Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-13
A FEW WORDS ON
A RECORD-BREAKING
STAGE ACHIEVEMENT

A dramatic spectacle and a sumptu-
Gus pageant, the like of which has
never been seen in America, is the
shortest and best description of the
Joan Of Arc" performance that Charles
Frohman has arranged for Miss Maude
Adams through the German depart
ments of Harvard university, to take
place in the stadium OF the university
Tuesday night, June 22. But too much
has already been said of the perform
ance merely as a spectacle. Charles
Frohman's chief wish and Miss Adams ,
is that an English version of Schillers S
noble, dramatic poem, Joan of Arc"
shall be represented with careful ndet-
ity to it's spirit and to its text in
English dress.
AS il will be the most elaborate it will
be, in point of fact, the first complete
representation of the drama on Ameri-
can soil. Mr.. Frohman and MISS
Adams have so schemed out the nature
of the performance that those parts OF
the play that cali for delicate, subtle
acting, shall be given with as much
care and truth as the more spectacular
passages. In the usual dramatic story
of the Maid of France" Joan of Arc
has always been painfully, If not ride
ulously, overdisplayed. There has usu-
ally been the sound of the clash OF
armies off stage, perhaps few dozen
troops that doubled and redoubled on
themselves with the aid of a back drop,
until eventually a suitable, but wholly
theatric, entrance is worked up for
Joan. who, from that moment is usu-
ally thrust before the spectators as the
whole French army, the embodiment OF
all French chiyalry and the single To-
uuacious figure in French history OF the
early fifteenth century.
Efrnb101an and Miss Adams VIII
set forth a dramatic representation of
the France of Joan's time, as well as
dramatic picture of Joan herself. Ihe
prominent figure will be surrounded by
her fitting environment. So far as is
possible by a tremendous outlay OF
money good taste and artistic sense,
the performance of Joan of Arc" in
the stadium will be France of the
period of 1929, and the place that Joan
occupied in that period. The battle
scene in itself will last from twenty
five minutes to half an hour. Several
actual tactical battlefield movements
taken from authoritative war paintings
will be used as the basis for the con-
flict between the English and the
French troops. Most of those maneu-
vers will be taken from the famous
paintings of Joan of Arcs victory-at-
arms by Boutet de MonVel. But the
idea for one of the most striking tab
leauX is taken lIOIl htlSSOlllSl NSlO-
brated canvas, called '1807," where Ma
poleon is shown, mounted on a horse
that stands upon the brow of a hill,
with the cavalry charging in the plain
before him. Joan of Arc will be SINH
larly represented in the principal mo-
ment of the battle scene in the stadium
performance. The brow of the hill Will
be at the spectators left rear. Miss
Adams, as Joan, will be seen clearly
outlined against the sky, mounted on
the traditional white horse and over
looking the armies in conflict on the
plain below.
: IT is said that Charles Frohman re-
CARDS this Harvard performance as the
must ambitious act of his career as
manager
Monday June IA, the entire produc-
ton of Joan of Arc'' will arrive in
Boston, and will be temporarily housed
I'm the Colonial theater, where rehear-
sails will be conducted, while at the
same time the small army of 1855 su-
pernumeraries are being rehearsed in
The stadium at Harvard. The entire
equipment for the production-includ-
ing 500 full suits of armor, complete
trappings for 100 mounted spearsmen,
costumes for nobes monks, citizens
the choir boys-was ready a week ago,
The stacks of spears, crossbars, shields
and chain armor would have been ade-
ouateIy able, in 1929, to deliver Orleans
from the grip of the English.
The entire proceeds will be devoted
TO the Harvard Germanic museum, one
of the chief monuments to the admin
istration of Charles W. Eliot.