BERNHARDT, Fr. pron. blirn'iirt', Ger. pron. bern'hiirt, ROSINE. called SARAH (1844—). A noted French actress. She is a Jewess, of French and Dutch parentage, born in Paris, October 22, 1844, but having been baptized into the Christian faith by her father's desire, was brought up in a convent. Entering the Paris Conservatoire in 1858, she gained second prizes for both tragedy and comedy, and in 1862 made her debut in Racine's Iphigenie at the Thatre Francais, but attracted little notice, and soon left the theatre, only to meet with less suc cess in burlesque at the Gymnase and Porte Saint-Martin. In 1867 she began to play minor parts at the Odeon, where her performance of the Queen of Spain in Ray Bias, and of Zanctta in Coppee's Passant, revealed the force of her genius. She was recalled to the Thelitre Fran cais in 1872, after the Franco-Prussian War. In 1874 she achieved a new triumph as Berthe de Savigny in Le Sphinx, and shortly afterwards became a regular member of the company. In her rapidly extended repertoire one of the nota ble successes was her Doha Sol, in Victor lingo's Ilernani. In 1879 she appeared in London, where she excited great enthusiasm. The next year, after the production of Augier's L'Aren turiere, she abruptly severed her connection with the Theatre Francais, hut was condemned to pay $20,000 costs and damages for this breach of contract. Shortly afterwards she made a lucrative and very successful tour in the United States, appearing in Adrienne Lee()livreur, La Dame aux Camelias, and other plays. She has since toured extensively in both North and South America, as well as in Russia, and other parts of Europe. In 1882 she was married to Jacques
Damala, a Greek actor, from whom she was separated in 1883. For several years she played at the Vaudeville and Porte-Saint-Martin thea tres, among her productions being Sardou's Fedora and La Tosca. In 1893 she took the Thetitre de In Renaissance, where were produced aismonde and La Samaritaine. Before the Ex position of 1900, however, she transferred herself to a larger theatre in the Place du Chiltelet, which had been for a time the home of the Opera Comique. Dere she appeared as Hamlet, and as L'Aiglon in Rostaud's drama. The latter she brought to America, with Constant Coquelin, in 1900. Bernhardt is noted for her versatility, and besides activity upon the stage has ex hibite(1, excellent work as a painter and sculptor. She has also appeared as an author, with Do ss les images (1878), and a comedy called L'Avett, produced at the Odeon in 1888. Scarcely less noted than her fascinating power as an actress are the personal caprices and eccentricities which help to keep her in the public eye. Among the tales that are told is that of the coffin which she ordered made and upholstered with her sou \ enirs, to keep in her chamber and serve as her occasional resting-place. She is undoubtedly the foremost French actress of her time, and for years has challenged comparison with her great predecessor, Rachel. Consult Jules Huret, Sarah Bernhardt, with a preface by Ednuind Rostand (Eng. trans., Philadelphia. 1899).