Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1884 — THE ADVENTURES OF A TRAGEDY. [ARTICLE]

THE ADVENTURES OF A TRAGEDY.

Perhapsoneof the most etirious episodes of ilia history of tlie modern drama, is to be found in the experience of M. Legouvo in bringing before the public his well-known tragedy of Medea, which was written expressly for Mile. Rachel. The great success of Adrienne Lecouyreur had encouraged him to set to work anew to create a character for the great but capricious actress lo personate. And, apropose of Adrinne, M. Legouve lias revealed to the world sqme little time ago tho fact that the wonderfully touching scene in the last act, when 'Adrienne, dying and delirious, repeats in her frenzy fragments of her roles, and fancies herself upon the stage, was taken literally from real life. “Mademoiselle was dying,” writes M. Legouve, “At her bedside a pious priest, the Abbe Gallard, knelt in prayer. Suddenly from the lips of the delirious and dying woman came articulate words, connected phrases, which were incomprehensible to him. What wore these words? Whole passages of Fauasea Confidence, of the Jeu de 1‘ Amour ot du Hassard, and of lie Legs; the dying woman was rehearsing her roles. Her countenance, wasted by illness, gained a new animation to represent these theoretical personages ; her voice] assumed their accents, and then, pausing from time to time, she would harken as one who is listening and who applauds. She became her own audience. This persistence of the love of art and the remembrance of nr.t even in death produced upon mo a strong impression. 1 saw in it a novel and interesting effect for tho fifth act of Adrienne.” Yet Legouve, rude as was the blow thus dealt to his aspirations and ambition. writes with peculiar tenderness respecting this strange, gifted, contradictory creature, who resembled no person living so much as she did the Cleopatra of Shakspeare in the contrasted elements of her character, in her sudden transitions irom the dignity of an empress to tho wild freaks of a street boy. And in the wonderful mingling of the best and the meanest traits of feminine humanity in her nature. Once, when she was playing Virginia, M. Legouve surprised her in her dressing-room dancing the eau-pan in her classic robes. There is anecdote of her in the earlier portion 6f her career which paints her to the life. During these first years her great genius, her untarnished reputation, and the interest excited by her youth and her person&l charms caused soma of the greatest ladies of the severe society of the Faubourg St. Germain to take her under their protection. One of those, who bore one of the noblest titles and proudest names in France, wishing to demonstrate in the fullest and most public manner her respect for the great actress, took Mile, Rachel put to drive with hor in an open carriage in the Bojs de Boulogne, placing her daughter on the trout seat, while her gifted guest sat Inside her. On returning from this drive Mile, Kachel, on entering the drawing-room, sank on one knee before her hostess, and sobbed out. with streaming eyes: “Oh Madame la Dnchesse, such a proof of your esteem as that which you have now given me is more precious to me Shan all my talent!” The motion of the mother and daughter can well be imagined. They raised their cherished guest from the ground and embraced her fondly. Shortly after she took her leave. The drawing-room was preceded by two \ smaller ones, through which it was neces ary to pass in order to reach the outer door. Mile, lvachel on depart'ing passed through these two rooms without perceiving that the younger daughter of the house had accompanied her part of the way as a farther-mark of attention. Arrived at the last door, and fancying that she was alone. Mile. Rachel on opening it turned around and executed iu the direction of the drawing-room that gesture of supreme J and vulgar contempt which consists in ! putting one’s lingers to one's nose in the fashion known in Fiance as a pita/ de tier.” Unfortunately this last door was panelled with mirrors which reflected the gesture of Hie actress. It was therefore perfectly visible in the inner room, in which was the young girl, who hastened, choking with.indignation, to tell her mother what she bad seen. The success of Adrienne induced .: Mile. Rachel to re\ iveone of Legouvoa earlier plays, Louise de Lignerolles. f Having impersonate i the heroine with marked success, she next implored Leto write a tragedy especially for per. The dramatist turned his attention to a subject that hatWways tempted him. namely, Medea. *dne scene in particular m the Greek drama had made au especial impression on bis imagination. It is that where n Creusa receives from Media the fatal gifts of a

golden diadem‘and a silken mantle, wheerein the young princess decks herself only to die, poisoned and in agony. M. Legouve conceived the idea of making Media her own messenger, and of causing her to be present at tho death of her rival. He set to work, nud after a year of assiduous toil he brought his tragedy to Mile Rachel. The capricious actress raised at first a thousand objections; she did not like to play another elasie personage; she had never impersonated a mother; she would not know how to render the accents of maternal feeling. Finally she consented to play tho part, and threw herself into hey studies with as much ardor as she had shown in studying Adribuno or Louise de Lignerolles. Her next idea was to persuodo the author to gut out tho grand scene, that of the death of Creusa. He acceded to all her wishes and the rfherals were proceeding prosperous ly, when one day Miie. Kachel set off for Russia, relinquishing her studies of Medea, which were never afterward resumed. On her return from Russia, Milo Kachel made a formnl announcement of her intention not to -play Medea. M. Legouve then brought suit against her, and gained his cause, partly through a rather comical incident. M. Cremieux was Mile. Bachol’s lawyer, apd he thought to serve the cause of his client by reciting in a burlesque mannor certain passages of the role of Creuza. Unfortunately for his cause, these lines wero simply a closo translation of a famous passage in Euripides. M. Mathura. the lawyer for Legouve, seized eagerly on this advantage, and after cjyietly ealling attention to the fact that his adversary had been ridiculing not M. Matliieu, but Euripides, he continued: “Moreover, gentlemen, lmd these lines proved a failure, that would, have proved nothing. They are placed in the mouth of a young ami lovely princess, a youthful bride with her hands filled with flowers and her heart, full of love. M. Cremieux does not look the character, it seems to me.” This allusion to the proverbial ugliness of M Cremieux set every one to laughing, and the day was won.

But the success oftlie lawsuit availed nothing in the way*of brisging Medea on tho stage. M. Legouve published his tragedy, which achieved a very quirked literary success, passing rapidly through several editions. Still he was but half consoled, when one day| ho learned that the famous Italian actress, Madame Ristori, had arrived in Paris with the intention of giving a series of representations. The namo cf this young artiste was not unknown to the dramatist. Some years before, Madame Allan, of tiro Comedy Francaise, had said to him: "Whilst at Turin I went to the theater. I saw there a wonderful young tragic actress, a woman of genius. She is called Adelaide Kistori.” M. Legouve hastened to witness the first representation given by the new actress at the Theatre Italien. The play was the revolting but powerful Mirra of Altleri. The dramatist has left ou record his impressions: “I shall never forget my surprise and my emotion. I was under the influence of n revelation. A new art’unfolded itself before mo. The powerful play of the physiognomy, the audacity of the gestures, tire amplitude movement, those glances, those lips from which passion poured in torrents, that voice which rose to the highest notes of the soprano register to descend to the profound and agitating notes of the contralto all recalled Malibran to hie.” He went behind the scenes to present his congratulations to the actress. Madame Ristori, as soon as ho was introduced, declared herself charmed at the meeting. She had successively played tho three roles of his Louise de Lignerolles, and~ she begged him to write a tragedy expressly for her. “I have one ready,” M. Legouve made answer. “ ‘lt’s name?’ ‘Medea,’ 'Medea—which Mile. Kachel— ’ ‘Refused to play.’ ‘Yes, that is true. But I think she made a mistake. At all events, will you read the piece?” This she promised to do, and I sent her a copy the next morning. Three months elapsed, and I thought no more of the matter, when one day I received a letter from Madame Riston's agent begging me to call to settle the terms of translation, etc., of Medea.” The facts iu the ease were briefly as follows: Madame Kistori had Carried off the piece in her trunk, not liking to wound M. Legouve by a flat refusal, yet 1 fully convinced that the play must be a very poor one to have been so summarily rejected by Rachel. One day, while get - ting her hair dressed, she took up the play and began to turn over the pages. Some passages struck her: she read on for some little time, and then, suddenly starting up, she rushed, with her hair half arranged, into her husband’s room. “Either Mile. Kachel has a mortal hatred for M. Legouve, or she is mad!" she cried. “Medea is one of the finest acting parts for a woman that I have ever met with.”

The tragedy, after having been translated by the Italian poet Montaueili, was east and mounted in eleven days. Unlike Mile. Kachel, who at rehearsals never saw auything beyond her own pari, Madame Kistori infused the vitality of her genus into every personage of the piece. She taught Jason how to be brutal, and Orpheus how to be poetic: she imparted pathos to Creusa, and childish grace to the children. Finally Medea was brought out at the Theater Italien, in Paris, with an immediate and overwhelming success. Mile. Kachel had quitted the city in order not to be present on the occasion. She had previously assisted, hidden in the depth of a baignoire, at one of Riston's representations of Marie Stuart She remained till the grand scene between the two queens brought down the house in thunders of applause. Then, unable to witness any longer the magnificent acting of her rival, she left the theater precipitately. A few nights later, Madame Ristori, who had played Phedre some time before with comparatively little success, went to see Rachel in that role. Rachel, electrified by beholding her rival amongst the spectators, that night surpassed herself. The great Italian actress was almost wild with enthusiasm Leaning over the front of her box. she followed every movement, every glance of Phedre she gave the signal for applause, and was tke last to oease applauding Each actress had acknowledged the geaiua

of* the other after her own fashion. The o|he fled to weep; the other remained to applaud. Madame Bistori was superstitious like Legonuo tells a little anecdote of the, firsta-epresentation of Medea, which illustrates this not unamiable weakness on the part of the great actress. After the first act which had been one long triumph for her, he writes: “I went to her dressing room. ‘Mv dear friend,’ she cried,' on seeing me, ‘the success of your last two acts is assured. Look!’ I looked,, and saw a large gray cat installed upon her lap. 'What has the oat to do with our play ?”, I asked her, laughingly. ‘You do not recognize it?’ ‘No.’ ‘He was present at our rehearsals. He is the cat of tho theatre. I have seen him a dozen times come and sit beside tho prompter’s box whilst I r’el.earsod. I never would allow him to be driven away, I should have been afraid that it would have brought ns ill luck; but I watched him apxionsly.Why is he always there ? I wonder. Ho actually seems to be interested.’ 1 burst* out laughing. ‘Laugh away,’ she said, half jestingly, half seriously; ‘you French are all heathen. You have no superstitious ideas; but I believe most firmly in presentiments. Bo when this cat just now entered my dressing-room (where he had never come before) and sprang into my lap, I said to- myself, it is a good omen.* And at the end of the play, as soon as she saw me, she cried, ‘Well, was uot the cat right?’ ’’ The grfeat success of Madame Kistori in Medea wfts not confined to France. She appeared in it both in America and England, winning-fame for herself and applause for the tragedy with every, representation. Had it not been for the precipitate flight of Mile. Sarah Bernhardt from the Comedie Francaise, Medea would have been revived at that theatre with the brilliant -and erratic actress in the title rele. But her departure has left M. Perrin without a leading actress capable of sustaining so exacting a character, and Madame Kistori remains the only personator of Medea on the French boards.