296 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



George Ohnet is well known for his novel and drama, Le Maitre 

 de forges, known in English as Claire and the Forge Master and as 

 The Iron Master, this last title being the one used by Mr. and Mrs. 

 Kendal. 



Alexandre Bisson is known to us through having furnished Daly's 

 Theater with one of its conspicuous successes. Out of his Surprises du 

 divorce (1888) came the graceful and diverting Railroad of Love, which 

 was so delightfully given at Daly's in the days of John Drew, Ada 

 Rehan, James Lewis and Mrs. Gilbert. 



The most conspicuous French success of modern times is Edmond 

 Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, produced in Paris in 1897 with Coquelin 

 in the title-role and soon after in the United States with Richard Mans- 

 field as Cyrano. Also VAiglon (1900) by the same author must be 

 accounted a success, though this may be in part attributed to the pres- 

 tige of the actresses who assumed the pathetic role of the young Napoleon, 

 Mme. Bernhardt in Paris, and Miss Maude Adams in the United States. 



Soon after Cyrano de Bergerac a French play was produced on the 

 American stage, a play which apparently has come to stay. This is 

 Zaza (1899), by Pierre Berton and Charles Simon. While Cyrano de 

 Bergerac with its romantic atmosphere and true poetry appealed espe- 

 cially to the more literary class of theater-goers, Zaza, with its generally 

 unwholesome character, at once commanded an interest and attention 

 which show no signs of flagging. Without doubt much of the original 

 success of Zaza was due to the extraordinary, nervous, emotional acting 

 of Mrs. Leslie Carter. But the play is a strong one in itself. Mme. 

 Rejane has made much out of the role of Zaza, and the play is now 

 well known in the stock-company theaters from one end of the United 

 States to the other. The story of Zaza has also inspired Leoncavallo 

 to write an Italian opera. And even Mimi Aguglia, whose peculiar 

 talents are supposed to be seen at their best in realistic Sicilian plays, 

 has recently taken up the part of Zaza. 



The name of Paul Hervieu is known to us through his psychological 

 dramas, Le dedale (1903) and Le reveil (1905). Under the respective 

 titles, The Labyrinth and The Awakening, they have been given fine 

 productions by Miss Olga Nethersole. 



