The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-02-16

with biting satire and big with views |
that reach 10 mountain tops, al
though the scenes are acted almost
within the limits of a barnyard.
The worker ana his work, the art
ana the artist, duty and the call to It,
the dreamer and his dreafn-it is the
faith in all these things that Rostand
has found i'm the morning call of the
cock; and has expressed in drama
so inherently poetical that 1t does not
reed the poolical translation. And II
is the feeling for these things that
Mau9e Adams perfectly expresses.
Tie regret that has been felt by
many play!overs at the thought that
a woman was to impersonate the
sturdy cock is we'll grounded. The
masculinlty OF the cock, the physical
strength that Is so great "a part of his
self confidence and the unconscious
rianiy egotism-she cannot at all eN-
press, but the foetry OF his faith she
can There is no mearing in the lines
tha' size allows Ito escape her, while
her fcsltng for the poetry OF the thing
Is evident in every pose and move
ment. The picture OF the cock with
wings outspread standing on the hill
top uttering his co-corico, while the
valley below Is gradually Hooded with
the Light Of the rising sun IS no mean
figure, but something to be placed
among the enduring memories of the
playhouse
Just as the great French poet has
taken the commonest creatures In the
world, and the funniest almost barn
Oh nd atsF
with the magic wand OF his genius,
turned them into symbols of ideal or
satlrical thought, so the actress, IN
her Interpretation, has robbed even
the comic cock of the last Yestge OF
the ludicrous. No one in the audience
thought of laughing when Chantecler
was living Through the tragedy of his
awakening to his own impotence.
Besides, 1t Is to Miss Adams tina,
gratitude Is due for our being able t.
see "Chantecler" at all. ,Poetical
drama, however beautiful or novel,
Hoes not have the popular allure ot
musical comedy, and we are told that
only the most popular actress In
America would have made "Chante-
cler" popular 80 long. However that
may be- after seeing the play one cuL
not feel that Miss Adams has been
sacrificed, as many have said. She
has been given an entirely new me1i-
urn for her art, she has risen to It's
demands wonderfully, and she has
given us "Chantecler"
The physical demands of the pa.
are evident in the heavy breathing
of the actress over some of the
81. Of
but the crow she manages very well,
with beautiful tones.
on the staging of "Chantecler" II
is not too much to say that a volume
might be written. The dependence OF
the drama on well-nigh perfect stage
artistry Is evident. A great painter
has lent his skill TO the drama,
new method of scenic investiture Obs
the use OF gauze scenery has be sn
invented for the play, and all sorts
of ingenuity has been expended 20
make possible "A play i'm which no hu-
man being appears. The comedy If
the various kinds of barnyari fowis
has been allowed, of course. and even
heightened, but the fun caused by
these queer creatures is never allowed
to Interfere with the more serious
passages.
TO speak OF the long and admirable
cast in detail is impossible hero; but
one cannot refrain from mentioling
the exquisite Interpretation OF the hen
pheasant by Josephine Victor The
grace of her bird-like motions is IN
important element In some of the
most artistic pictures Of the play. Al
lon 'F'awcett, formerly stage manager
for the Colonial Stock company, has
now that great office with this COM
pany a position of great responsible
ity ana I've also plays two parts. mis-
pointer beng a realistic performance.
There will be another performance
tonight for which the house Is said to
be practically sold out.