A VAUDEVILLE STAR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1396, 23 March 1912, Page 10

A VAUDEVILLE STAR.

Sarah liernliarclt, it appears, is to ra> turn to America sooner than was expectod, says a writer in an American paper, It is Announced that sho has signed a contract to tour the United Stales wain, next winter, as a vaudeville star. There is something unpleasant in the notions of such a, career ending in the halls, although, as a matter of fact, the latter have been looming large as dangerous rivals of the regular .theatres tor some time. And, after all, there is no particular reason why she should not do hero what she, has (lone already in London. It is possible that, in the new conditions, lior art may riso superior to its environment, but it is permissible to doubt. Those who are old enough to remember her in tho days of lier early prime, know (hat sho has long ceased to be the perfect artist that she was then. She is a marvellous woman', and si wonderful actress still, but years of baru-slorming and dollar-hunting nave dulled her artistic perceptions and deadened her artistic conscience. Sho has learned to appeal to the mob, and tn command ignorant applause by tho uso of ii violence to which in the past she would not liavo condescended. That sho, will regain her full sense of the valueof artistic restraint in the atmosphere of the halls is scarcely to be expected. It is tolerably certain, though, that sho wilt add another fortune to those sho has made before, and greatly increase her notoriety if not her reputation. But they who see her only in "potted drama" will know very little about the real Bernhardt. It is not likely, however, that they will feel aggrieved on this account. In their case ignorance will be bliss, and Madame, Sarah may be depended upon to give them something to talk about.