Plays, Acting and Music: A Book Of TheorySymons, Arthur
Philosophy
Plays, Acting and Music: A Book Of Theory
Symons, Arthur
Actors; Music -- History and criticism; Theater
The French "revue," as one sees it at the Folies-Bergère, done somewhat
roughly and sketchily, strikes one most of all by its curious want of
consecution, its entire reliance on the point of this or that scene,
costume, or performer. It has no plan, no idea; some ideas are flung
into it in passing; but it remains as shapeless as an English pantomime,
and not much more interesting. Both appeal to the same undeveloped
instincts, the English to a merely childish vulgarity, the French to a
vulgarity which is more frankly vicious. Really I hardly know which is
to be preferred. In England we pretend that fancy dress is all in the
interests of morality; in France they make no such pretence, and, in
dispensing with shoulder-straps, do but make their intentions a little
clearer. Go to the Moulin-Rouge and you will see a still clearer
object-lesson. The goods in the music-halls are displayed so to speak,
behind glass, in a shop window; at the Moulin-Rouge they are on the open
booths of a street market.
M. CAPUS IN ENGLAND
An excellent Parisian company from the Variétés has been playing "La
Veine" of M. Alfred Capus, and this week it is playing "Les Deux Ecoles"
of the same entertaining writer. The company is led by Mme. Jeanne
Granier, an actress who could not be better in her own way unless she
acquired a touch of genius, and she has no genius. She was thoroughly
and consistently good, she was lifelike, amusing, never out of key;
only, while she reminded one at times of Réjane, she had none of
Réjane's magnetism, none of Réjane's exciting naturalness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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