The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-02-07
. CYRANO DE- BERGERAC
THE MOST TALKED OF PLAY OF
THE SEASON.
Something About the Man, the Play
and the Book of the Play Just Late
ly Published.

The dramatic sensation OF the sea- |
son in the states is the play "Cyrano |
de Bergerac." There is scarcely a pa
per issued in the mainland but con- |
, tains something about it or some allu- |
sion to it. In Chicago sandbaggers and |
highwaymen have adopted the Cyrano |
nose as a part of their disguise. Rich |
ard Mansfield is undoubtedly the lead
ing exponent of the character on the |
stage, though it has been produced in |
every city and by all grades of theat- |
rical companies. Mansfield has hcen |
playing for weeks in Chicago to crowd |
ed houses at 81 a seat. Vaudeville has
found it's strongest competitor in
"Cyrano de Bergerac."
The book of the play has just been
published and is now on sale by the
booksellers in Honolulu. What is IN
usual in a modern drama, Cyrano de
Bergerac is interesting as a book.
The real Cyrano de Bergerac was n
Gascon, born in 1920. At Is he was
enlisted by Carbon Castel Jaloux ilto
his military company. He was hardly
| enlisted before his chief business SEEM
| ed to be, getting into duels. He gained
! the sobriquet of the demon of desper-
ADDE'S" Yet this man possessed intel
! lectual qualities of the highest order.
| His attachments in philosophy were
! extensive, and his literary ability gives
him a place in IDIOTS Geographic
! Universelle." In two plays which he
wrote effects were introduced for the
| first time which Molere borrowed and
! which later dramatists constantly use.
His nose by nature a large aquiline
organ, became disfigured in the most
! grOteSque way by the sword CJbtS it
had received in his innumerable duels.
! In the play to which his name has
been given, Edmond Rostand, the au-
thor, makes him i'm love with his cous-
in RoXane, high spirited 'precieuse.'
| a blue stocking" but he Conceives that
the uglness of his nose condemns him
to celibacy. She falls in love with the
handsome face of Christian de Neu-
| Villette, who, though not lacking in
good qualities, is wholly without the
graces of speech and art of expression
which she in her mad passion for him
assumes are appurtenant qualities 10
his beauty. Learning that Christian
has enlisted in Cyrano's company of
Gascon brawlers, RoXane goes to her
cousin Cyrano, confesses her love for
Christian and entreats Cyrano to pro-
tect him. This out of love for her he
promises to do. He soon learns that
Christian is a blockhead in the elegance
of love making and offers to write his
love letters for him and to prompt him
in pretty speeches. The offer is ac-
cepted and CyranO pOurs out his own
love for his cousin in the admirable let
ters he dictates to Christian. ROXane
convinced by the letters, which might
serve as models, that Christian posses
SEES the qualities of mind she ascribes
to him because of his handsome face,
becomes still more desperately in love
with him, and to avoid the impCrtuni
ties of a more exalted lover and the
command of Richelcu. secretly End
hastily marries him. And it is in con-
nection with this that Cyrano adopts
; a ruse to keep the titled lover away
while the marriage ceremony is being
; performed that for exquisite fancy
ingenuity, readiness of mind and sub
| tlety of speech, would be hard to eX'
= Gel.
Christian is killed on the battlefield
of Arras. But before he dies learns
that ROXane has grown to love him fol
, the qualities of mind she suppoSeS M
possesses, but which are Cyrano $, anc
begs Cyrano to disclose the deceit anC
declare his own love- But constant t
,. his promise to protect Christian ana
a with an exquisite QuiXotic delicacy o.
sentiment he refuses to do so. Just be
fore CyranO's death RoXane learns thu
: truth and understanding the motive
K which prompted his actions and realz
ing the blindness of her own idolatry
i she reproaches herself with having
married his life. His reply to this makes
l. some of the finest lines of the book.
You blessed my life! Never on M
had rested woman's love. My mother
= even, could not find me fair; had n
, sister; and, when grown a man,
feared the mistress who would noel
at me. But l had had your friendship
e grace to you. A woman's charm ha
e passed across my path"
Her reply to this is in equally nobl
- strain
81 loved but once, yet twice I los
I, my love!"