Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-07
GENIUS HAS REWARD
Enthusiastic Greeting Given
N. Rostand's New Play.
PARIS THEATER CROWDED
Opening Performance of "Chanti-
cleer" Before Great Audience.
CRITICS VIEWS OF THE VERSE
Regarded as Surprising "Cyrano,"
But Doubted If Play Will
Be Success.
PARIS THEATER CROWDED
CRITICS VIEWS OF THE VERSE

Rostand's new play, "Chanticleer,' was
given its opening performance at the
Porte st. Martin Theater last night. The
/ house was crowded and the play was
! given a splendid reception.
/ The critics generally consider that the
| brilliancy of the verse surpasses even
| "Cyrano," If that be possible, but the
artistic note struck SO high that they
doubt whether the play will be a popular
success after curiosity has worn off
| 1t is rumored that Mons. Rostand him.
| self will play the role of Chantlcleer at a
| benefit to be given for the flood sufferers.
The dress rehearsal of 'Chanticleer'' in
the presence of remarkable audience,
| comprising the elite of the literary, arts
! tice and dramatic world of raris, as well
as other European capitals. was an ar
tistic success of the first magnitude. the
exquisite verse beng up to the finest
| traditions of mons. Rostands poetic ge-
MUS.
First and Last Acts Brilliant.
The brilliancy of the first act, which
| was preceded by d charming prologue
| delivered by Mons. 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
Mons. Rostand himself did not appear.
| Mons. Guitry, who took the part of Cnan-
| tlcIeer, stepped before the curtain and
| simply expressed his thanks.
1t was in June, 1903, that Mons. Ed
mond Rostand, fresh from his triumphs
as the author of "rAig.on 'Cyrano de
tired to his splendid country place at
| Cambo to write lie Chantecler.' A
| though he finished the work of cOmpo-
| sitlon in year, it was not until last
night that the public saw the play.
Attended by Unusual Incidents.
| In the interval between the beginning
of the work and it's unwilling before the
public the progress of lie Chantecler"
was attended by incidents which have
| never before beset any work of Mons.
Rostand, or. for that matter, any other
dramatic writer Of recent years.
t The elder Coquelin, who was to create
( the principal part In the play-the part
| of the parnyard cock who is the hero
| of the drama-died during rehearsals. AL
| though at the funeral Mons. Rostand, who
delivered an Grafton, tacitly promised the
part to the younger Coquelin. he later
Guitry for the role. The play itself has
| been rewritten many times. The cast has
been changed and changed again. The
| author has passed through several ILL
nesSeS since beginning the work, but has
| not been prevented by those Illnesses
| from prosecuting in the law courts OIL
| France persons charged by hun with
| having infringed upon the rights he
| claimed through authorship of the play.
| The date for the production of the
drama has been changed more than
| twenty times. So long ago as 1904 the
elder Coquelin said the play was in shape
for presentation and that it would be
produced that year. Arduous rehearsals
| with Mons. Guitry in the part written
for Mons. Coquelin were interrupted by
the author because one of the minor act
ors had furnished to the press garbled
versions Of certain speeches in the play,
notably Hymn to the Night
Principal Feminine Character.
Nine. Simone LIE Bargy, who plays the
Hen Pheasant, the principal feminine
character, became the wife of Mons Cast
mir-Perief, son of the late President of
France. Mons. Galipaux. playing the
BlalAbird, walked in fashion dlstaste-
Iul to the author, who set him to praC-
| ucing walking in the most approved
blackbird style In the bouevards. One
incident followed another until the III
terest of the public made keener by
countless sto. les Of the progress of the
| preparations for the production of the
| play, grew to such a degree of intensity
| that the play became the topic of almost
universal conversation and discussion in
| the press.
The play which has aroused such inter-
| est is in four acts. Mons. Rostand got
the idea for the drama one morning when
| The scenario of the play which he evolved
from that cockcrow is novel.
The scene Of the first act is a French
| barnyard at dawn. The fowls and do
| nestle animals discuss various matters,
among them the suPe lority of the voice
| Of Chanticleer. The Hen Pheasant is
wounded by sportsman ana ass.s.eu py
Chanticleer, who Is so much touched %,
her sweet thanks that he elopes with her
Forest Scene at Night.
| The scene Of the second act is laid in
a forest at night. Chandelier tells tn,
Hen Pheasant that the sun cannot rise
| unless he crows. The denizens of the
| night mock him. The sun rises and dis
| comfts the hero, but lis lady love for
gives him..
| In the third act Chandelier is shown
during a reception at the home Of the
| Hen Pheasant, at which the story of the
sun rising without his permission is told.
| He Is wounded by a passing sportsman.
| The hero is seen in the last act hang
| ing in game bag to which the faithful
| Hen Pheasant comes bringing food and
comfort. He philosophers on the futility
of ambition.
| Actors and actresses in costumes of
| fowls and animals present the play. Each
character in the drama is a fowl or an
| animal NJ. Rostand himself has said
that the Cock is not so much a hero
of comedy as "a parsonage which l have
caused to throb with my emotions and
to dream my dreams-in fact, he is part
of myself
| AS the dramatis personae are fowls,
birds and animals. and as they are neces-
sarily as large as the men and women who
enact the parts, everything which appears
npon the stage is llnon a correSpondinp