Le Sphinx

Overview

Le Sphinx is a drama in four acts by Octave Feuillet (1821-1890), a leading society dramatist and member of the Académie française. It was a major event of the Comédie-Française's 1874 season. It is a drama of adultery among society friends, in which Blanche (de Chelles) and Berthe (de Savigny) are the two women; it ends in death on stage, with a poison ring in the form of a sphinx (Princeton University Library Graphic Arts blog, "Sarah Bernhardt as The Sphinx"). Sophie Croizette played Blanche and Sarah Bernhardt played Berthe in the original cast, per Princeton University Library's account of Bernhardt's roles and Wikipedia, "Roles played by Sarah Bernhardt" (the premiere was in March 1874; sources vary on the day).

Marie and this work

• 18 June 1874, Paris. At the Théâtre-Français, in a stage box, she sees "Le village" and "Le sphinx": "Croizette est admirable. La scène au clair de lune est très belle... je brûle d'envie de la revoir encore" (020.0360).
• 19 August 1874, Ostend. Seen again with the Tamancheff party; the acting is poor and she finds "Mme de Schelles [sic: de Chelles]" detestable (023.0215).
• 7 September 1875, Paris. After Frou-Frou at the Gymnase she says she does not admire it as she does "Le Sphynx" (041.0222).
• 26 November 1878, Paris. Taken to "Le Sphynx" at the Français the evening of the day the name "Mme de Cassagnac" upset her (083.0274).
• 16 September 1881, Biarritz. Among the four times she has seen Sarah Bernhardt she lists "une fois il y a six ans dans Le sphynx, puis ces derniers temps dans Le sphynx encore" (093.0080, with the footnote crediting Feuillet, 1874). "Six years ago" is her own reckoning (c. 1875); the diary records only the 1874 viewings (Paris, Ostend) and the 1878 one, so the occasion is not identified.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Roles played by Sarah Bernhardt"; Princeton University Library Graphic Arts blog, "Sarah Bernhardt as The Sphinx" (cast).
• Gutenberg 16403, English translation (Led Astray and The Sphinx).