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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