Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 07, May 14, 1870

Excerpt

THE PLAYS AND SHOWS.

BATHOS and pathos are closely allied in sound as well as in sense. Mr. FECHTER evidently regards them as completely identical; and in his acting, as in his pronunciation, uniformly prefers the former to the latter. He has recently exemplified this by his personation of CLAUDE MELNOTTE, in that most tawdry specimen of the cotton-velvet drama, the LADY OF LYONS. This melancholy event took place a few nights since at the French Theatre, that mausoleum of the illegitimate French drama. Miss CARLOTTA LECLERCQ, an actress who deserves the highest praise, and who would receive it were it not that a doubt as to the proper pronunciation of her name prevents the bashful critic from mentioning her when flushed with the generous enthusiasm of beer, played PAULINE, and a number of Uncertain People played the dickens with the rest of the dramatis personæ. Every one knows the play, and no one cares to hear how the Uncertain People mangled it. The audience naturally took no interest in it until the third scene of the first act was reached, and shouts of "Long live CLAUDE MELNOTTE" were heard from behind the scenes. After which everybody remarked, "Now he's coming," and rubbed their lorgnettes with looks of expectation and corners of pocket-handkerchiefs.

Enter CLAUDE. "Gif me choy, dear mutter, I've won the brize."

Mother. "Humph! What's the wally of it, my boy?"

CLAUDE. "Every thing. It is wealth—the 'ope of vame—the ambition to pe worthier of PAULINE. Ah! I lofe her! I 'ave sent a boem to her. My messenger ought efen now to be returned."

Enter GASPAR. "CLAUDE, your verses are returned! With kicks! I could show the marks of them, were it proper to do so in the presence of a mixed audience!"

Mother. "Now you are cured, Claude."

CLAUDE. "So! I do sgatter her image to the winds. I will peat her menial ruffians. I will do a fariety of voolish actions. What 'ave we 'ere? A ledder? (Reads it.) BEAUSEANT bromises I shall marry her! Oh! refenge and lofe! I will marry her, and pully her afterwards." (Curtain.)

Young Lady, who reads Dickens. "How sweet he is! So romantic! I do love this sweet, lovely play so much."

Accompanying Young Man, who regards himself a critic on the ground that he once knew a ticket-speculator. "Yes. It is one of the best plays out. It's so full of gags, you know."

Young Lady. "Gags? What are they?"

Accompanying young man, who, etc. "Gags is the professional name for nice tabloze. Scenes where they stand round in good positions, you know."

Enthusiastic Man, who has come in with a pass. "Well! I've never seen any acting like FECHTER'S before. It's magnificent."

Veteran Play-goer. "I hope I'll never see anything like it again. He reminds me of a bull with delirium tremens in a china shop."

Rest of the Audience. "Only four more acts. Thank goodness we've got through with one."

Act II. Enter Uncertain People. They recite in a timid and indistinct tone the prescribed fustian. They are followed by CLAUDE, PAULINE, and others.

CLAUDE. "These are peautiful gartens....