The Denver Jewish news., 1919-01-02
FRANCIS DE CROIssET.
War Hero and One of the Foremost
Playwrights of Modern France.
BY ELISABETH REYNOLDS.

One of the many charming minO'
traits of the French character which
we have learned so greatly 10 admire
in its noble entirety is lack OF side
The knowledge of this simplicity made
me look forward with unmixed pleas
urc to tnlk with Francis dc Croisset
one of the foremost playwrights H
modern France.
The wonderful technique and "eN
pcrtisc" of such comedies US la Pas
sercllc." lie Bonhcur Mcsdamcs" mud
Il LEpcrvicr" hnd led me somehow &c
expect an elderly gentleman. perhaps
with a pince-nez and certainly with
beard whom one might reasonably al
dress as Cher Maitre.
I was therefore not n little Startlet
when a young. 1.-the, active figure i'll l.
blue uniform entered the little saloi
where was waiting. 1t was Franci'
dc Croisset. author, lieutenant. hero.
| In second, without preamble, VT
were in the midst of an interesting
converse ton. 1t was as il he had plac
ed my feet upon magic carpet ~
| which we flew over the hidcOus sub
urbs of the commonplace, ignoring
them, straight to the center matters.
Speaks English Perfectly.
NJ. de Croisset, like all Frenchme
of the great world, of which lie mos
cmplia tically is, speaks English perfect
ly. but who. knowing French. does no
love the swift mercury wings Of it,
verb better: So, after all, we spoke
French
You know" said NJ. dc Croissct
''that one of the things that most iui
pressed me. for already, ut The end oi
fortnight. l have gathered them, thu
impressions" he laughed, is Light
Your use of it in the streets, for ex
ample. That alone is with yo,i an art
science! Advertising on your Broad,
| way at night. it is glory, splendor
Utility turned into beauty. Ligh
| everywhere, and light is beauty. Aftc!
the dark of Europe it is AS ii one lcf
| a tunnel to emerge into the very heart
| Of the sun.
But il is not only your splendid
exubcrant riotous expenditure of light
| 1t is also your suppression Of it; youi
lpportionmcnt of it in the proper places
| In your theatres. What discretion
What beautiful effects by the simple
elimination of the use Of the foot.
| lights, We, in France cling to this
4 tnntipI 7
went to n play the other day. single
lamp in one scene was quite sufficient
| TO illuminate the story"
There are many war plays l said
"And that is WELL For me, i believe
hat such documents should bu made
records for the future, fragments OF
that great tragic frcsco of war that
| slots out the sky of Europe. But for
Art. / do not believe that any really
great work of art will be produced
during the war. nor concerning it-un.
il years and their crystalizing pro.
cess have wrought upon events
And you. yourself NJ. dc Croissct,
have you written
wrote Whlie Oh furlOusn.
only few notes scribbcd hastily
in the trenches, burned later in the
accident of war. | did, however, write
,uc play while on flIrlough II has, of
course, the war as !; background. Life
itself has none other for the moment.
but only as n background. The beauty,
the horror. none can touch them as yet.
nouc express them to us who 51rc oh
served. Besides, one loses the scusc of
things out there. We, the observers, no
longer observe. We are the il,ing VIC
are doing. No man cIn hold tic pulse
Of reality and count its beats IN such
circumstances.
What is written directly OF war can
only be of ephcmeral interest, for it