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THE DRAMA IN FRANCE. 



A SERIES of articles has lately appeared in the Constitutional, 

 criticising somewhat severely the present state of the English drama 

 and its supporters ; and the writer, after some vaunting comparisons, 

 comes to the abrupt conclusion, that in England " the drama is dead 

 and the opera unborn." Though we are free to confess that the drama is 

 not in the most prosperous condition, we are certain there is still talent 

 more than sufficient for respectably filling the higher branches, and that 

 too in a manner not to be surpassed at the present time in Paris. 



The " Theatre Frangais" must of course be considered as the strong- 

 hold of the legitimate drama in France ; and we naturally look to it, 

 (particularly when we consider the privileges of the Director) as possess- 

 ing the best company the country can produce ; and the performances 

 consisting always of tragedy and comedy, there is no reason why every 

 character should not be adequately filled. The company at present 

 contains, amongst others of less note, the names of Ligier, Monrose, 

 Sanson, Volnys, Manelle, Mars, Mesdames d'Orval, Menjaud, and 

 Volnys. Now, amongst these, is there more than one name of extraor- 

 dinary talent ? Mile. Mars is of course, at the present day, without a 

 rival, either in France or elsewhere, but it is not very often that the 

 Rue Richelieu is honoured by her performances, as she is a little fastidi- 

 ous in the choice of character, so that the burthen may be said to rest 

 upon the others. That these may be all persons of talent, no one will 

 deny, but after the sweeping censure against our own actors by the 

 French critic, we did expect to find something more than mediocrity in 

 n theatre exclusively devoted to the drama. M. Ligier is the Hamlet 

 and Othello of the company, and if in his own country fault is occa- 

 sionally found with him, for a want of originality in the conception of 

 his characters, we have no right to impugn the judgment, but at the 

 same time, considerable applause was bestowed upon his performance of 

 the Duke of Gloucester, in " Les Enfants D'Edonard," — and until some 

 one springs into notice, he is likely to continue the leading business in 

 Tragedy. 



Monrose is the Figaro of Beaumarchais' Comedy, and is a lively 

 actor, though not a very young man, since he has a son on the same 

 boards. Sanson is the original representative of Bertrand, in Scribe's 

 play of " Bertrand and Raton," known in this country as " The Minister 

 and the Mercer." Volnys and his wife have but lately joined the com- 

 pany, their reputation being gained at the minor theatres. Mad. Volnys, 

 who is better known as Leontine Fay, began her career as a child, and 

 until she was more than sixteen years of age, stirred the provinces as 

 the " Prodigy only ten years old." Madame Dorval is an actress of 

 much merit, and, we think, not yet sufficiently appreciated ; her per- 

 formance in " La Fiancee de Lammermoor," at the Porte St. Martin, 

 g-ave promise of future excellence, Madame Menjaud is a great 

 favourite, and increased the number of her admirers by the character 

 she sustained in " Les Enfants d'Edonard." 



