The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1910-03-18

Characters In Amazing Drama Are
Acme of Stage Wizardry--lngenious
Method of Representing Watchdog
and Owls.
The secrets Of the production of Ed
mond Rostand's satiric drama Chan
tecler" at the Porte St Martin theater.
in Paris. are out. The revelation of
the ingenuity displayed In making it
possible to produce this drama of the
barnyard. with all it's animal person
ages in perfection of makeup and ac-
ton, makes the achievement seem only
more remarkable than when the mere
fulfilment was disclosed at the open
ing performance.
Simple astonishment was the first
sensation of the audience at the yeri-
similitude of the barnyard characters.
But no one knew how 1t had been
done. The company of actors and ac-
tresses Of the Porte St Martin appear
ed as roosters and hens and even
chicks: there were owls and black
birds. ducks. geese. rabbits, frogs,
pheasants and guinea hens. a peacock
and turkeys and the farm watchdog.
How was it done?
Months Of Preparation.
The thing took months Of prepara-
tion, and the difficulties to be overcome
were innumerable and without prece-
.nr - 81, a
has TO have separate device invented
in order that its impersonation should
become possible. Each difficulty was
overcome in turn. One of the most diff
ficult of the characters to portray SO
that verisimilitude should be retained
was that of the watchdog Patou. No
actor could go through whole play
on all fours and go on doing any act
ing after the first fifteen minutes.
Something had to be done to give the
actor an unright position and still have
four legged dog
The device invented for this charac-
ter, remarkably well played by Jean
Coquelin, while 1t permitted him to
stand upright, still made 1t necessary
for him to mind his p's an dos dur
ing the whole course Of the plays ac-
tion. The dog represented is q shep-
herd, and the vertical height from
head to fore feet Is that of man. CO.
quelin in this stood up, his head with
In the casing Of the dogs head, but he
was compelled to hold his arms slight
ly backward and his palms turned in
the same direction. In each hand he
held one end Of steel wire. running
over tiny pulleys down the inner side
of the hind legs to just below the mid
die joint. Whenever he started to
walk with his own legs be suited the
action Of the dogs hind legs to his
own by means of the wires.
Wonderful Devices.
OF course the kennel for Patou was
of corresponding size. This scale was
maintained for all the scenery, and to
carry out the idea Of scale features
were introduced In each to emphasize
1t. The cage for the supposed pet
blackbird OF the farmhouse was as
large as human prisoners cell, while
an old shoe, supposedly belonging to
the farmer and left in the barnyard,
was Of huge dimensions. Everything
was Of the size that 1t would appear to
be to the animals Of the scene.
While the mechanism devised for
Patou was ingenious, that for the owls
was masterstroke of stage invention.
The owl. 1t will be remembered. does
not walk. but hops. both feet at a
time. Moreover. 1t Is much smaller
in size than the rooster. Here were
two difficulties. and this Is how they
were overcome:
wooden seat was built for the
actor. SO that bis feet and projecting
board at right angles to the seat should
just touch the ground. The back board
was carved and covered with owl
feathers and became the tail Of the
owl, which in nature just reaches as
low as the owls feet. The rest OF
the back board propped the actors
back. After fitting on the owl make
up he. seated. was able to hop with
out much discomfort. his height was
materially reduced and when NOT in
motion he could rest easily In q sit
ting posture.
How the Owls Worked.
The actors playing the parts OF the
owls had their faces covered with the
owl head. but those playing the parts
Of all the fowl and birds had their
makeup so arranged rs TO permit Of
their own human faces appearing be-
low the beak. This. apparently incon-
gruons, In actual representation added
but to the piquancy OF the effect.
The scene in the barnyard Ii Oiled
with chickens continuously. The rep
resentation Of these also presented
considerable difiicultys One Of these
difficulties was the tail feathers. In
order to appear natural the taii fsaths