The billboard (Sept 1911)

SEPTEMBER 1«, 1911. Xtie Billboard 19 So far «s tbe tbeatrical barometer fore- nsta at tbe moment, I see sotbiDK tremen- dmdy startUoK for the oomios aeason here. To be Bure, there ire several events sched- uled vtalch wlU be of more or less Interest •theitK-goers. but there are no long-looked- for and anxloiiBiy-awaited piodnctions—like CkaDtecler, for example—on the horlson. Tbe prodnctlon of a Bobert de Flers and Guton de Caillavet comedy Is always an erent. Ko one lies awake nights waiting for It, but everybody takes pains to Inform ttaem- cdves on the dates and makes It a point 'to be on hand fcs soon as possible after the rep- eUtlon generale, or dress rehearsal. One of these events will take place this season—^the ume as has been the case every seaam for Mme jears past—but at what theatre I am Dot as yet Informed. I bave heard it la to be at the Comedle-Franeaise. The name of tbe new de Flers-de Caillavet cnnedy is Primerose, and like all, or most all, plays of these writers' mske, will be seen In America, provldinj; tbe option which an Amer- ican manager holds ends in ibc purchase. And mis American manager's options on plays of tbe Mnd this promises to be usually terminate that way. I do not know the plot of the piece; I only know what the plot of past plays by the same authors was, I nse plot In the sin- gular advisedly, because there Is only one gen- eral plot to these chaps' creations, the element of novelty coming In the guise of treatment Dtore tban In anytblog else. And by treatment I mean only tricks of dialogue and of sltu- itim. Tliere are always an nnconventlonal girl and an noconventional man; a woman who k tbe mlstzeas of this <nan or of this man's best friend. The girl makes herselt loved in the end. I do not mean to say slighting things of de Flers* and de Galllavet's plays. On tbe contrary, they are very entertaining and have In their composition less coarseness and less of tbe real wickedness so common to French plan than the pieces of almost any play- wrights I know of. By a little—sometimes veiy Utile—Judicious pruning, their plays atand ready for serving; to the American or English public—which Is certainly more than 1 can aay of the majority of their confreres. "Da dress rehearsal (critics' performance) is scheduled for October 7, while the Orst pobUc or paid performance will take place two days later—October 9. The former rep- resentation wIU be at a matinee. A NEW PACST. some years Edmond Bostaml has been woAlns «n a new version of Fanst and the cooing s<>ason Is to see this work presented at tbe Theatre Sarah Bernhardt. 51. £e Bargy of the Comedle-Francaise will probably Inter- pret tbe role of Mephistophelis. while Mme. BembatiU herself will iirobBhr°>y toe Fanst. i-e Bargy has not yet severed his connection with tbe Honse of Mollere, but It was stated •bout a year ago that he wdiild do so. He nanaed in his resignation as far back as then, nut there Is much red tape In connection with resignations at the Comedie-Francalse—resig- nation, ratldcatkin after six months, re-rati Dcatlon at the end of tbo year. And so on—so no one knows exactly what to expect. Still, at the present time, Le BaVBy is a guest of BMtand at the latter's home In Southwestern moce (Cainho), and tbi^ papers state he In pvea DOW studying the role he Is to create, •no that his vacation Is not entirely given wer »o pleasure. ,Jr* antbor of L'Alglon. Cyrano and Chan- iwier. has done Pauat lo verse, though some- Wat .iiircrent In form. It Is said, from any of •Is other |ioom-|(ltty*. The date «f the new Faust's appearance has ' not been, given oni- It la merely sch<-<1ul^ va^ioly aut tu iMf.iiri,- dneed "during the coming season." The Indefatigable Sarah returns tu Paris from Iter summer hoiiie on Helle Island t.a rocky Island In tbe .\tiantit- Ocean. ii»t ofS I'he ct,a?a: uf Fr:,nr»-» £»L-|>t«>iuUfr lo, She leaves I'lir I.vnil«>u iliim«N]lately. where she Is to ap|H-ar at tht' i'ulisenm. She wUI make lier reapfiearaun' at her own theatre In I'arls OB November 15, as Lncretla Borgia. This date, then, marks the real (^nlng of the fall season at the .Theatre Sarah Bernhardt, though tliere Is to he a short "aeason" preceding this- date, when her company will' appear U rep- ertoire—Camllle, L'Aiglon, - etc. > ' After Lncretla Borgia, a- xevlral of Bo«- tand's La Prlnce^se Lolntaine will be seen at the Bernhardt. Also Mme.: Bemhsrdt la plan- nlnir a series of special matinees' and night performances (snbjerlptlon) of the fallowlng- plays: Les Bonffons, ILe Proces de Jeanne- d'Arc, La Dame anz Camellas. Fedora. La Tosea, Lorenzacclo, I**Alsloa. La Satn&rltalne. Iia Dame de Montsorean, Phedre, Jm BetCa, La. Sorclere, La Dame de Jia. Mer. ■ Aodromaqne. Adrlenne Lecoaviear, etc. There has been' a romor afloat • ftere- Cor-- some months that Sfme. Bernhardt Is to liam a brand-new piece -by Edmond Boatand. X do not mean his Fanst. While that Is new. so far as Bostand Is concerned, the rnmor hsa< It that the famous poet has completed a totally original work, the nature of whl«h< has been kept abaolntely secret. Maurice Nan of La Llberte says, apropos of the subject: "A person well placed fm: knowing of what he speaks told me, 'One thing Is certain: aU' that has been said <m the subject is attwljr beside the mark, and all that, can be written- on the subject Is false; tas no one knowa anything about It.'" La Uberte sent Nan to find oat what the nature of the new piece was to be, the Tarl- ons daily papers having printed all klnds- of gnesses. The above waa the result of his. Inquiry. FOBTE SAINT-HABrmr. Hertz and Coqnelln have two theatres—the- Porte Salnt-Martln and the Amblgn. The for- mer bas opened -with a revival of Ije Vleux Marcheur. which this theatre was playing when It closed Its season-early. In the summer. The other playhonsR, the Amblgn, has- also reopened with a revival of a farmer soccess. La Legion Etrangere. At the Porte Salnt-Uartln. after the lea- ^ tlval eeasoa. -witb tbe revival on the boards. L'Abbe Oonstantin will probably be resoxrectetf for a few performances, to be fallowed by another revival—Henry Batallle's (day. La Pam- me Nue (The Naked Woman). This place -vrlii open tbe winter' season. As quickly as it is deemed necessary, a new play by Henry KIstemaekers. entitled La Flambee. win be-' produced, this being one of the first new pla.vs to be seen dnrlng tbe Paris seaaon. La> Crise. by Paul Bourget and Andre Beauider, ' will follow this: this also being a nordty. Tbe Thursday matinees at - thia theatre wlU be started again as soon as the weatlur per- mits. Favorite;* In the repertoire ' will be put on, as nsnal—^L'Abbe Constantln. &e Booi^ geois. GentUhomme, Le Voile de . Bonhemr. Tarlufe and Le Secret de FolKHiIsene. One of rbo Important additions to the play- ers of the Porte Salnt-Usrtln Theatre dnrlng tbe coming ^season will be Felix Hngtienet. one of the cleverest players In Franee. He win take tbe place made vacant by the de- parture of Luclen Gultry, who. has already jzonf* to the Vandeville Theatre, a bit farther down the booIevard«t. ' Hngnenet haa fint t<^ create the prineipal male role In a new piece liy Pierre Wolff at the Oymnase. .after which be Is free. He has signed for thi^e years with Hertz and Coqnelln. -His entry Into their theatre wU be In Bonrget's and Beannler'a play mentioned above. He brings to the Porte Balnt-Martln the right of. playing Le Secret de Pollchtnelle (Pierre WoUf) and Sire (Henrt (Contlnned on page 72.)