The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-23
BY A. w. L'AMoUREUx.


 Paris, Feb, 20-Although all the
 world of the stage knows of it and a
 dozen hypothetical parodtes of 1t have been played and sung, not half a dozen persons besides the author know the whole of M. Edmond Rostands "Chan- tecler," and those few are sworn by dreadful oaths to secrecy One Of them
 was Coquelin himself. who already had his part by heart, and with that mar vicious memory of his which enabled him to keep fifty-three leading parts in as many plays in his head, would often recite to a few intimate friends passages from his role, which was to have been, he persudaded, the best of all his crations Challenged one day to prove that he really had bis fifty three parts at his finger-tfps, he asked number of persons pxesent each to open the book of a different play at
 random and to read him out cue.
 The test was conclusive He followed up each one without hesitation and
 without one mistake. As for "Chante- cler," he possibly knew that part bet
 ter than any other. for he admired none more. It was obviously written for him. and one cannot help wonder ing whether the poets Idea of the play was not suggested by the actor himself. and whether he did not write verse round Chanticleer for a hero
 because the player. who was known to his friends as Cog was there to act it.
 Who will be the Cock of the Walk in the poets play now? The dead actor had been letter perfect in his part already for months and his dress of gorgeous feathers. with magnificent tail and imperious comb, had long been ready. Who will wear it now? From a passage In NJ. Edmond Ros- tand's moving speech at Coquelin's funeral 1t was gathered that his son Jean has. as it were. been appointed heir to "Chantecler" by the poet. NJ Jean Coquelin may, therefore, come into the art of Chantecler as his in- heritance. He has his fathers voice to an extraordinary degree. and he has already proved that he has some of his fathers talent. He would not find a better opportunity of proving that he has all of It, though the honor will not be light one to bear.
 Plot of The Play.
 "Chantecler" is founded on the medaeval Roman du Renard." which Goethe, In a not much read poem re- vived. and of which Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit are distant modern descend ants, Not more than one or two of the actors In the cast know more of the work than their own parts in the first act the only one yet rehearseJ. The rehearsals of the second were to begin on the very day that CoquelIn died The chief characters are the Rooster, the Hen. the Guinea Fowl. the Magpie. the Great Barn owl. and the Watch Dog. No human being appears in the play All the scenes take place in the farmyard. and one act passes entirely fin the watch dogs kennel. It Is not. accordingly. the most easy play to stage The cast at present includes Madame Simone (formerly Le Bargy) the Hen: Madame Augustine Lericke. a eorgeously good -humored actress of broad force, the plump Guinea Fowl lean and mercurial M. Talipaux the Magpie; anu solemn M. DorivaI, the Great Fowl. NJ Jean Coquelin was originally cast for the Watch Dog.
 The story. so far as known. is that of a dark plot matched by the moplng Owl. who doth to the moon complain against the sovereignty of the Cock of the Walk. Other birds and some but their machinations arc defeated The Cock has his own romance in his adoration for the, Hen Golden Pheasant; but she shuns his advances for fear of losing her golden plumagc. The Watch Dog is the judge and arbiter, and the Cock of the Walk comes out victor in the end. and crows In triumph once again How poor Coquelin would have crowded Ros- tand's verse with that clarion voice of his. One can Imagine few better themes for the fancy of a poet Nike ! Rostand tha nthis fairy folklore tale and one can understand his delighting | in 1t. In his "Chantecler" Rostand's ! s ffN yp boa f-~r