The Outlook Volume 64

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...down in a rather hard and cramped seat, if, having long studied and loved French literature in general and French drama in particular, he can see that literature portrayed on the boards of the first theater in the world by the first actors in the world? So the Spectator has always been unwontedly patient in squeezing ... Read More

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...down in a rather hard and cramped seat, if, having long studied and loved French literature in general and French drama in particular, he can see that literature portrayed on the boards of the first theater in the world by the first actors in the world? So the Spectator has always been unwontedly patient in squeezing in at the narrow door into a crypt-like place, enlivened only by a lot of lackeys with their chains of office; in passing in his ticket and awaiting the expected "Au premier a droite" (first floor to the right) from one of the three contrbUurs, or examiners, before being allowed to proceed. Then the Spectator would go past those noble statues of Talma and Rachel up the stairs to the cloak corridor, and then into the auditorium and to his accustomed seat. If obtainable, and it generally was obtainable, the Spectator's seat was always to the extreme of one side of the house, close to a door from which he had no draught, but out of which he could escape easily in case of fire. The Spectator has always been nervous about fires, especially in theaters, but most particularly in such a theater as the Theatre Francais, where a conflagration would have a good chance. At the close of the performance there would descend an iron curtain impressively enough, and you could go upstairs and see the water in pails ready to be poured out; but somehow there was a prophecy of the slowness of the fireenginery (alas I now only too well fulfilled) in the way conflagrations were attended to in other parts of Paris. So the Spectator liked to settle down as near a door as possible. Another reason for such a seat was that the wall was on one side of him, and the wall was often a more sympathetic companion than some of the people who came to the theater. When th... Read Less