Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-23
GUI7RYS DEBURAU"
IS A GREAT COMEDY
CrmrWe Bmker Translation Preserves The Spirit OF the
Original French SO That the English Reader Is Not
Deprived Of Any Of Its SubtIcty
BY FELIX r. SCHELIING
Professor English Literature Of

In the University Of Pennsylvania
humble and inevitable coadiutor. And
Il play for the stage docs not throw the
obvious in your face in person or in
dialogue. The first act Of "DCburnu
is model Of suggestion and restraint,
as each member of tho troupe of the
Theatre dos Funnmbulcs stands out in
his personality, from the "'barker,' or
runner. whose business il is 70 cry up
the play to passcrs by, to Robillard,
the thrifty manager and the littlc-and,
we may suppose. detormcd--money
taker who sends hcr roses to the great
Picrrot unbCknown, and receives them
back from him in an Outburst Of care
less and indisCriminate generosity.
T7NE character of Deburau. the actor,
L is as subtitle and natural as II is
French certain delicate fatalism
pcrvados it, There is nothing tlamboyant
or self lf-aSScrtivc in this Picrrot. whose
very success in his pnntomimc is
silence. II j. only on being reused
that he is drawn out. as By the reporter
in rcminisccncc Of his past, by love
which comes to him and then flies away
In a tricc. and in the eloquent passage
Of tho last act on the actors calling.
For tho rcSt, his is sweet COM
pl0iSanCy and content with this quaint
world" as it is and for what fate will
uncover to rs. alas, only too soon. He
does not want oven to know who it is
that he has found to love after twenty
years Of running away from women"
And when he finds that his place in
Marie's love is tCnnntcd by his sue
ccssor, his words are: Il was just
going, rs you see: | didn't mean to
interrupt: for "faryland" is after
all not 10 be his in this world. How
should one expect II? And poor Pierrot
departs with his little boy, his bird
cage and t'iti, his dog.
SENEN years pass; Dcburau has
~ fallen Ill and is poor. He has given
over acting, but always he awaits the
coming Of the peerless lady who has
once loved him. His son has grown up.
a fine handsome lad. secretly ambitious
to follow his father in his career. The
father is somewhat piQurd at the idea
and there is charming bit of insight
into III" sensitive nature seemingly so
callous that goes TO make UP the actors
temperament At last Marie. the be-
loved, comes and tho meeting is such
as "fairyand" contrives not. Marie
mas OttCn been prevented from
coming Old Robillard has prompted
her visit. not love, perhaps hardly com
passion. But she j. learning, now,
too. what is love; for she is to lose her
lover. Moreover. herring that Deburau
is i'll. she has brought her doctor. Il
have waited for this :" says Deburau.
For what? For you to come-bring.
ing your doctor, \ doctor-when you
are here, \ dOctor-whon YOU are
gone And iC is a fine bit of irony
that the doctor, not knowing his patient
by namp. should prescribe that to rally
his spirits he go to the theatre to see
Gaspard Deburau.
T HAVE no space for the unexpected
turn Of the last act in which De-
burau fails on the stage to live again in
his son. The eloQupncc and truth Of
the fine passage about acting are worthy
of all the praise that it has received
II is gratifying. TOO, to meet with 50
unconventional and so artistic a con-
rIusion. WHY tie knot in every
thread whom thcrc is JOY and beauty
too. in tn" skcin unravclod?
DEBtRAl. A comedy. Il" Sacha Gultry.
The Eng, sh version 6v II. Granvile Bar.
ker. N"w York. O. p Putaams Sons.