New-York tribune., 1909-09-11
MACBETH IN FRANCE.
The Belgian Shakespeare" GiUes a
NoUeI Performance.
Paris. Sentemher 1.

Macbeth" at the half ruined, twelfth century
abbaye Of Saint -Wandrie, near Caudebec. in
Normandy. inaugurates new kind OF dramatic
entertainment-that OF the ambulatory theatre.
Groups Of spectators. about fifty all told, con-
Quoted by guides attred in distinctive red vel
low or green costumes of the period, follow the
performers about from point TO point i'm the sue
cessive phases of the play which take place in
different halls galleries of the abbaye at
suitable spots in the cIoisters terraces and park.
The huge sombre abbaye, with its massive stone
constructions may. with pardonable stretch Of
imagination, be accepted 4 substitute for
Macbeth's castle near Inverness. or for the royal
palace at Dunsinane. The performance was ar
ranged by NJ Maurice Maeterlinck, who, with
his wife, Nine Georgette Leblanc Ma aeterlinck,
lives during the summer at the Abbaye of Saint
Wsndrille. and who has completed his transa-
tion Of Macbeth" into French. His wife played
the part of Lady Macbeth. and the other char
acters were intrusted to leading Partisan actors
and actresses. The interior of the abbaye had
been arranged so as to present what may be
fairly supposed TO have been ancient Scottish
furniture and fittings. and the costumes We're
historically accurate
It was a night of full moon and the sky was
free from clouds. After waiting an hour in
a vast and chilly anteroom with paved floor
the red guide who to conduct our little
group appeared and announced that the per-
formance was about to begin. II was o'clock.
We were led to a balcony near the high-walled
dark coister of the abbaye, where the moon
light could not penetrate. By a clever COM
bnation of electric mechanism and sheet iron
one was given the illusion of being in a thunder
storm Flashes of lightning revealed the three
witches circling about their caudron skipping
about real heather and chanting incanta-
tions. a shrill screech OF Highland bagpipes is
heard, succeeded by a beating of kettledrums.
Macbeth and Banquo appear on horseback. fol-
lowed by officers and soldiers. We hear the
rumbling and the murmurs of the troopers,
the clanking of arms and armor, and the
sound of horses. The scene of the witches is
weird and realistic. After their prophetic greet
ings they vanish with such magic rapidity that
keenly appreciates the force of Banquo's
comment. 1.-The earth hath bubbles. the
water has. and these of them" We are
conducted to another part OF the grounds. Mac
beth disnounts from his charger and walks
slowly and alone up a slight knoll near the
forest where he 'pronounces his soiloquy. and
we hear BanQuo exclaim: Look, how
partners raptr' Macbeth slowly descends, and
the cortege disappears in the shade.
We are next led TO vast stone-hoored room
in the abbaye, where we find Lady Macbeth
reading her husbands letter. The messenger
announces the forthcoming visit of King Dun
can. Macbeth enters. The famous scene is ad-
mirably arranged before a Norman window
through which streamed the white rays Of the
moon The arrival of Duncan before Macbeth's
castle and his reception in the court of honor
were highly effective The royal cOrtege, with
torchbearers, appeared in the distance and ap-
preached by a circular path. Macbeth met Dun
at the keep and conducted him to the great
stairway, at the top of which he was welcomed
by Lady Macbeth. In a court where Lady Mac
beth persuades her husband to murder Duncan
one sees through the windows the brilliantly
lighted banquet table. When Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth ascend the steps to enter the hall
one feels that Duncan's fate is settled.
The dagger scene passes in the large hall of
the ancient refectory. Macbeth then enters a
corridor into which opens the door of Duncans
bedchamber. When Macbeth comes out Of Dun
cans apartment after having committed the
murder he is met by Lady Macbeth in a court
yard. The scene of the drunken porter takes
place in long gallery running along three walls
leading 10 a gate. This is appropriate owing to
the length of the monologue pronounced by the
porter he walks tipsily along to open the gate
for Macduf and LennoX. The tumult in the
castle when the inmates are aroused by the
cries of Macduff. Lennox and Macbeth. appris-
ing them Of the murder. is terrific. The supper
scene, where Macbeth, returning to his chair
which he left temporarily to receive the report
of Banquo's assassins-fnds it occupied by the
ghost of Banquo. was the weakest point of the
performance, and verged upon the grotesoue
on the other hand, the scene where Macbeth
consults the witches is thoroughly Shakespear-
can. The spectators. grouped in a high open
gallery between Norman arches look down into
an ancient cloister. which by night has all the
appearance of a cavern. The secret black and
midnight hags" hobble about upon the grass
around huge boiling cauldron. Mystic tomb
like gates open and reveal 70 Macbeth the series
Of frightful visions, while in another high gal
lery beneath open arches one sees the process
sion Of Banquo's descendants as kings in their
coronation robes, emblems and crowns LADY
Macbetns monologue while walking in her sleep
IS spoken in an enormous hail. in which is
long gallery, high up and encompassing thre.
walls. She enters, grasping the hickering night
taper. and utters the soliloquy as she proceeds
slowly, passing along the gallery, descending the
stairway and finally disappearing through
concealed door. This arrangement is most i'm,
pressive.
NJ Maurice Maeterlinck's translation. or
rather, abridged adaptation. lacks the accuracy
strength and Shakespearean rhythm retained h.,
Schiller in his German version 1t is on the
whole no better than the unsatisfactory one
made by FRANCOIS Victor Hugo and Maurice
Pottecher, and by no means thorough or as
scholarly that made recently BIZ NJ DuvaI
Deplorabe liberties taken not only with the
text but with the play itself The combat be-
tween Macbeth and Macduff occurs in room
IN Dunsinane Castle. After Macbeth is slain
his head is not borne in by Macduff. as in the
accepted version, but Malcolm appears at the
top Of the stairs and is saluted as King or
Scotland" and the curtain falls one instance
may be selected from scores OF others as indi-