New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-09
Fairy Play from the French at
the Republic.
BELASC0 CHIEF FAIRY
Waves His Wand Over Gerard
and Rostand and Changes
Them Quite Completely.


changing lishts-a fairy play for the big
people II is time some one thought of
treating the grown folks like children.
Mr. Bclasco has done 1t to a turn. He
always did have an uncanny sense OF
humor.
There are two ways of looking at "A
Good Little Devil" ore OF ;hem is as
a play, on its own account. and the other
as a version, in English. Of Rosemondc
Gerard's ana Maurice Rostand's TN Bon
Petit Diable,' which was presented at
the Gymnase in Paris year ago last De
cember. In the original play what q
rogue the good little devil is, He would
as soon as not have stood old Madame
MacMiche on her head. and then have
done penance for his mischief with fran
tic sincerity. lie bore her no III will i'm
spite OF the fact that she was cruel and
miser, and pocketed all the money his
rich uncle sent her as payment for the
care and education of the good little
devil. Though she made him sleep I'm the
garnet with the rats and fed him on
| bread and water. he turned all his woes
into poetry and mischief and had as good
! heart to tease and plague old Mac
Niche As though there were some fun in
stead OF all misery in the situation.
Then came the Two Old Nicks senior
and junior, to drag Him off to the bic
black school ard lock him up FOR two
years with the classics and the antiques
and the dust.
juliet was left behind in her garden
Charles. the good little devil loved blind
ItrIi Oh. Ia.
years at Easter time he escaped from
school. and accompanied by twelve OF his
chums. ali disguised as oeggars aud ban
dts. proWlCd back To Juliets garden. He
knocked at her gate. and she incautious.
let him in. How did she know not 10 be
afraid, she blind and alone and Il mug-
derous tramp al the gate? Juliet never
thought Of herself AT all
Mime. MacMiche and the Old Nicks are
hot on the trail Of the escaped band. ami
Just as Charles and juliet have had their
cldtime twilight kiss the avengers rush
in upon them. There are awful threats
made Of what will happen to the larl.irs
company and To Charles a. their leader
when suddenly an envoy comes in from
London to tell wonderful thing. Charles
has fallen heir to q great fortune and a
great title The King and queen are
waiting for him Ia come and take his re-
spOnsibilties. Charles would a. lief not
go. Besides. how can he part from Juliet
But the lad is only sixteen now London
seems wonderful. far on place 20 a
boy IN little North of scotland town.
and then = title and the King and queen
-Four years later he returns ~ the word
that old MacAlche is dying. II IS wills
pcred that charles MacIarce is Wild
young blade and one who sets both tHr
pace and the fashion FOR all the young
lords OF the highest world.
When he comes into the house OF biz
boyhoOd. enters the room with the hi'-
place. the big clock. the picture oi "li
General MacMiche. he only vaguely re-
members. The whole lie OF his boyhoo0
has been forgotten. he j. now fun Of
youth and vigor. he has tasted life ard
found IL wonderful Behind him are som"
OF his friends who have come with hun
for the lark Among them Is the LADY
ROsalinde whom i'm two DAYS he H. go
marry lie has quite forgotten juliet and
the promise they had made each other
ers.
Every tlirg Turns out well though
Charles sees an appaIitIon OF himself ~
the good little devil whom every one be
walls when they see the new unreal
Charles of to-day And il makes him
remember everything. His love for Juliet
comes back \ fairy waves a pussy viii
lew wand before Juliets eyes and she can
see Old MacMiche puts of her dying.
and bonnie Charlie is the good little devil
again. with everybody his devoted slave.
I'm Austin StrcnE's adaptation Of the
play the verse form OF the original =
dropped and what aims to be poetic prose
is substituted The imaginative play Of
wit and whimsical grace is lost. however.
As for the GOOD little devil he j. Simply
good-not devil at all. Most of his mis-
chief scenes are cut ont. The whole
spirit Of the play Is changed by this lack
Of the roicsome i'm the boy. And there
are other changes. In the present version
all the things that are left TO the Wit and
intuition Of the audience to understand
are explained. ProloSucs arc spoken be-
fore the curtain of each act. explaining
in a few words what is to follow. Thcs"
prolocues are in part basel on the
authors Instructions in the original BE-
sides this a great deal Of explaining ~
dorc through tne dialogue Of each act
It IS all interpolated.
There Is line IN the original play
which says with charming and revolu-
tionary cnron,crv that Joy is "a blessed |
az sorrow" And the original play Is rife
with this delightful idea. The same Il
not in the adaptation.
For things that have been left out, on
the other hand. many have been added.
Last night the grown folks were delighted
TO see bevy OF their favoritc animals IN
Juliets flower garden in tho second act.
4 stag. three cats. dog. Squirrel and
rooster appeared at intervals. OF course,
there were plenty OF fairies. It was
through them that everything wonderful
happencd Their first entrance. swinging
through the air in the starlight and
dlichting in Charlcs's garrett. made very
nrcttv scene Their fairy laughter. dit
fcr.nt from that OF humans In that II
was ripping and always went on niue
inward rill of sound. was pleasantly con-
ceived. II only il could be a little varied
II became monotonous after while.
The play was put on with the faVoritc
PRODUCERS usual care. His garden seen"
vas q Naxhold Parrish. The dreamer
castle i'm ;he air was poised on hiSb
Al was all