The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1915-09-13
RAISED Big SUN
FOR BELGIANS

Correspondence Of Associated Press }
Caudebec- En- caux, Normandy.
France. Aug. I6.-Madame Maurice
Maeterlinck. better known in Europe
under the stage name Of Georgette
Leblanc, assisted by various members
Of the company of the Sarah Bern
hardt theatre recently made sub
stantial addition to the funds of the
Belgian relief work from the proceeds
of rare performance of "Pelleas and
Melisande" ia the grounds and halls
of the Abby of st. Wandrille. AS a.
piece of histrionic art. the performance
was regarded by critics as distinct
triumph. AS a means of raising
money for N. Maeterlinck's suffering
compatriots. by charging $40 per ticket
and limiting the number sold to a. very
carefully chosen circle Of people. the
performance was equally successful.
The ancient Abby of st. Wandrille,
which was established in the year 6Si
though very few architectural
relics of that early date remain-lends
itself wonderfully to the out of door
presentation OF such medieval drama
as those Of the Belgian poet The very
scent OF rank underground in the
grounds. leads the spectator back to
the long ago. Towering arches, stand
Ing alone among what seem the trees
of an almost virgin forest; paths that
might be the road Tristan and Iseult
travelled to Joyeuse Garde; quaint
circular fountains surrounded by
expresses in gracefully cultivated hol-
lows: the massive gates and the vault
ed arches OF the ambulatory-all con-
tribute to create the atmosphere de-
manded for a sympathetic setting to
the story.
The novelty of the st. wandrille per-
formances lies in the moving of the
audience about from place to place in
stead Of a resetttng of the stage The
spectators follow the actors to the spot
In building or grounds most appropri-
ate for the presentation Of the scene
about to be enacted. There are no
footIights, no stage for setting. The
man in the moon is the electrician, and
the stage has set itself Occasionally,
the audience is called upon to imagine
a river near whose edge the action
takes place, and which nature and the
Benedictine Monks failed to produce;
but such details are unessential.
The scene at the tower, where
Melisande lets her long, golden hair
trickle down the stones to the lips of
Pelleas. Is peculiarly effective. The
tower is there 1t has been. there for
300 years. The window is high---out of
reach, as 1t must be to fit the scene.
Yet few fragments OF stone work
from the ruined walls. scattered at the
foot Of the tower. enables Pelleas to
climb high enough just to touch the
outstretched hand OF Melisande. The
scene in the crypt, SO difficult to stage
with conviction. here is played as 1t
were ''off stage"-out of the sight of
the audience, behind huge, changing
iron gates, through which Pelleas and
his brother have been seen to pass,
and through which the spectators,
without seeing the actors, hear their
conversation over the bottomless wells
that underfie the castle.
In its technical aspects. the presenta-
ton is most. sallF Eng. The too evil
dent canvas or the familiar rocks OF
the theatre: the walls whose edges
have been snutted by the constant
handling Of stage hands: the purely
artificial effects of distance sought but
so rarely attained by the stage carpen-
ter--these little shocks to his artistic
soul ths spectator is spared at St.
Wandrille. Add that the very ushers
are in dress of the middle ages, that
the paths from one part of the ground
to another are lit by baronial retain
ers in costume. holding aloft torches
appropriate to- the period, and the per-
lection of the Illusion so rare of
achievement is evident.
The acting OF Madame Maeterlinck
and her friends was admirable. The
effect of childish innocence in Nell
sande which Georgette Leblanc makes
living fact Of the eyes and hearts
of her audience is piece Of the most
exquisite artistry.
"And M. Maeterlinck-isn't he
here?" @
him! When he has written a play,
there's an end of 1t with him: he's
somewhere on the Riviera"