Théâtre Français

    “The performance given Thursday night to benefit M. Hone only had the Arion Ball and the benefit for the Société de Bienfaisance up against it. Therefore, the hall showed a lot of empty seats and the receipts must have been very weak. The public obviously doesn’t want three such events in one week.

    The most regrettable thing is that the beneficiaries bear the burden of a policy that they have no power over, and see themselves deprived of the legitimate complement of stipends that follow such performances.

    If M. Hone didn’t have a financial success, he at least had an artistic one. . . .

    Offenbach’s new operetta Ba-ta-Clan was . . . spiritedly interpreted by MM. Donatien, Chol, Elgard and Mlle Maillet. They laughed out loud and greatly applauded the artists as well as their costumes in a very pretty Chinese décor improvised by M. Calyo for the occasion.

    Alongside these well-earned praises, we must once again remind M. Gravier of the rules that he forgets too much. Applauded at one of his exits, he came back on stage to bow to the audience. That’s a shocking misconception against which we’ve already protested and which the spectators should strongly suppress, far from encouraging it by a grievous benevolence. In no case should an artist be permitted to interrupt a scene in order to bring about a personal ovation.”