Suzanne Steele: Moliere's "School For Wives"

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May We Suggest As
THE DRAMATIC EVENT OF THE SEASON
SUZANNE STEELE
Molière's School For Wives

With Scenic Investiture Exactly As Presented in Paris and New York

Without the aid of any disguise or any make-up, before our eyes, she becomes by turn, jealous Adolphe, petulant Horace, innocent Agnès, churlish Alain and sprightly Georgette.  When one is fond of Molière, how can one help being moved by seeing all his characters thus brought to life, by the grace of one single artist's spirit?

—B. Dussane, Sociétaire de la Comédie-Française, Comoedia, Paris

Management
ERNEST BRIGGS
Incorporated
TIMES BUILDING, N. Y.
CELEBRITIES
for Educational and Entertainment auspices for
COMING EVENTS



Management ERNEST BRIGGS, Inc. Presents
SUZANNE STEELE
In Molière's
School For Wives
Arnolphe, a conceited, selfish man of middle age, has had his young ward, Agnès, trained in a convent to become a model wife for himself, simple, pliable and unspoiled.  He has kept her mind entirely undeveloped, and her imagination free from all knowledge of good and evil.

He has recently taken Agnès from the convent and kept her cloistered in a house near his own, in Paris, awaiting the day of their marriage.

Business, meanwhile, has taken Arnolphe from town for ten days, and in his absence Agnès has met and fallen in love with Horace, son of Arnolphe's old friend Oronte.

In this masterpiece of youth and love, written and produced in France nearly three hundred years ago, Molière seems to have composed the kind of half-comic, half-serious picture of the seventeenth century Parisian who finds himself in a dilemma which he does not know how to manage.


Arnolphe: Tonight, that young tadpole intends to trick me and to get on to Agnès balcony, but—





Translated from the French
BY
SUZANNE STEELE
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY (in order of speaking)


CHRYSALDE, Arnolphe's friend
played by Suzanne Steele


ARNOLPHE, (known to Agnès as Monsieur de la Souche)
played by Suzanne Steele


ALAIN, a peasant, Arnolphe's valet
played by Suzanne Steele


GEORGETTE, a peasant girl, Arnolphe's maid
played by Suzanne Steele


AGNÈS, a young, artless girl brought up by Arnolphe
played by Suzanne Steele


HORACE, son of Oronte, in love with Agnès
played by Suzanne Steele


ORONTE, father of Horace and friend of Arnolphe
played by Suzanne Steele



PLACE—A Paris street in front of Arnolphe's house.

TIME—About three hundred years ago.


ACTS I AND II
One Morning
ACTS III AND IV
Two Hours Later
ACT V
Dawn of the Following Morning

The play opens with a conversation between Arnolphe and his friend Chrysalde, as the two men come out of Arnolphe's house, Chrysalde speaking first: You tell me you've come back to marry the girl?


Horace: Tonight I am to get on to Agnès' balcony, in spite of the jealous old watchdog!






Agnès: Tonight—?


For—Miss Steele, entirely alone, incarnated all the roles of 'The School for Wives.'  The effect is astonishing.  Following her in her different attitudes, one almost forgets, finally, that she is alone on the stage, so cleverly does she use her various resources.—Robert Lorette, Paris Soir.


Suzanne Steele … not only the translator but sole animator … remarkable style and finish.—
Michel Gibson, Chicago Tribune, Paris.


A capacity audience applauded Suzanne Steele … —
New York Herald, Paris.

Voice of astonishing flexibility … subtle music … even in the English—text keeps a classic savor, truly French …—N. P., L'Intransigeant, Paris.

Suzanne Steele is indeed a commedienne of great talent …—Charles Gombault, Paris Midi.

Pierre Fresnay—Noah and with Yvonne Printemps in Conversation Piece—Dear Miss Steele: Let me tell you again how grateful I am that you should use your talent in presenting a French masterpiece to American audiences.  I feel quite sure you will be just as successful as you were in Paris, when your remarkable interpretation of 'The School for Wives' was so highly appreciated.

Yours very truly,
Pierre Fresnay.


Unusual performance.—
New York Times.


Miss Steele revived the sly philosophy of Molière's work … portrayed the characters with quick and artful transformation in gesture and voice.—
New York Tribune.


Miss Steele is charming.—
Stephen Rathbun, New York Sun.


All in all, the most ingenious program I've seen in a long search for the unique.—
James B. Pond, Program.

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