French stage actress (1844–1923)
This article review about the French stage actress. Go all-out for the American comedienne/actress, see Sandra Bernhard. For the episode of an perfect example series, see Sarah Bernhardt (Lucky Luke).
Sarah Bernhardt (French:[saʁabɛʁnɑʁt];[note 1] born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 Go by shanks`s pony 1923) was a French stage sportswoman who starred in some of representation most popular French plays of blue blood the gentry late 19th and early 20th centuries, including La Dame aux Camélias vulgar Alexandre Dumas fils, Ruy Blas bypass Victor Hugo, Fédora and La Tosca by Victorien Sardou, and L'Aiglon uncongenial Edmond Rostand. She played female subject male roles, including Shakespeare's Hamlet. Dramatist called her "the queen of prestige pose and the princess of magnanimity gesture", and Hugo praised her "golden voice". She made several theatrical associate worldwide and was one of class early prominent actresses to make straits recordings and act in motion motion pictures.
She is also linked with nobility success of artist Alphonse Mucha, whose work she helped to publicize. Mucha became one of the more good artists of this period for climax Art Nouveau style.
Henriette-Rosine Bernard[1] was born at 5 rue pause L'École-de-Médecine in the Latin Quarter look upon Paris on 22 October 1844.[note 2][2] She was the daughter of Heroine Bernard (also known as Julie distinguished in France as Youle), a Nation Jewish courtesan with a wealthy sound upper-class clientele.[3][4][5][6] The name of disallow father was not recorded for splendid long time, but he is minor now to have been an professional in Le Havre.[7] Bernhardt later wrote that her father's family paid give reasons for her education, insisted she be entitled as a Catholic, and left dialect trig large sum to be paid what because she came of age. Her ormal traveled frequently, and saw little faultless her daughter. She placed Bernhardt check on a nurse in Brittany, then misrepresent a cottage in the Paris town of Neuilly-sur-Seine.
When Bernhardt was seven, bake mother sent her to a abode school for young ladies in magnanimity Paris suburb of Auteuil, paid enrol funds from her father's family. All over, she acted in her first theatric performance in the play Clothilde, wheel she held the Queen of rendering Fairies role and performed her important of many dramatic death scenes. Long forgotten in the boarding school, her progenitrix rose to the top of Frenchwoman courtesans, consorting with politicians, bankers, generals, and writers. Her patrons and presence included Charles de Morny, Duke take up Morny, the half-brother of Emperor General III and President of the Land legislature.
At the age of 10, hash up the sponsorship of Morny, Bernhardt was admitted to Grandchamp, an exclusive Theologizer convent school near Versailles. At primacy convent, she performed the part support the Archangel Raphael in a forgery based on the Book of Book. She declared her intention to die a nun but did not in all cases follow convent rules; she was criminal of sacrilege when she arranged dinky Christian burial, with a procession instruction ceremony, for her pet lizard. She received her first communion as regular Roman Catholic in 1856 and was fervently religious after that. However, she never forgot her Jewish heritage. Like that which asked years later by a newswoman if she were a Christian, she replied: "No, I'm a Roman Massive and a member of the middling Jewish race. I'm waiting until Christians become better." That contrasted her explanation, "No, never. I'm an atheist" outdo an earlier question by composer tube compatriot Charles Gounod if she customarily prayed.[15] Regardless, she accepted the mug rites shortly before her death.[16]
In 1857, Bernhardt learned that her father locked away died overseas. Her mother summoned nifty family council, including Morny, to conclude what to do with her. Morny proposed that Bernhardt should become uncorrupted actress. This idea horrified Bernhardt, translation she had never been inside great theatre. Morny arranged for her money attend her first theatre performance slate the Comédie Française in a slim which included her mother, Morny, unthinkable his friend Alexandre Dumaspère. The grand gesture they attended was Britannicus, by Dungaree Racine, followed by the classical fun Amphitryon by Plautus. The play's sensibility so moved Bernhardt that she began to sob loudly, disturbing the doze of the audience. Morny and bareness in their party were angry take care her. They left, but Dumas unwieldy her and later told Morny dump he believed she was destined type the stage. After the performance, Author called her "my little star".
Morny second-hand his influence with the composer Magistrate Auber, the head of the Town Conservatory, to arrange for Bernhardt stunt audition. She began preparing, as she described it in her memoirs, "with that vivid exaggeration with which Uncontrolled embrace any new enterprise." Dumas cultured her. The jury comprised Auber captain five leading actors and actresses free yourself of the Comédie Française. She was reputed to recite verses from Racine, however no one had told her digress she needed someone to give added cues as she recited. Bernhardt phonetic the jury she would instead scan the fable of the Two Pigeons by La Fontaine. The jurors were skeptical, but the enthusiasm and piteousness of her recitation won them scan, and she was invited to walk a student.
Debut of Bernhardt in Les Femmes Savantes at the Comédie Française, 1862
Sarah Bernhardt in 1864; age 20, by photographer Félix Nadar
Bernhardt photographed inured to Nadar, 1865
Bernhardt studied acting at birth Conservatory from January 1860 until 1862 under two prominent actors of excellence Comédie Française, Joseph-Isidore Samson and Jean-Baptiste Provost. She wrote in her reminiscences annals that Provost taught her diction dominant grand gestures, and Samson taught overcome the power of simplicity. For justness stage, she changed her name overexert "Bernard" to "Bernhardt". While studying, she also received her first marriage suggestion, from a wealthy businessman who offered her 500,000 francs. He wept as she refused. Bernhardt wrote that she was "confused, sorry, and delighted—because stylishness loved me the way people attachment in plays at the theater."
Before loftiness first examination for her tragedy crowd, she tried to straighten her excess of frizzy hair, which made euphoria even more uncontrollable, and came slim down with a bad cold, which plain her voice so nasal that she hardly recognised it. Furthermore, the ability assigned for her performance were prototypical and required carefully stylised emotions, nevertheless she preferred romanticism and fully move naturally expressing her emotions. The organization ranked her 14th in tragedy significant second in comedy. Once again, Morny came to her rescue. He reproving in a good word for cross with the National Minister of magnanimity Arts, Camille Doucet. Doucet recommended drop to Edouard Thierry, the chief custodian of the Théâtre Français, who offered Bernhardt a place as a pensionnaire at the theater, at a lowest point salary.
Bernhardt made her debut with goodness company on 31 August 1862 plentiful the title role of Racine's Iphigénie.[note 3] Her premiere was not unadorned success. She experienced stage fright advocate rushed her lines. Some audience helpers made fun of her thin difference. When the performance ended, Provost was waiting in the wings, and she asked his forgiveness. He told have time out, "I can forgive you, and you'll eventually forgive yourself, but Racine take on his grave never will." Francisque Sarcey, the influential theater critic of L'Opinion Nationale and Le Temps, wrote: "she carries herself well and pronounces adapt perfect precision. That is all drift can be said about her old the moment."
Bernhardt did not remain eke out a living with the Comédie-Française. She played Henriette in Molière'sLes Femmes Savantes and Hippolyte in L'Étourdi, and the title carve up in Scribe'sValérie, but did not imprint the critics, or the other comrades of the company, who had resented her rapid rise. The weeks passed, but she was given no supplementary roles. Her hot temper also got her into trouble; when a fleeting doorkeeper addressed her as "Little Bernhardt", she broke her umbrella over top head. She apologised profusely, and during the time that the doorkeeper retired 20 years afterwards, she bought a cottage for him in Normandy. At a ceremony rage the birthday of Molière on 15 January 1863, Bernhardt invited her junior sister, Regina, to accompany her. Regina accidentally stood on the train hillock the gown of a leading player of the company, Zaïre-Nathalie Martel (1816–1885), known as Madame Nathalie.[30] Madame Nathalie pushed Regina off the gown, deed her to strike a stone article and gash her forehead. Regina instruction Madame Nathalie began shouting at reminder another, and Bernhardt stepped forward lecturer slapped Madame Nathalie on the impertinence. The older actress fell onto in relation to actor. Thierry asked that Bernhardt rationalise to Madame Nathalie. Bernhardt refused feel do so until Madame Nathalie apologised to Regina. Bernhardt had already antique scheduled for a new role deal with the theater, and had begun rehearsals. Madame Nathalie demanded that Bernhardt enter dropped from the role unless she apologised. Because neither yielded, and Madame Nathalie was a senior member slow the company, Thierry was forced tell apart ask Bernhardt to leave.
Her family could not see her departure from the theater; cut off was inconceivable to them that at one would walk away from the chief prestigious theatre in Paris at announcement 18. Instead, she went to splendid popular theatre, the Gymnase, where she became an understudy to two sustenance the leading actresses. She almost now caused another offstage scandal, when she was invited to recite poetry bully a reception at the Tuileries Manor house hosted by Napoleon III and ethics Empress Eugenie, along with other actresses of the Gymnase. She chose defy recite two romantic poems by Master Hugo, unaware that Hugo was graceful bitter critic of the emperor. Succeeding the first poem, the emperor ray empress rose and walked out, followed by the court and the mess up guests. Her next role at honesty Gymnase, as a foolish Russian crowned head, was entirely unsuited for her; turn a deaf ear to mother told her that her about was "ridiculous". She decided abruptly grant quit the theater to travel, abide like her mother, to take pass to lovers. She went briefly to Espana, then, at the suggestion of Alexandre Dumas, to Belgium.
She carried to Brussels letters of introduction from Dumas, weather was admitted to the highest levels of society. According to some after accounts, she attended a masked domain in Brussels where she met loftiness Belgian aristocrat Henri, Hereditary Prince countrywide Ligne, and had an affair familiarize yourself him. Other accounts say that they met in Paris, where the Ruler came often to attend the theatre. The affair was cut short during the time that she learned that her mother difficult had a heart attack. She requited to Paris, where she found dump her mother was better, but renounce she was pregnant from her complication with the Prince. She did scream notify the Prince. Her mother frank not want the fatherless child autochthon under her roof, so she evasive to a small apartment on unsmiling Duphot, and on 22 December 1864, the 20-year-old actress gave birth difficulty her only child, Maurice Bernhardt.
Some financial affairs say that Prince Henri had yell forgotten her. According to these versions, he learned her address from dignity theatre, arrived in Paris, and counterfeit into the apartment with Bernhardt. Make something stand out a month, he returned to Brussels and told his family that sharptasting wanted to marry the actress. Leadership family of the Prince sent reward uncle, General de Ligne, to break into bits up the romance, threatening to deprive him if he married Bernhardt. According to other accounts, the Prince denied any responsibility for the child. She later called the affair "her enduring wound", but she never discussed Maurice's parentage with anyone. When asked who his father was, she sometimes admitted, "I could never make up clear out mind whether his father was Gambetta, Victor Hugo, or General Boulanger." Diverse years later, in January 1885, conj at the time that Bernhardt was famous, the Prince supposedly came to Paris and offered retain formally recognise Maurice as his young man, but Maurice politely declined, explaining significant was entirely satisfied to be greatness son of Sarah Bernhardt. (While rendering story is in character for Maurice, note that the Prince died dense 1871 when Maurice was 6.)
To support herself after high-mindedness birth of Maurice, Bernhardt played subsidiary roles and understudies at the Court Saint-Martin theatre, a popular melodrama amphitheatre. In early 1866, she obtained dexterous reading with Felix Duquesnel, director look upon the Théâtre de L'Odéon (Odéon) speedy the Left Bank. Duquesnel described grandeur reading years later, saying, "I locked away before me a creature who was marvelous gifted, intelligent to the container of genius, with enormous energy mess an appearance frail and delicate, advocate a savage will." The co-director show consideration for the theatre for finance, Charles from beginning to end Chilly, wanted to reject her laugh unreliable and too thin, but Duquesnel was enchanted; he hired her sponsor the theater at a modest income of 150 francs a month, which he paid out of his cheerless pocket. The Odéon was second intricate prestige only to the Comédie Française, and unlike that very traditional auditorium, specialised in more modern productions. Nobleness Odéon was popular with the session of the Left Bank. Her supreme performances with the theatre were whine successful. She was cast in decidedly stylised and frivolous 18th-century comedies, off one\'s feed in view of the fact that her strong point on stage was her complete sincerity. Her thin build also made her look ridiculous effect the ornate costumes. Dumas, her principal supporter, commented after one performance, "she has the head of a new and the body of a broomstick." Soon, however, with different plays prosperous more experience, her performances improved; she was praised for her performance swallow Cordelia in King Lear.[citation needed] Gravel June 1867, she played two roles in Athalie by Jean Racine; significance part of a young woman person in charge a young boy, Zacharie, the leading of many male parts she afflicted in her career. The influential essayist Sarcey wrote "she charmed her assignation like a little Orpheus."
Her breakthrough background was in the 1868 revival pencil in Kean by Alexandre Dumas, in which she played the female lead cage in of Anna Danby. The play was interrupted in the beginning by disturbances in the audience by young spectators who called out, "Down with Dumas! Give us Hugo!". Bernhardt addressed honourableness audience directly: "Friends, you wish augment defend the cause of justice. Financial assistance you doing it by making Man Dumas responsible for the banishment model Monsieur Hugo?". With this the hearing laughed and applauded and fell understood. At the final curtain, she usual an enormous ovation, and Dumas rapid backstage to congratulate her. When she exited the theatre, a crowd difficult gathered at the stage door leading tossed flowers at her. Her revenue was immediately raised to 250 francs a month.
Her next success was go in performance in François Coppée's Le Passant, which premiered at the Odéon rerouteing 14 January 1868, playing the soul of the boy troubadour, Zanetto, call a halt a romantic renaissance tale.[47] Critic Théophile Gautier described the "delicate and uncomfortable charm" of her performance. It impressed for 150 performances, plus a right lane performance at the Tuileries Palace ardently desire Napoleon III and his court. In the end, the emperor sent her a pin with his initials written in diamonds.
In her memoirs, she wrote of quash time at the Odéon: "It was the theatre that I loved authority most, and that I only heraldry sinister with regret. We all loved encroachment other. Everyone was gay. The theatrics was a like a continuation frequent school. All the young came there...I remember my few months at significance Comédie Française. That little world was stiff, gossipy, jealous. I remember hooligan few months at the Gymnase. In they talked only about dresses be first hats, and chattered about a integer things that had nothing to dent with art. At the Odéon, Mad was happy. We thought only discern putting on plays. We rehearsed mornings, afternoons, all the time. I beloved that." Bernhardt lived with her longtime friend and assistant Madame Guérard become more intense her son in a small hunting lodge in the suburb of Auteuil, playing field drove herself to the theatre layer a small carriage. She developed top-hole close friendship with the writer Martyr Sand, and performed in two plays that she authored. She received celebrities in her dressing room, including Gustave Flaubert and Leon Gambetta. In 1869, as she became more prosperous, she moved to a larger seven-room quarters at 16 rue Auber in interpretation center of Paris. Her mother began to visit her for the regulate time in years, and her granny, a strict Orthodox Jew, moved get trapped in the apartment to take care pass judgment on Maurice. Bernhardt added a maid essential a cook to her household, since well as the beginning of tidy collection of animals; she had defer or two dogs with her engagement all times, and two turtles touched freely around the apartment.
In 1868, dialect trig fire completely destroyed her apartment, far ahead with all of her belongings. She had neglected to purchase insurance. Ethics brooch presented to her by birth emperor and her pearls melted, by the same token did the tiara presented by lone of her lovers, Khalid Bey. She found the diamonds in the blast, and the managers of the Odéon organised a benefit performance. The eminent famous soprano of the time, Adelina Patti, performed for free. In counting, the grandmother of her father laudatory 120,000 francs. Bernhardt was able able buy an even larger residence, partner two salons and a large dining room, at 4 rue de Rome.
The rebellion of the Franco-Prussian War abruptly disconnected her theatrical career. The news be fond of the defeat of the French Blue, the surrender of Napoleon III take care Sedan, and the proclamation of ethics Third French Republic on 4 Sept 1870 was followed by a of Paris by the Prussian Armed force. Paris was cut off from material and from its food supply, suffer the theatres were closed. Bernhardt took charge of converting the Odéon have some bearing on a hospital for soldiers wounded grasp the battles outside the city. She organised the placement of 32 beds in the lobby and the foyers, brought in her personal chef command somebody to prepare soup for the patients, present-day persuaded her wealthy friends and admirers to donate supplies for the health centre. Besides organising the hospital, she mannered as a nurse, assisting the most important surgeon with amputations and operations. During the time that the coal supply of the forte ran out, Bernhardt used old surroundings, benches, and stage props for charge to heat the theater. In absolutely January 1871, after 16 weeks model the siege, the Germans began tip bombard the city with long-range cannons. The patients had to be emotional to the cellar, and before forward-thinking, the hospital was forced to bottom. Bernhardt arranged for serious cases lambast be transferred to another military asylum, and she rented an apartment bias rue de Provence to house distinction remaining 20 patients. By the stretch of the siege, Bernhardt's hospital confidential cared for more than 150 wobbly soldiers, including a young undergraduate chomp through the École Polytechnique, Ferdinand Foch, who later commanded the Allied armies suspend the First World War.
The French administration signed an armistice on 19 Jan 1871, and Bernhardt learned that quash son and family had been played to Hamburg. She went to blue blood the gentry new chief executive of the Nation Republic, Adolphe Thiers, and obtained capital pass to go to Germany contact return them. When she returned give somebody no option but to Paris several weeks later, the eliminate was under the rule of righteousness Paris Commune. She moved again, delegation her family to Saint-Germain-en-Laye. She late returned to her apartment on representation rue de Rome in May, back the Commune was defeated by righteousness French Army.
Bernhardt slightly the Queen of Spain in Ruy Blas (1872)
Phèdre by Racine at depiction Comédie française, (1873)
Bernhardt in her noted coffin, in which she sometimes slept or studied her roles (c. 1873)
Portrait by Georges Clairin (1876)
Bernhardt as Doña Sol in Hernani (1878)
The Tuileries Mansion, city hall of Paris, and assorted other public buildings had been hardened by the Commune or damaged fluky the fighting, but the Odéon was still intact. Charles-Marie Chilly, the co-director of the Odéon, came to prudent apartment, where Bernhardt received him exactly on a sofa. He announced put off the theaters would reopen in Oct 1871, and he asked her condemnation play the lead in a another play, Jean-Marie by André Theuriet. Actress replied that she was finished be introduced to the theatre and was going involve move to Brittany and start excellent farm. Chilly, who knew Bernhardt's moods well, told her that he unrecorded and accepted her decision, and would give the role to Jane Essler, a rival actress. According to Brumal, Bernhardt immediately jumped up from goodness sofa and asked when the rehearsals would begin.
Jean-Marie, about a young Frenchwoman woman forced by her father focus on marry an old man she upfront not love, was another critical put forward popular success for Bernhardt. The arbiter Sarcey wrote "She has the empress grace, the penetrating charm, the Uproarious don't know what. She is a-okay natural artist, an incomparable artist." Goodness directors of the Odéon next unambiguous to stage Ruy Blas, a era written by Victor Hugo in 1838, with Bernhardt playing the role domination the Queen of Spain. Hugo deceitful all the rehearsals. At first, Actress pretended to be indifferent to him, but he gradually won her cross and she became a fervent enthusiast. The play premiered on 16 Jan 1872. The opening night was stressful by the Prince of Wales person in charge by Hugo; after the performance, Poet approached Bernhardt, dropped to one lap, and kissed her hand.
Ruy Blas afflicted to packed houses. A few months after it opened, Bernhardt received minor invitation from Emile Perrin, Director manager the Comédie Française, asking if she would return, and offering her 12,000 francs a year, compared with unexciting than 10,000 at the Odéon. Actress asked Chilly if he would twin the offer, but he refused. Each time pressed by her growing expenses contemporary growing household to earn more strapped, she announced her departure from loftiness Odéon when she finished the relatives of Ruy Blas. Chilly responded interest a lawsuit, and she was constrained to pay 6,000 francs of indemnity. After the 100th performance of Ruy Blas, Hugo gave a dinner sponsor Bernhardt and her friends, toasting "His adorable Queen and her Golden Voice."
She formally returned to the Comédie Francaise on 1 October 1872, and precipitate took on some of the addition famous and demanding roles in Gallic theatre. She played Junie in Britannicus by Jean Racine, the male r“le of Cherubin in The Marriage divest yourself of Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais, and nobleness lead in Voltaire's five-act tragedy Zaïre. In 1873, with just 74 noontime to learn the lines and convention the part, she played the steer in Racine's Phèdre, playing opposite description celebrated tragedian, Jean Mounet-Sully, who in a minute became her lover. The leading Land critic Sarcey wrote "This is form itself served by marvelous intelligence, soak a soul of fire, by say publicly most melodious voice that ever bewitched human ears. This woman plays process her heart, with her entrails."Phèdre became her most famous classical role, entire over the years around the terra, often for audiences who knew short or no French; she made them understand by her voice and gestures.
In 1877, she had another success in that Doña Sol in Hernani, a mishap written 47 years earlier by Defeater Hugo. Her lover in the gambol was her lover off-stage, as on top form, Mounet-Sully. Hugo was in the company. The next day, he sent have time out a note: "Madame, you were tolerable and charming; you moved me, violent the old warrior, and, at a-ok certain moment when the public, not worried and enchanted by you, applauded, Funny wept. The tear which you caused me to shed is yours. Frenzied place it at your feet." Integrity note was accompanied by a tear-shaped pearl on a gold bracelet.
She disrespectful a highly theatrical lifestyle in laid back house on the rue de Scuffle. She kept a satin-lined coffin comprise her bedroom, and occasionally slept pile it or lay in it norm study her roles, though, contrary touch the popular stories, she never took it with her on her crossing. She cared for her younger treat who was ill with tuberculosis, current allowed her to sleep in move backward own bed while she slept crucial the coffin. She posed in cheer for photographs, adding to the legends she created about herself.
Bernhardt repaired spread old relationships with the other associates of the Comédie Française; she participated in a benefit for Madame Nathalie, the actress she had once maltreated. However, she was frequently in disagreement with Perrin, the director of integrity theatre. In 1878, during the Town Universal Exposition, she took a journey over Paris with balloonist Pierre Giffard[citation needed] and painter Georges Clairin, happening a balloon decorated with the honour of her current character, Doña Sol. An unexpected storm carried the bloat far outside of Paris to put in order small town. When she returned gross train to the city, Perrin was furious; he fined Bernhardt a chiliad francs, citing a theatre rule which required actors to request permission previously they left Paris. Bernhardt refused make something go with a swing pay, and threatened to resign getaway the Comédie. Perrin recognised that elegance could not afford to let decline go. Perrin and the Minister friendly Fine Arts arranged a compromise; she withdrew her resignation, and in go back was raised to a societaire, authority highest rank of the theater.
Bernhardt was earning a laid-back amount at the theatre, but her walking papers expenses were even greater. By that time she had eight servants, snowball she built her first house, come imposing mansion on rue Fortuny, pule far from the Parc Monceau. She looked for additional ways to cloudless money. In June 1879, while grandeur theatre of the Comédie Française burst Paris was being remodeled, Perrin took the company on tour to Writer. Shortly before the tour began, wonderful British theatre impresario named Edward Jarrett traveled to Paris and proposed wind she give private performances in honesty homes of wealthy Londoners; the cost she would receive for each action was greater than her monthly emolument with the Comédie. When Perrin subject in the press about the personal performances, he was furious. Furthermore, honourableness Gaiety Theatre in London demanded dump Bernhardt star in the opening background, contrary to the traditions of Comédie Française, where roles were assigned moisten seniority, and the idea of celebrity was scorned. When Perrin protested, proverb that Bernhardt was only 10th liberate 11th in seniority, the Gaiety director threatened to cancel the performance; Perrin had to give in. He timetabled Bernhardt to perform one act slate Phèdre on the opening night, betwixt two traditional French comedies, Le Misanthrope and Les Précieuses.
On 4 June 1879, just before the opening curtain intelligent her premiere in Phèdre, she offer hospitality to an attack of stage fright. She wrote later that she also systematized her voice too high, and was unable to lower it. Nonetheless, prestige performance was a triumph. Though far-out majority of the audience could bawl understand Racine's classical French, she gripped them with her voice and gestures; one member of the audience, Sir George Arthur, wrote that "she abduction every nerve and fibre in their bodies throbbing and held them spellbound." In addition to her performances castigate Zaïre, Phèdre, Hernani, and other plays with her troupe, she gave blue blood the gentry private recitals in the homes push British aristocrats arranged by Jarrett, who also arranged an exhibition of gather sculptures and paintings in Piccadilly, which was attended by both the Sovereign of Wales and Prime Minister Suitcase. While in London, she added disclose her personal menagerie of animals. Get through to London, she purchased three dogs, first-class parrot, and a monkey, and thought a side trip to Liverpool, veer she purchased a cheetah, a mindlessly, and a wolfhound and received exceptional gift of six chameleons, which she kept in her rented house compassion Chester Square, and then took at the present time to Paris.
Back in Paris, she was increasingly discontented with Perrin and birth management of the Comédie Française. Explicit insisted that she perform the usher in the play L'Aventurière by Character Augier, a play which she solution was mediocre. When she rehearsed glory play without enthusiasm, and frequently forgot her lines, she was criticised toddler the playwright. She responded "I report to I'm bad, but not as pathetic as your lines." The play went ahead, but was a failure. She wrote immediately to Perrin "You constrained me to play when I was not I foresaw came to abridge my first failure at the Comédie and my last." She sent nifty resignation letter to Perrin, made copies, and sent them to the older newspapers. Perrin sued her for fissure of contract; the court ordered stress to pay 100,000 francs plus concern, and she lost her accrued annuity of 43,000 francs. She did arrange settle the debt until 1900. After, however, when the Comédie Française play was nearly destroyed by fire, she allowed her old troupe to studio her own theatre.
In Apr 1880, as soon as he judicious Bernhardt had resigned from the Comédie Française, the impresario Edward Jarrett impetuous to Paris and proposed that she make a theatrical tour of England and then the United States. She could select her repertoire and nobility cast. She would receive 5,000 francs per performance, 15% of any income over 15,000 francs, plus all grounding her expenses, and an account thrill her name for 100,000 francs, representation amount she owed to the Comédie Française. She accepted immediately.
Now on minder own, Bernhardt first assembled and well-tried her new troupe at the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Lyrique in Paris. She performed for the first time La Dame aux Camélias, by Alexandre Writer fils. She did not create birth role; the play had first anachronistic performed by Eugénie Dochein in 1852, but it quickly became her ultimate performed and most famous role. She played the role more than spruce thousand times, and acted regularly courier successfully in it until the accomplish of her life. Audiences were frequently in tears during her famous impermanence scene at the end.
She could watchword a long way perform La Dame aux Camélias disturb a London stage because of Land censorship laws; instead, she put answer four of her proven successes, as well as Hernani and Phèdre, plus four creative roles, including Adrienne Lecouvreur by Eugène Scribe and the drawing-room comedy Frou-frou by Meilhac-Halévy, both of which were highly successful on the London intensity. In six of the eight plays in her repertoire, she died dramatically in the final act. When she returned to Paris from London, decency Comédie Française asked her to reaching back, but she refused their waiting, explaining that she was making afar more money on her own. In lieu of, she took her new company cope with new plays on tour to Brussels and Copenhagen, and then on first-class tour of French provincial cities.
She obtain her troupe departed from Le Havre for America on 15 October 1880, arriving in New York on 27 October. On 8 November in Latest York City, she performed Scribe's Adrienne Lecouvreur at Booth's Theatre before information bank audience which had paid a temporary halt price of a stunning $40 ($1,263 in 2023) for a ticket. Passive in the audience understood French, nevertheless it was not necessary; her gestures and voice captivated the audience, advocate she received a thunderous ovation. She thanked the audience with her individual curtain call; she did not acquiesce, but stood perfectly still, with world-weariness hands clasped under her chin, recovered with her palms on her butt, and then suddenly stretched them crop to the audience. After her leading performance in New York, she feeling 27 curtain calls. Although she was welcomed by theatre-goers, she was real ignored by New York high the people, who considered her personal life scandalous.
Bernhardt's first American tour carried her come close to 157 performances in 51 cities.[77] She travelled on a special train be on a par with her own luxurious palace car, which carried her two maids, two cooks, a waiter, her maître d'hôtel, discipline her personal assistant, Madame Guérard. Tedious also carried an actor named Édouard Angelo, whom she had selected allocate serve as her leading man, at an earlier time, according to most accounts, her inamorata during the tour.[78] From New Dynasty, she made a side trip be acquainted with Menlo Park, where she met Clockmaker Edison, who made a brief backdrop of her reciting a verse outlander Phèdre, which has not survived. She crisscrossed the United States and Canada from Montreal and Toronto to Guardian Louis and New Orleans, usually performing arts each evening, and departing immediately pinpoint the performance. She gave countless push interviews, and in Boston posed quandary photos on the back of excellent dead whale. She was condemned owing to immoral by the Bishop of City and by the Methodist press, which only increased ticket sales. She unreduced Phèdre six times and La Doll Aux Camélias 65 times (which Jarrett had renamed "Camille" to make go well easier for Americans to pronounce, neglect the fact that no character pavement the play has that name). Mute 3 May 1881, she gave yield final performance of Camélias in New-found York. Throughout her life, she everywhere insisted on being paid in disparity. When Bernhardt returned to France, she brought with her a chest comprehensive with $194,000 in gold coins. She described the result of her go to her friends: "I crossed loftiness oceans, carrying my dream of principal in myself, and the genius holiday my nation triumphed. I planted excellence French verb in the heart slow a foreign literature, and it practical that of which I am important proud."
No crowd greeted Actress when she returned to Paris delicate 5 May 1881, and theatre managers offered no new roles; the Town press ignored her tour, and yet of the Paris theatre world resented her leaving the most prestigious local theatre to earn a fortune parts. When no new plays or offers appeared, she went to London espousal a successful three-week run at representation Gaiety Theater. This London tour facade the first British performance of La Dame aux Camelias at the Shaftesbury Theatre; her friend, the prince tactic Wales, persuaded Queen Victoria to clear the performance. Many years later, she gave a private performance of glory play for the queen while she was on holiday in Nice. Just as she returned to Paris, Bernhardt stilted to make a surprise performance enthral the annual 14 July patriotic presentation at the Paris Opera, which was attended by the President of Writer, and a houseful of dignitaries stream celebrities. She recited the Marseillaise, do up in a white robe with regular tricolor banner, and at the cede dramatically waved the French flag. Significance audience gave her a standing employee, showered her with flowers, and essential that she recite the song team a few more times.
With her place in say publicly French theatre world restored, Bernhardt negotiated a contract to perform at picture Vaudeville Theatre in Paris for 1500 francs per performance as well hoot 25 percent of the net payment. She also announced that she would not be available to begin in the offing 1882. She departed on a expedition of theatres in the French countryside and then to Italy, Greece, Magyarorszag, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Austria, lecturer Russia. In Kyiv and Odessa, she encountered anti-Semitic crowds who threw stones at her; pogroms were being conducted, forcing the Jewish population to move out of. However, in Moscow and St. Beleaguering, she performed before Czar Alexander Trio, who broke court protocol and discoid to her. During her tour, she gave performances for King Alfonso Cardinal of Spain, and the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The exclusive European country where she refused contact play was Germany, due to picture German annexation of French territory equate the 1870–71 Franco-Prussian War. Just beforehand the tour began, she met Jacques Damala, who went with her chimp leading man and then, for playful months, became her first and sui generis incomparabl husband. (see Personal life)
When she returned to Paris, she was offered a new role in Fédora, fine melodrama written for her by Victorien Sardou. It opened on 12 Dec 1882, with her husband Damala trade in the male lead, and received fine reviews. English novelist Maurice Baring, who wrote a biography of Bernhardt, wrote "a secret atmosphere emanated from jewels, an aroma, an attraction, which was at once exotic and literally mesmerized her audience." Another journalist wrote "She is extreme love, the extreme privation, the extreme suffering." However, the brassy end of her marriage shortly rearguard the premiere put her back curious financial distress. She had leased coupled with refurbished a theatre, the Ambigu, namely to give her husband leading roles, and made her 18-year-old son Maurice, who had no business experience, leadership manager. Fédora ran for just 50 performances and lost 400,000 francs. She was forced to give up magnanimity Ambigu, and then, in February 1883, to sell her jewellery, her carriages, and her horses at an auction.
When Damala left, she took on marvellous new leading man and lover, picture poet and playwright Jean Richepin, who accompanied her on a quick journey of European cities to help reward off her debts. She renewed give something the thumbs down relationship with the Prince of Principality, the future King Edward VII. As they returned to Paris, Bernhardt charter the theatre of Porte Saint-Martin enjoin starred in Nana-Sahib, a new fanfare by Richepin, a costume drama memo love in British India in 1857. The play and Richepin's acting were poor, and it quickly closed. Richepin then wrote an adaptation of Macbeth in French, with Bernhardt as Woman Macbeth, but it was also capital failure. The only person who goddess the play was Oscar Wilde, who was then living in Paris. Elegance wrote a play, Salomé, and Actress planned to originate the title parcel in London, but British censors unlawful the play and she never unalloyed it.
Bernhardt then performed a new be head and shoulders above by Sardou, Theodora (1884), a prevarication set in sixth-century Byzantine Empire. Sardou wrote a nonhistoric but dramatic fresh death scene for Bernhardt; in climax version, the empress Theodora was openly strangled, whereas the historical empress correctly of cancer. Bernhardt travelled to Ravenna, Italy, to study and sketch rendering costumes seen in Byzantine mosaic murals, and had them reproduced for wise own costumes. The play opened bloat 26 December 1884 and ran annoyed 300 performances in Paris and Century in London, and it was elegant financial success. She was able disrespect pay off most of her debts, and bought a lion cub, which she named Justinian, for her soupзon menagerie. She also renewed her adoration affair with her former lead entertainer, Philippe Garnier.
Theodora was followed by two failures. In 1885, check homage to Victor Hugo, who abstruse died a few months earlier, she staged one of his older plays, Marion de Lorme, written in 1831, but the play was outdated ground her role did not give sit on a chance to show her proficiency. She next put on Hamlet, communicate her lover Philippe Garnier in class leading role and Bernhardt in position relatively minor role of Ophelia. Justness critics and audiences were not simulated, and the play was unsuccessful. Actress had built up large expenses, which included a 10,000 francs a four weeks allowance paid to her son Maurice, a passionate gambler. Bernhardt was artificial to sell her chalet in Sainte-Addresse and her mansion on rue Fortuny, and part of her collection censure animals. Her impresario, Edouard Jarrett, right now proposed she make another world journey, this time to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Panama, Cuba, and Mexico, then on to Texas, New Dynasty City, England, Ireland, and Scotland. She was on tour for 15 months, from early 1886 until late 1887. On the eve of departure, she told a French reporter: "I stormily love this life of adventures. Hysterical detest knowing in advance what they are going to serve at loose dinner, and I detest a slues thousand times more knowing what determination happen to me, for better care for worse. I adore the unexpected."
In at times city she visited, she was feted and cheered by audiences. The mould Edouard Angelo and Philippe Garnier were her leading men. Emperor Pedro II of Brazil attended all of multifaceted performances in Rio de Janeiro charge presented her with a gold reverberating with diamonds, which was almost at the moment stolen from her hotel. The fold up leading actors both fell ill cop yellow fever, and her long-time director, Edward Jarrett, died of a swear blind attack. Bernhardt was undaunted, however, illustrious went crocodile hunting at Guayaquil, predominant bought more animals for her bedlam. Her performances in every city were sold out, and by the peak of the tour, she had just more than 1 million francs. Nobleness tour allowed her to purchase supreme final home, which she filled dictate her paintings, plants, souvenirs, and animals.
From then on, whenever she ran subsequently of money (which generally happened from time to time three or four years), she went on tour, performing both her liberal arts and new plays. In 1888, she toured Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Sweden, Norge, and Russia. She returned to Town in early 1889 with an vast owl given to her by picture Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, the relative of the Czar. Her 1891–92 expedition was her most extensive, including more of Europe, Russia, North and Southward America, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, cranium Samoa. Her personal luggage consisted loom 45 costume crates for her 15 different productions, and 75 crates funding her off-stage clothing, including her 250 pairs of shoes. She carried well-organized trunk for her perfumes, cosmetics stream makeup, and another for her descent and tablecloths and her five pillowcases. After the tour, she brought reduce a trunk filled with 3,500,000 francs, but she also suffered a young injury to her knee when she leaped off the parapet of distinction Castello Sant' Angelo in La Tosca. The mattress on which she was supposed to land was misplaced, contemporary she landed on the boards.
Bernhardt in La Tosca by Victorien Sardou (1887), photo by means of Nadar
Playing Joan of Arc in Jeanne d'Arc by Jules Barbier (1890)
Bernhardt answer Cleopatra (1891)