The New York herald., 1921-02-20
Role of Deburau
FaScinateS AtweU
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 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: ut plays
the dickens with my wind-I like IL: II
makes me feel as il ia sinned-I like
it"
That last act on the stage" he said in
his dressing room the other day. rs one
OF the most difficult ever put on--and il
fascinates me like the eye of a snake
That fall OF Deburdu. too. when he
clutches the scenery, is very wearing
but I'd rather do II than walk off
calmly. And the last part of the act
in fact most of (which 7 play while
seated and making UP the face of my
son and successor. Is also something
strenuous in spite of my sitting down
For have TO keep the attention OF the
audience riveted so that they won't get
up and leave their seats.
THE play is absorbing TO me. because
II shows how obscure players have their
sorrows and bear them like men--how
players in a 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 quail
ity which Shakespeare's works have, and
YOU can't fall 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
tn s.to Of f1.n Dor lie
OF the early '30s when Paris was maxi
ing a name for itself.
ITS 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
sufferin ing-probably much more than the
fair lady did In reality. For this play
shows her quite justifiably as something
OF light o. love. which she actually
was. with all due Difference to the grand
traditional character OF the French the
atre IL seemed to me men we're about
due to have their innings In such n play.
The ladies. bless EN-, 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
front didn't have any jolly party either" &"
Mr. Atwill said he never had played
IN pantomimo. but he had studied for
hours with Mime. Pillar NORM. French
pantomimist, until he could go through
the motions. AS an instance OF David
Belasco's prodigality in producing play
he mentioned that "the Governor" az
great expense had devised n pantomme
with Nine. Pillar NORM and then had
thrown the whole episode away to con-
dense the play.
"T like playing with the Governor he
makes YOU feel YOU arc helping a lot to
be on his stage. lie has the rare knack
Of asking for a players ideas and arous-
ing the actor TO think about the inter
probation Of his part while all the tmo
the ideas which he sprouts arc the very
ones Mr.. Belasco wanted him TO have.
And every change he makes improves
the play so its own author would hardly
recognize &C. That final curtain. for in
stance, wasn't in the Paris production.
but was an original and highly decora-
tive touch supplied by the Governor out
Of an inexhsustible fund which he al
ways carries about with him.
And in that love scene between Debp-
rdH and his lady early in the second act
wo discovered that In the French YER
sion the actor sat on n couch talking
about ideal love for two solid pages Of
dialogue and never once made n motion
toward the girl beside him. American
thcatregoers wouldn't believe such man
truly existed. But as that scene was
worked out here under tho direction OF
Mr.. Belssco ] move about and take the
Young woman in my arms. cutting ont
one line the only elisiop in tho origi
dialogue. to do so. and the scene swms
along with more OF human passion in IT,"