The Washington times., 1910-02-07
Such Is Verdict of Those
Who Saw RoStand's
Masterpiece.
'PLAY IS PURELY
FOR INNER CIRCLE
''ChantecIer" IS Spectacular Bur
lesque 10 Those Who Are Not
of Literary Elite.

PA7Ts. Feb. Z-"GhantecIer.'' the
bird pIay MASTERPIECES" of Edmond
Rosts.nd Is too poetic for any but the
literary elite to appreciate, IN the opin-
don OF the majority Of those who wit
messed the initial performance at sse
Porte St Martin Iheater, which did
not end until an early hour This morn
ing.
For this reason critics are almost IN
aninaous in predicting that the play viii
have but limited run. and that it IS
doubtful whether 1t would pay 20 take
It On the road
One OF today's critics declares thar
e~unIess a spectator has sucn poetic
nEtur4 IS viii enable him to overlook
the FutHcrous features OF the play and
content himself with the marvellous
bezrrt5- OF the lines, which Tar sUrpass
those OF 'Cyrano' the play VIII prove
IIttIs more than a spectacular bur
Iesque- The play is purely for the inner
circle, for those OF a Shakespeare
turn OF mind"
Sceuicany Unsurpassed
From g scenic standpoint, Paris has
probably never seen anything surpass-
Ing the ~ChantecIer." The accessories
and properties used ars so big that the
au6tenoe-ths most spiendidly gowned
audience that ever gathered in q Paris
thsatar-felt Itself dwa-fed- The wheel
barrow used IN the play Is twelve feet
long. and al other properties OF CORE
spending size.
Ths interest n ths play was 50 In
tense that thousands stood IN drilling
rain about the theatsT. while the pro
6uctSon was going Or Those VINO lei
the theatar between acts were nearly
4noSbsd BY the curious tbrong outside,
which wanted 70 know how the play
@ras being rsceived- Only the presence
Of 2. large force OF police prevented a
riot.
one great fault OF the play. the critics
azrse. IL the superiority o. the hTst
two acts over the last two. which resSll 8
a 2 rather sad snu-cliTnax The nrst
Svo acts are splendid from every stand
point. the third poor and the EOOrlh
Indifferent, Is the way LnG Dia- = Ser
orally sized Up
Sticks to Own BarnyaTd-
Tia moral OF ChantecIer ROOster) IS
that q ROSTERS sphere IS the barnyarC-
Erbera he Is supreme and can make his
subjects believe thst II IS his Growing
that makes the sun rise. ChantecIer,
driven to desert the barnyard by its
pe1ty jealousy and his love for the
nheasant. goes 10 the woods 10 live
There he IS beguIed BY the pheasant
and avakens to find that the sun mas
risen without his crow ing his expos
77Ua chastens ChantecleT and he Re
turned 10 the baTnyaTd e much more
modest bird and determined TO 1--we the
life for which he was Intended
Nearly all Of the human emotions are
6IsDIaved By the man bird actors The
costumes of "ChauteCleT' are marvellous
cations, on which II IS said that S160,0s
was expended
After the initial performance, ROstCnd
the author n Gultrv- the leading actor
and Jean CoQuelin, Who supervised the
production, were The recipients OF al
most hystericaI adUiatiOu from scores
Of The most prominent persons in France
who went hack OF the scenes after this
final curtain fell
The Fl llmaus. Who have NE ElTEllSt
rights 20 the production, have not We
announced their intentions II IS be
Eevsd here that in case the play IS pro
Euced in America, the entire French
sOEnpanV and the scenery now IN ust
VIII be imported. as the cost Of equip
ping a new company would probably b
considered too great