Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-07
Its Dress Rehearsal Easily the
Leading Sensation of the
Hour in Paris
A POEM OF LYRIC BEAUTY.
Papers Print More About Perform
ancc Than OF Misery and Havoc
Resulting From Flood.

cleer." which had It's dress rehearsal at
the Porte st. Martin theater is easily
the leading sensation of the hour in
Paris
Today's papers printed more about
the performance than of the details OF
the misery and havoc wrought by the
recent flood
The critics are unanimous that as a
poem of lyric beauty "Chantlcleer" is
unsurpassed and many pronounce IL
Rostand's masterpiece. All pay tributes
To the marvellous Ingenuity with which
the author depicts the play of human
weakness i'm the "barnyard romance"
but manifest doubt that it will prove a
popular dramatic success.
The English and American critics
fear that the delicate French flavor
will be wholly lost in translation.
GREAT ARTISTIC SUCCESS
The dress rehearsal OF Edmund Ros-
tand's "Cantlcleer'' at the Porte st.
Martin theater last night in the
presence of q remarkable audience
comprising the elite OF the literary.
artistic and dramatic world Of Paris,
as well as other European capitals,
was an artistic success of the first
magnitude, the exquisite verse being up
to the finest traditions of Rostand's
poetic genius.
The brilliancy of the first act which
was preceded by a charming prologue.
delivered by Jean Coquelin. preparing
the audience for the atmosphere of the
piece. fairly set the theater mad with
enthusiasm. But the second and third
acts. which were somewhat tedious,
were less favorably received.
In the last act, however. enthusiasm
was revived to the boiling point There
were FIVE calls after the curtain fell.
but NJ. Rostand himself did not appear.
NJ. Quitry, who took the part of Chan
ticleer stepped before the curtain
and simply expressed his thanks.
WONDERFUL STAGING.
The piece was wonderfully staged
and the plot thrilling. NJ. Guitry. Nine.
Simonne LeRargy, the hen pheasant;
Gallipoux. the blackbird, and Co1uelin.
the dog. carried off the honors.
The secret OF the many delays incl
dent to the presentation of the play is
now explained by the changes made at
the end of the play. The hen pheasant.
after vainly trying to induce Chanti-
cleer, whom she has enticed to the for
est, to prolong the night 36 hours In
their nuptials, betrays him, and he re-
turns to the barnyard to his faithful
hens
The critics generally consider that
the brilliancy of the verse surpasses
even "Cyrano." if that be possible. but
the artistic note struck is go high that
they doubt whether the play will be
popular success after curiosity has
worn off
1t Is rumorcd that NJ. Rostand him
self will play the role of Chanticleer
at the benefit to be given for the flood
sufferers.
A UNIQUE PRODUCTION.
Rostand's Chanticleer probably is
the most unique production ever pre-
sented on the stage NO human char-
acter appears in the cast. The dramat
ic personac are fowls, birds and ami
mails, and. as they are necessarily as
large as the men and women who enact
the parts, everything which appears
upon the stage Is upon a corresponding
scale.
Chanticleer. the hero (Guitry) is
filled with illusions about his place in
the world He imagines he is master
OF the sun: that the sun rises at the
end OF night because Chanticleer has
awakened and crowed. The play dis
pels this Illusion in the heart OF Chan
ticleer alone.
The first act opens with the sun rIs-
ing on a barnyard. A mountainous
manure pile is on one side of the
stage A fence which seems Immense,
because 1t is in proportion. separates
the yard from a road beyond which is
a forest back ground To the right
wooden shoe. forgotten by the farm
er's wife. is of the size 1t would appear
TO the chicken, and a chair completes
the scale illusion. It's legs, which alone
are seen, being eight yards high.
In the center OF the stage with his
COMPANIONS of the barnyard grouped
around him. Chanticleer halls the
sun. whose first rays gild the scene.
In a hymn full OF the poets lyric mag
nificerce on the manure pile perch
es the blackbird (Gallipaux). Jealous
of the cock and breaking into his noble
sentiments with jibes and puns after
the manner of Cyrono. The dog Jean
CoouelIn) is the drol moraliZer OF the
niece. Chanticleer falls in love with
a beautiful pheasant (Simonne), who
is wooed by a fighting cock.
A SCENIC GEM
The second act is the scenic gem of
the piece. showing the upper branches
OF a blasted pine in the heart of for
est. the human sized birds perched in
IL
OF the birds of the night: each. as his
name Is called answering and opening
two luminous eyes, which shine In the
semi i-obscurity of the stage, green.
yellow or blood red. These birds de-
claim the hymn OF the night and after
ward conspirc together to rid them
selves OF their arch enemy, Chan
tlcleer with him gone they believe
the sunlight Will be forever quenched
and they will be masters forevermorc.
In the third act Chalticleer learns
OF the conspiracy of the night birds
and fights q duel with his false friend.
the game cock killing him despite his
steel Saffs and redoubtable skill.
This Is the beginnineof the end for
Chanticleer The treachery of his
friend poisons his optimism. The hen
pheasant. the prize of the combat. offers
the consolation OF her love In fine
outburst and then draws his head un-
der her wing and bids him sleep"
When the fourth and last act opens.
Chanticleer wooed by love has sIept
so long that the sun has risen with
out him.
"And have not crowed." he cries
The dream of his life, all his belief
in his wondrous power. crumb1es So
he was not the ruler OF the sun All
the tenderness OF the hon pheasant
cnnno. bring bncIs the lost Illusion
His hens do not know II. The birds OF
the night still believe in him. He has
followers and his enemies as before.
The sun still rises when he, Chantic-
49,, ,.t,ouru II the dog do,fhfa ba fv