The New York herald., 1921-02-20
Role of Deburau
FaScinateS AtweH
Interesting Also as Exposition
of the Mans Side Of the
Camille Case.

Lionel Atwill, star OF "Deburau," at
the Belasco. finds playing In sacha
Guitry's play of the famous pantomimist
one of the hardest feats OF his career,
yet he wouldn't surrender the title role
for a bed of roses, His views on the
piece are similar to those Of the young
man who made the poem about tobacco
running after this fashion: 1T plays
the dickens with my windI like II; 1t
makes me feel as IL I'd sinned--I like
it,
That last act on the stage" he said in
his dressing room the other day is one
OF the most difficult ever put on--and IL
fascinates me like the eye of snake.
That fall OF DebTau. too. when he
clutches the scenery. is very wearing
but I'd rather do IL than walk off
calmly. And the last part of the act
in fact most of it--whch / play while
seated and making up the face OF my
son and successor. is also something
strenuous in spite Of my sitting down.
For I have to keep the attention OF the
audience riveted so that they won't get
up and leave their seats.
THE play Is absorbing 70 me. because
II shows how obscure players have their
sorrows and bear them like men--how
players in q little corner of the world
can have experiences that lift them out
OF mere time and place and make them
stand for all the world. That is a quail
ity which Shakespeare's works have, and
YOU can't fail to be elevated in spirit by
putting on the grease paint for such a
play. The piece was bound to be attrac-
tive to great numbers of those outside
the theatre with its peeps behind the
scenes, especially the stage of the Paris
OF the early '3oe, when Paris was MAX
ing a name for itself.
IT'S interesting, too. as an exposition
of the mans side of the Camille case.
In that play the woman Is shown giving
up her love and suffering: In this. one
OF her lovers is shown giving her up and
suffering-probabl much more than the
fair lady did in reality. For this play
shows her quite justiflably as something
Of light o. love, which she actually
was. with all due Difference 10 the grand
traditional character OF the French the.
atrc. II seemed TO me men were about
due to have their innings In such a play.
The ladies. bless ON. now have the vote
and are being accorded considerable
Difference and leeway. but the war
showed us that while the women had
their anguish at home, the men at the
Mr.. Atwill said he never had played
IN pantomime. but he had studied for
hours with Nine. Pillar MORN. French
pantomimist. until he could go through
| the motions. As an instance of David
Belasco's prodigality In producing a play
! he mentioned that "the Governor" al
great expense had devised a pantomims
| with Nine. Pillar NORM and then had
/ thrown the whole episode away to con.
4 dense tho play.
II like playing with the Governor; hc
makes YOU feel you are helping lot tc
4 be on his stage. lie has the rare knach
4 81 asking for players ideas and arous.
/ ing the actor TO think about the inter
1 pretation OF his part, while all the time
/ the ideas which he sprouts are the very
ones Mr.. Belasco wanted him to have
And every change he makes improves
the play so It's own author would hardly
recognize II. That final curtain, for in
stance, wasn't IN the Paris production
but was IN original and highly decora,
\ tive touch supplied by the Governor ou
! Of an inexhaustible fund which lie al
ways carries about with him.
And In that love scene between Debu
4 idB and his Indy early in the second &C
we discovered that IN the French YER
sion tho actor sat on couch talkinl
I about ideal love Tor two solid pages o,
! dialogue and never once made motor
/ toward the girl beside him American
/ thcatregoers wouldn't believe such mar
I truly existed, But as that scene wa,
/ worked out here under the direction o
/ AIr. Belasco ] move about and take th,
\ young woman in ny arms, cutting on
/ ono line, the only ellsion in the orgina
/ dialogue, % do SO. and the scene swim!
| alongswith more Of human 20 ssion in Il.