The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-07
Eminent French Dramatist Adds Laure|s 10 His Fams In
 Newest Play
BRILLIANT AUDIENCE
 WITNESSES PRODUCTION
ExceIIed His Cyrano De BerEernc But Others Concede Only
 Equal Merit

Paris. February 6.-The dress rehearsal
 H Edmond Rostand's "Chanticleer'' at
 the Porte St. Martin theatre tonight. in
 the presence of remarkable audience,
 comprising the elite of the literary artis- tic 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 first 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 audience mad with enthu- siasnl. But the second and third acts, which were somewhat tedious. were less fayorably received
 In the last act, however. enthusiasm was revived to the boiling point There were five calls after the curtain fell, but M. Rostand himself did not appear M
 Gutry, who took the part of Chantieeer, stepred before the curtain and simply ex- pressed his thanks
 The piece was wonderfully staged and the plot thrilling. Guitry. Mme. Simone- Lebargy, the hen pheasant; Gallipaux, the black bird, and Coquelin, the dog, car ried off the honors. The secret of the lmany deh ys incident 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 in duet Chanticleer, whom she has enticed to the forest to prolong the night 36 hours during their nnptials. betrays him, and he returns to the barnyard to his faithful hens.
 The critics deny that the bfiliancy of the verse surpasses even "Cyrano,' if that is possible. but the artistic note struck is so high that they doubt whether the play will be popular success after curiosity has worn off. 1t Is rumored that Rostand himself will play the role of Chanticleer at the banquet to be siven for the flood sufferers.
 Unique Production
 Rostans "Chanticleern probably is the most unique production ever presented on the stage. No human character appears In the cast. The dramatis personnae are
 fowls. birds and animals. and as they are necessarily as large as the men and women who enact the parts, everything whicn appears upon the stage is upon corresponding scale. Chantcleer, the hero. is filled with illusions about his place in the world. He magines he is master of the sun: that the sun rises at the end of night because Chanticleer has awakened and crowed. The play dispels this illusion in the heart of Chant- cleel alone.
 The fifst act opens with the sun rising on barnyard 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 forest back ground. To the right wooden shoe, for gotten by the farmers wife. is of the size it would appear to the chicken. and near
 by 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 grouped around him. Chanticleer halls the sun, whose first
 rays gid the scene in hymn full of the poets lyric magnificence On the manure pile perches the black bird (Gallipaux)
 jealous of the cock and breaking into his noble sentiments with jibes and puns after the manner of Cyrano. Dog (Jean Co., quelin) is the drol moralizer of the place. Chanticleer falls in love with beautiful hen pheasant (Slmone), who is wooed by . fighting cock.
 Second Act Gem
 The second act is the scenic gem of the piece, showing the upper branches of the
 blasted pine in the heart of a forest, the human sized birds perched in the
 branches. The owl calls the roll of the birds of the night, each as his name is called answering and opening two lum- inous eyes, which shine in the semi-ob-
 security of the stage, green. yellow or blood red. These birds declaim the hymn
 of the night, and afterward conspire to- gether to rid themselves of their arch enemy. Chanticleer. With him gone they
 believe the sunlight will be forever euenched, and they will be masters for Y overmore.
 f In the third act Chanticlecr learns of the conspiracy of the night birds and
 fights a duel with his false friend, the game cock, killing his despite his steel
 gaffs and redoubtable skill This is the beginning of the end for Chanticeer. The treachery of his friend poisons his optimism. The hen pheasant the prize of Ahe combat, offers the consolation of her 1pve in a fine outburst and then draws Der head under her wing and bids him sleep"
 When the fourth and last act opens Chanticleer, wooed by love, has slept so long that the sun has risen without him. ''And have not crowed," he cries Chanticleer's Dream
 The dream of his life, all his belief in his wondrous power crumbles. So he was not the ruler of the sun. All the tender ness of the hen pheasant cannot bring him back to lost Illusion. His hens do not know it. The birds of the night still believe in him. He has his followers and 1, his enemies as before. The sun still rises r when he (Chanticleer) crows. If the dog doubts he is silent But the iron that has entered his soul Is the death of the glo- rious Chanticleer.
 Rostand in an interview. explains this story of his conception of Chantlcleer: Tn 1901,' he said, while taking a walk fin the outskirts of Cambo, was passing humble farms when suddenly stopped before barnyard. It was just an ordi- pigeon loft, wire nettings manure pile, and within the animals. hens ducks. guinea fowl. geese turkeys, 8 cat asleep. q dog wandering about; in brief, a very common spectacle.
 T watched with interest when suddenly i'm stalked the cock. He entered proudly. boldly, like a rulere with diBdain in his tSe and certain rhythmic movement of