Emile BERGERAT (1845–1923), a versatile writer, poet, and pa - Lot 17

Lot n° 17
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200 - 300 EUR
Emile BERGERAT (1845–1923), a versatile writer, poet, and pa - Lot 17
Emile BERGERAT (1845–1923), a versatile writer, poet, and pamphleteer, endowed with humor and imagination, son-in-law of Théophile Gautier. A set of 6 signed autograph letters, comprising 9 pages in-8 and 3 pages in-12: - The first, dated July 1882, is addressed to the actor Adolphe Dupuis, asking him to accept the lead role in his comedy "Le Nom," proposed by Charles de La Rounat, director of the Théâtre de l’Odéon: "No one better than you will be able to bring my vision to life more eloquently." - The second and third letters, on *Le Figaro* letterhead, are addressed to Abraham Dreyfus, dated June and October 1890, regarding the dispute between Bergerat and Porel that lasted several years over a staging of “Le Capitaine Fracasse,” based on the work by Théophile Gautier. The stage adaptation that Bergerat had written—which Porel rejected or hesitated to stage—prompted Bergerat to file a complaint against him. - The fourth letter, dated April 22, 1901, addressed “to his dear friend”— probably Paul Adam or Jules Clarétie, is a complaint regarding the estimated price of his work: “I would never have agreed to give you the first [dozen] for five louis if I hadn’t wanted to help you as best I could in launching your publication,” a “friendly sacrifice,” “wages here are not measured by the task (…) Be that as it may, I am neither rich enough nor poor enough to give it away at a loss to my sanity,” then he mentions Mr. Juven’s refusal to do him a favor—“a small favor that would have been very easy for him to grant me, and that was to publish in *Le Rire* the portrait that Léandre drew of me (…) you can imagine the Parisian nudge that this publication would have given me. I did not get what I wanted, even after bringing Arsène Alexandre into the matter.” - The fifth letter, dated August 17, 1901, addressed “to his Péric,” the actor Louis Péricaud, concerning  “La Pompadour,” a play written by Émile Bergerat (a dramatic comedy that premiered on November 13, 1901, at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin in Paris). Bergerat also mentions a young actor whom he nicknames “Chatterton,” an actor he considers talented but fragile: “I find him very interesting, as do all of you, but isn’t his pronunciation in need of improvement? I found it a bit slurred (…) Has he learned d’Etioles’ monologue? (…) We could always have him learn the role so he can step in if something happens.” - The last letter is addressed to a colleague, undated, regarding his play “Flore de Frileuse.”
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