And yet, in preferring to
imitate, it must not be inferred that he was deficient in original
thoughts.
To return to the theatre, I have seen Mlle Mars in the _role_ of Henriette
in the _Femmes Savantes_ of Moliere. Oh! how admirable she is! She realizes
completely the conception of a graceful and elegant Frenchwoman of the
first society. She does not act; she is at home as it were in her own
salon, smiling at the silly pretensions of her sister and at the ridiculous
pedantry of Trissotin; her refusing the kiss because she does not
understand Greek was given with the greatest _naivete_. In a word Mlle Mars
reigns unrivalled as the first comic actress in Europe.
I have seen too, _Les Plaideurs_ of Racine and _Les fourberies de Scapin_
of Moliere, both exceedingly well given; particularly the scene in the
latter wherein it is announced to Geronte that his son had fallen into the
hands of a Turkish corsair, and his answer "Que diable allait-il faire dans
la galere?"
I have seen also _Andromaque_, _Iphigenie_ and _Zaire_. Mlle Volnais did
the part of Andromaque; but the monotonous plaintiveness of her voice,
which never changes, wearies me.
Pages:
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172