The Washington times., 1912-02-06

was pleased, too, at the suggestion that
she should speak the prologue. which
had, hitherto, been spoken only by male
characters. Already she had created
his L'Aiglon," in English. and this
mad made them firm fricpds, therefore,
he was ready to approve of any sug-
Sestion that might come from her rela-
tive to her Interpretation OF the char
acter of Chantecler.
Miss Adams idea was that the part
should be made feminine rather than
masculine, and, however, much the ma
tority of playgoers may differ with her.
there are none who object to her con-
viction that the story is one OF an Ideal
list who goes forth into the world, only
to have his Ideals shattered by life's
realities. But the admission must be
made, even at the expense of being
thought an imtator of other critics who
nave already seen Miss Adams. who
opened a weeks engagement in "Chan-
leCler' in the National Theater last
evening, that she is wholly and unfor-
tunately misCast for the part.
Maude Adams has been called again
and again suEer-artist, and super-ar-
tst she Is without a doubt One feels
act OF her latest play, particularly in
the last scene. where the disillusioned
i1ealist refuses to surrender TO facts,
but seeks rather the rehabilitation of
his faith In heroic labor, when he halls
the possibilities of the nightingale's sing
ing to drive away envy and malice, and
inaugurate world without toads. One
feels ii whatever the author has given
her the big emotions of life-faith, pity,
hero!sm, hope-lor expression. While eV-
6 & iG ms
-leCtcd the role Of Chantecler, there iS
nobody who says that she plays the
part badly.
Miss Adams Brings
Earnestness to Role.
To this new character, so altogether
different from any in which she has ever
been seen before, and one which has
been wrought at the cost of untolu
labor. she brings a double earnestness,
sincerity and charm She struggles
nard, throwing her whole soul and all
her resources into the work, probably
because she realizes fully the task she
has undertaken. But the admission must
be made that with some strong mascu-
line personality, the masterful assertions
Of "Chantecler," the idealist, would have
come with more force, and with more
convincing appropriateness.
Can you imagine a rooster growing
with a plaintive little Lady Babbie"
quiver in its voice? If you can imagine
petulantly and throwing his head back
With that delightfully."- feminine grace
that we have been admtring In Miss
Adams these many seasons, then you
will be pleased with her presentation
of the wonderful Rostand allegory,
even though you can see that 1t is all
wrong, and does not At her at all.
We have all loved Maude Adams
enough in her inconparable Lady
Babbie," and as Maggie Shand, in her
wonderful What Every Woman
Knows" and as the sweet young girl in
delightful Quality Street" and even
her sweet and artistic Juliet of ten
years back, to forgive this obsession of
later years that she is able to play male
roles acceptably.
Peter Pan" is not an exception, for
that was masculine in little except CO.'S
tune.
Miss Adams is no more the rooster in
"ChanteclSr' than she was the eagle
in "L'Aiglon." To those who have read
the "Chantecler' allegory, and felt the
charm of the play and the satire OF it
all, hung upon and draped about the
essentially masculine bombast and con-
ccit of the Malvolio of the barnyard.
| 1t was hard not to wish that the Chan
| tecler had not been Dme sort of a
as Miss Adams. This CEantecler is
really no more the strutting barnyard
rooster she is supposed to represent,
| than is the golden hen pheasant who
| love with Chantecler, f1irts with him
outrageously. and makes him desert his
| hens and elope with her to the forest,
where he is disillusioned as to his own
Importance, humbled, and reformed.
| I do not recall ever having seen a
golden hen pheasant except on bills of
fare, but this golden hen pheasant,
played by Miss Josephine Victor, seemed
tivated Miss Adams tricks of voice
and gesture, and they did nicely
for a pheasant, but to have
alike as twin chickens in everything
except feathers, did not add to the en-
| joyment Of Rostand's quaint and beau
tiful play. If Miss Adams had brought
AMI fire as Miss Victor did feminine
grace and charm to the role of the
| pheasant, "Chantecler" would have
had presentation worthy Its intrinsic
charm.
Too much praise cannot be given how
| ever, to the prologue, recited by Miss
| Adams. Before the curtain went up she
| recited the Introduction to the beauti
| full allegory in blank verse, giving the
| lines a reading that was technically per
| feet. Standing with her left hand un-
| der her right elbow, in the traditiona
Lady Babbie'' pose, she explained that
no humans were in the play, and that
| the creatures of the barnyard were
after all, not so different from humans
that they could not furnish heart inter
est-all of which the play proved. o.
the beauty of the lines of the play, OF
the delight of the quaint humor, and
| satire on human weakness. too much
cannot be said The hens, the dog, the
cat, the little downy incubator chickens
that fiutter about the stage, all are de-
| lightful. The picture of the house, COW
with the dog kennel and general farm
ing paraphernalia.
There are fowls of all kinds in the
barnyard. The cat dozes on the wall
and the dog is seen in its kennel
Chantecler, lovely and superb, struts
upon the scene. chanting his ode to the
sun, one OF the poetic glories of thu
| plaY. He is the egoist the idealist