt now always has one of these snakes at her house, which she sometimes wears around her wrist like a bracelet.

This winter, the Asp of Sarah Bernhardt will be in fashion. We expect to see it in all forms: chains, bracelets, charms, collars and umbrella handles. Because, as Mr. Prud'homme noted, the serpent has always tempted the daughters of Eve.
Odéon
The first performance (reprise) of La Maitresse légitime, comedy in four acts by Louis Davyl, will take place today.
Opéra-Comique
Mantinées will recommence in this theatre next Sunday the 28th.
Cluny
Premiere of Madame Othello. The abundance of material forces us to put off the complete summary of this play until next week.
At the Gymnase
Final showings of Paris fin de siècle.

Thursday, 2 October, first showing of L'Art de tromper les femmes, comedy in three acts by Messrs. Paul Ferrier and Emile de Najac.

It is with this play that the Gymnase will start its matinées.
The Theatre
At l'Ambigu
L'Ogre. We may have been a little slow to mention Mr. de Marthold's thrilling drama, but the subject is still relevant, as this remarkable work continues to enjoy resounding and well-deserved success every evening.

Henri Fabreuil is a cashier for a wealthy shipowner in Bordeaux, Mr. Leroyer, whose daughter he loves; but he has a rival, supported by Geneviève's family, Clamorgan, captain of one of the company's ships.

Clamorgan is about to embark on a long voyage, upon his return from which his wedding will be celebrated; but, just as he is about to set sail, he discovers the secret of the box entrusted to Henri and, taking advantage of the latter's absence, seizes a casket containing four hundred thousand francs worth of jewels which had been entrusted to the young man that very day by Mademoiselle Nogarette, a singer whose trills are in demand in America.

Just as he is about to flee with his loot, he is surprised by André, the shipowner's grandson, and, in order to prevent him from reporting him, he stabs him in the throat and disappears.

Naturally, Henri is accused. The investigating judge has no hesitation in believing him guilty, despite the opinion of Officer Madécasse. The poor boy is arrested, and everything conspires against him, since little André, who is not dead, has suffered such a severe concussion from his injury that he has become an idiot. Henri is brought before the criminal court.

The jurors, gathered in their deliberation room after the debates and closing arguments, exchange their impressions and discuss their opinions. Deep down, they are not sure what to decide.

This original tableau is very successful and has a great impact.

After much deliberation, Henri is acquitted by a minority vote, and this decision is met with boos from the crowd.

The young man cannot return to Bordeaux, where he is ostracized at; he also has a mission to fulfill: to discover the real murderer, and he leaves for America, followed by Madécasse, who has his own ideas about Nogarette's diamonds.

Indeed, in San Francisco, they stumble upon the right track: Clamorgan has hired an old Jew to sell the contents of the box, and Madécasse, thanks to his intuition, does not hesitate to suspect him of being the perpetrator of the theft and murder.

Unfortunately, he must continue the mysterious investigation alone: Henri is called back to France to be with his sick mother. He returns in time to save her and now has only one goal: to restore André's memory and get him to reveal who attacked him.

Meanwhile, Clamorgan has returned: he marries Geneviève, and during the wedding, Henri, who has broken into Mr. Leroyer's house, tries to revive the little boy's dead intelligence.

The darkness that clouded André's mind gradually dissipated; he shuddered, he remembered, and when the wedding party returned, he pointed to Clamorgan, distraught, in a firm voice, as his murderer.

Clamorgan kills himself with a pistol, and Geneviève becomes the wife of Henri, who has regained his honour.

The acting is excellent, the sets wonderful. We cannot fail to mention the praise due to little Gaudy: a 5-year-old prodigy—perhaps overused—who, in Henry Fouquier's opinion, plays the role of André as well as Sarah Bernhardt herself could.

At the Renaissance
En scène, Mesdemoiselles! a premature review, which is no less good for that. We will discuss it next time, along with L'Art de tromper les femmes, the new comedy by Messrs. de Najac and Ferrier, performed at the Gymase.

At the Théâtre Déjazet
Ces monstes d'hommes, a farce in three acts by Messrs. René Lafon and Darsay. The title has no connection with the play and does not indicate its subject matter, as the characters are all very good people, with one exception. The general plot can be summarized as follows: the tribulations of a fiancé.

It's a cascade of crazy scenes, carried out quite smoothly. And to make an audience laugh, one that usually complacently indulges in all kinds of eccentricities, all these young writers lacked was a little plausibility and a few drops of common sense, which is the very essence of comedy, whether farcical or serious. However, it is worth noting a few happy moments in the dialogue, a few truly comical exchanges that, at intervals, lift the play and give us hope that, with time and perseverance, Messrs. René Lafon and Darsay will become men of the theatre.

Ces monstres d'hommes is, moreover, played with great verve by Mr. Chautard, a young leading man from the Odéon, by Messrs. Narball, Charlande, Hurbain, etc., and by Ms. Lemonnier, Ms. Massé, Ms. Marcelle Josset, etc.

At the Folies-Bergères
The matinées have started back up for the past three weeks. The Management would like to remind you that, on these mornings exclusively dedicated to families, the demi-monde element is strictly prohibited.

We have already mentioned, at the reopening, the marvellous transformation of this small theatre, to which Mr. Marchand, its progressive director, is adding ever greater charm and appeal. As a result, large crowds gather every evening to applaud the Scheffers, true prodigies of strength and skill.

The dizzying tightrope walker who, with his head resting on the bar of a flying trapeze, eats, drinks, and plays the flute, is simply marvelous in his composure and agility.

We move on, and brilliant numbers, to arrive at the ballet, admirably choreographed by Madame Mariquila.

"Come on, ladies, move your bodies!" cries the well-known artist to her dancers, who, with studied grace, set themselves in motion and show off their seductive figures. Of particular note in this ballet is Mademoiselle Germaine Vleurinck, who certainly has one of the most ravishing faces in Paris.

At the Scala
Paulus returns. A real triumph for the popular singer.

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Theatrical Bill
At the Français
The debuts of Miss Morena, 1st prize in tragedy and comedy in the last contests of the Conservatory, took place Friday evening, the 26th, in Ruy Blas.

For a long time the character of the queen passed for a sacrificed role, because Mrs. Atala Beauchêne, who originated the role in 1838, played it cold and indifferent. But in the 1872 reprise at the Odeon, Sarah Bernhardt proved that we had been mistaken; she put in so much charm and passion that she brought the role up to the highest ranks of drama.

A sort of tradition was created, conserved and implanted at the Comédie-Française by Miss Bartlet and Miss Broisart who filled the role after Sarah Bernhardt.

The comparisons were inevitable for the debuts of the young and lovely artist, and from the first scene the difference was noticeable.

Miss Morena, who is barely nineteen, and who has a more cheerful and gay nature, was not ripe for this role, which must colour sombre hues of sadness and the passionate surges of love. Her debut was strongly encouraged, but more inclined to smile than to tears and outpourings of the heart, she was of a relative weakness in the great love scene with Roy Blas in the 3rd act. The means and the temperament of Miss Morena will find a better home in comedy, which the artist will approach in her second debut.

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At the Odéon
The management has set a date, Monday 6 October, for the first performance of Fleurs d'Avril, one act in verse by Mr. Jules Treffier, and of the reprise of the Philosophe sans le savoir, for the debut of Miss Rose Syma, 2nd prize this years at the Conservatory.

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At the Folies-Dramatiques
Gillette de Narbonne, will take over, tomorrow, for Le Pompier de Justine. Mrs. Zelo Duran will play the role of Gillette, created with so much radiance by Mrs. Grizier-Montbazon.

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At the Bouffes
L'Enfant Prodigue, which has surpassed 100 performances, is still seeing great success.

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At l'Ambigu
Resounding success for the première of l'Oyre, a new drama in five acts and eight tableaux, by Mr. Jules and Mr. Marthold.

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At the Eldorado
A full house by 8:30. All the stars in vogue: Dufresny, Daubreil, Sulbac, Méaly, Vanuel, Halda, Plébins, etc. are there to triumph each night.

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