French Theatre

Of the five leading French actresses now in London only two (Mme. Sarah Bernhardt and Mme. Rejane) studied at the Conservatoire. The remarks of the others as to this institution are worth noting. Asked if they studied there, Mme. Jeanne Granier replied: "Jamais-heureusement." ["happily, never!" - Ed.] Mme. Simone le Bargy: "No; I studied at home by myself" (with, we suppose, a few hints from her husband - the "jeune premier" of the Comedie Francaise). Mme. Maeterlinck (wife of Maurice Maeterlinck-the Belgian Shakespeare) thinks studies at the Conservatoire are useless to many. She says: "On est nee actrice; on ne se fait pas." ["actresses are born, they are not made" - Ed.]" You can't be taught to cry or laugh naturally; one must have had grief and pleasure in one's life." This lady was never in a theatre but once in her life before her audition at the Opera Comique, when the manager engaged her at once to create the principal role in "L' Attaque du Moulin." She had had no preparation whatever for the stage, if one excepts lessons in singing from a teacher in her native town, Rouen. Her parents (of the oldest and most respectable family in that town) bitterly opposed her going on the stage. Her debut was a great success; she had no stage fright or awkwardness - being too happy in having her ambition realised. She was engaged by Massenet to create "Thais" in his opera, of that name, which was first produced at the Brussels Opera. Maurice Maeterlinck, delighted with her impersonation, fell in love with her there. The affection was mutual, and they were in a few days engaged, and married shortly afterwards. She is considered the finest Carmen in Paris, having a rich soprano voice and a beautiful stage presence. She has published two or three books - one, "La Choix de la Vie" (advice, etc., to women how to choose their vocation and shape their lives) - and is now writing a play. Mme. Georgette Leblanc Maeterlinck is now giving literary and musical matinees at the Criterion Theatre. She is singing songs written by her husband, which have been set to music by Mr. Gabriel Fabre, a great French pianist.

Although Mme. Bernhardt will be sixty this October, she is as full of energy and extraordinary vitality (ignoring fatigue) as she was thirty years ago. Her acting has lost none of its charm and wonderful power, and she still looks under thirty. She commenced her London season on Monday last, at the Coronet Theatre, Notting-hill, with "Angelo," a poetical drama by Victor Hugo, written and first produced seventy years ago. This is to be followed by "La Sorciere " (her success of last season) and "La Dame aux Camelias," etc., etc. Mme. Bernhardt might be called a "Lady Crichton," as, besides her unrivalled position on the stage, she has won deserved fame as sculptor, painter, journalist, and author in her hours of recreation. Some of her fancy groups in bronze, and marble busts, exhibited in the Paris Exposition of 1900, gained the actress the Silver Medal (Sculpture), and she has more than once had a "Prix" of the Paris Salon for her paintings. Mme. Sarah has published several successful novels and other books (one, relating her ascent in a balloon, illustrated by herself), and also written several plays, some of which have been produced with success. Besides her artistic and literary recreations, she is fond of cycling, fishing, boating, and lawn, tennis.

The real name of the great actress is Gabrielle Reju; but Regnier (the great French actor, in his time doyen of the Comedie Francaise), under whom she studied at the Paris Conservatoire, suggested "Rejane" as a better stage name. She is certainly the most versatile actress on the French stage. She is equally artistic in pure comedy, comedy with emotion, drama, pathetic roles, or tragic - as in "La Robe Rouge," in which she has a splendid character part as the Basque peasant woman. Her nearest English prototype is Ellen Terry; she took the latter's part as Portia in an adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice," produced at the Odeon some fifteen years since. Miss Terry returned the compliment with "Madame Sans Gene" at the Lyceum. Rejane created this part at the Paris Vaudeville in 1893, giving it here the following year. She has played the role over 1,000 times (of which 850 have been in Paris). Her present season at Terry's will finish at the end of the month. But she intends to return in September or October for an autumn season of three months, and again next spring for three or four months. Her stock company will play pieces from Augier and Dumas fils and new plays written specially to suit the English public. Mme. Rejane will also occasionally import the latest Paris success for a week or two at a time with the stars. Mr. Gaston Mayer will remain her general manager. Rejane's great hobbies are hunting up and buying old lace and old china.

Mme. Jeanne Granier charmed London playgoers in 1902 and 1903 with two pieces, "La Veine" and "Les Deux Ecoles," by Capus, the principal author of "The Man of the Moment." She gives next week eight private performances (no money at the door) in the hall of the Prince' s Restaurant of a two-act comedy, "La Bonne Intention," by the author of "La Passerelle" ("Marriage of Kitty"), in which latter piece Granier created at the Varietes the role of Kitty. During his recent visit to Paris his Majesty went to see "La Bonne Intention" at the Theatre des Capucines, where she has been playing it for the last year. He and King Leopold laughed and applauded her most heartily. Like Marie Tempest, this actress has evolved from the musical stage. Before she was sixteen she became the great star of Parisian operettas, creating most of the roles in Lecoq's works. Her only preparation for the stage was given her by her father, a well-known dramatic singer.

This young French actress, who made such a successful debut on Tuesday last at the St. James's Theatre in "The Man of the Moment," with her fair hair and fair complexion, looks, off the stage, like a pretty English girl. She learnt our language from an English governess from early childhood until her marriage with M. le Bargy. Her English is very good and clear, her elocution admirable, but she speaks much quicker than English actresses. This arises from her quick, impulsive temperament - temperament, outwardly calm, which is the cause of her success. She had a vocation for the stage, and made her debut at the Theatre Moliere, Brussels. Her instantaneous success, reported in the Paris Press, brought the manager of the Gymnase of Paris to see her. He immediately engaged her to create a leading role at his theatre in "Le Bercail." She remained at the Gymnase until two months since, and after a month's rest came to London to prepare herself for her London debut. She returns to Paris in November to create an important rore in "La Rafale " (Bernstein).

Mlle. Brozia was born at Valence in 1880. She engaged in serious classical study, but did not enter a conservatoire of music. She studied principally with the masters of Delna, Calve, Dalmores, and other great artistes. She made her debut in the rather thankless role of Ines de l'Africaine in 1903 at the Grand Theatre de Vichy, where her voice was at once noted for the freshness of its tone, its accuracy, evenness, and purity. She subsequently sang at big concerts in Paris, especially at the Trocadero, where she received a medal from the French Government. On the stage she continued her debuts at the Reims and Epernay Theatres. Finally she passed the season 1904-5 at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie de Bruxelles, where she sang Marguerite in "Faust" alternatively with Dalmores and Laffite. She achieved a brilliant success in the role of Nedda de Daillasse, so much so that she was recalled after the close of the season to sing this part with Salignac at a gala performance before the Royal Belgian Family. Mlle Zina Brozia makes her first appearance before an English audience on Monday July3, at the Queen's Hall.

Author: Don Gillan, www.stagebeauty.net.

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