THE THEATRES.
THE French plays at the St. James's Theatre have commenced a season brilliant in promise, under favourable auspices : the house was well attended on Monday, the opening-night, and still better on Wednesday, when the previous performances were repeated with increased éclat. Madame du Barry, a comedy by M. A NCELOT, in three long acts, with little incident, less character, and longer pauses between the acts than playgoers like, was a trial of patience that the cleverness of Madame ALBERT, and the interest created by Mademoiselle PROSPER, a young actress from the Gymnase, of charming person and engaging man- ner, enabled the audience to bear with philosophy. The little part of Cecile—an innocent girl who is inveigled into the infamous Pare an Cerfs, in the hope that her charms may prove fatal to the ascendancy of the Countess du Barry over Louis the Fifteenth, but who is timely discovered to be an illegitimate daughter of the King—suited well the graceful timidity of Mademoiselle PROSPER, whose powers are not yet developed : her intelligence and sensibility, and the sweet expressive- ness of her ingenuous countenance, are qualities that only require more matured skill in her art to impress as much in the actress as they now fascinate in the woman. The part of the Countess du Barry, though we believe " created" by Madame ALBERT, does not exhibit her talents to advantage : there was an apparent effort in her performance, that made the art too obvious throughout; and when her natural energy and viva- city broke through the constraint, the assumed air of courtly dignity disappeared with it ; in short, the ease and abandon of the imperious and capricious favourite were wanting. What the forte of Madame ALBERT is, became evident when she appeared in the afterpiece as Georgette—a wicked, coquettish, peasant-girl, who to win a husband passes herself off as another person : the saucy vivacity and wanton brusquerie of the character were so naively expressed—there was such spirit and enjoyment in her incessant activity—that it was difficult to believe the formal, tristc, and shrewish intrigante of the first piece, to be the lively coquette in the last. Madame ALBERT is a finished vocal- ist; but arch and joyous strains are far more pleasing and effective than plaintive ones from her lips. Mademoiselle ELIZA FORGEOT, who besides being Directrice is an excellent actress, will appear on Monday next : she was audible as well as visible on the opening-night, but only as a vocalist ; and sang a verse of " God save the Queen" with distinctness and freedom from foreign accent. Madame CROSET, who reminds us of Mrs. C. JONES; M. LIENARD, easy and unassuming, who plays any part with propriety, and always pleasantly ; M. CARTIGNY, a sensible and efficient actor ; and M. GAMARD, grotesque and amusing in old men,—these were old favourites; M. ROZEVILLE, who played a workman characteristically, is a new acquisition to the company.
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