21.
eS
M
0
#l 4
“GREEN COCKATOO.“
DRAMA OF THE UNDERWORLD
OF PARIS.
A GRIM STORY.
The Incorporated Stage Society gavo lovers of
the drama an intensely interesting afternoon at the
Aldwych Theaire yesterday, when the Society pro¬
dluced two plays by Arthur Schnitzler, The Com¬
tesso Mizzi,“' a comedy, and “ The Green Cocka¬
1oo,' a tragedy in the grotesque.
* The Green Cockatoo is a masterpiece in
bizarre dramaturgy. Stevenson would have loved
at, and might even have written it in the form of
a short storv. It has atmosphere and character
and a great final thrill that, coming with cumula¬
tive effect, would shake any audience.
The Green Cockatoo?' is an underground
tavern in Paris run by Prosper, a former theatre
manager. The time of the action 1s July 14th,
1789, and in ihe Paris streets a mob is busily en¬
gaged capturing the Bastille. Prosper is an inn¬
keeper with an original turn of mind, and to at¬
tract the Paris gentry he hires members of his old
theatrical company to play the parts of Paris
ruffians every night, act scenes of violence, and
relate imaginary decds of theft and murder for the
edification of aristocrats in search of a thrilling
experience. There is in this company an actor
called Henri, a man with a dream in lis soul. He
has just made the beautiful Léocadie his wife. He#
has forgiven her all her former lovers, and he is
taking her away from Faris. To-night is his last
performance as a ruffian in" The Green Cocka¬
too,“ and he promiscs Prosper a special thrill for
his audience.
JES1 TURNS TO EARNEST.
Well, the äristocrats in all their powder and
patches and ruffles and silk have assembled in the
çavern of“ The Green Cockatoo.“ The actors play
their ruffianly parts, but at last the great sensa¬
tion comes, when Henri rushes into the tavern
like a man distracted. He tells the story of his
marriage, and everybody knoys this to be true,
but he goes on to relate how he found his wife
with a Duc de Cadignan. He has murdered the
Duc. Now everybody, knowing that Cadignan had
been Léocadie's lover, rises in horror. Is Henri's
story the truth or merely part of the play? The
Duc’s friends beseech him to stop acting and tell
the truth. And at that moment a section of the
mnob which has captured the Bastille rush into the
tavern and, hearing that Henri has murdered a
Duc, proclaim him a hero. All the citizens cheer
him and his friends congratulate him, stating that
they have long known the relationship between his
wife and ihe Duc. And, hearing this, Henri be¬
comes demonincal, for he has only been play-acting
after all, and the Duc still lives. Then the Duc
enters 10 rally the arstocrats against a mob that
has already risen, and the murder which has been
alie becomes a reality.
Mr. Leon Quartermaine has never done ansthing
in an his honourabie stage record better than Henri,
and Mr. Luke Forster made a distinct hit as Pros¬
per.“ The Green Cockatoo“ should certainly find
a place in the evening bill at some West Londont
theatre.
The first piece,“ Comtesse Mizzi,? shows uss
another side of Schnitzier’s art. It is very bril¬
liantly written. but would hardlv prove acceptabie
to a general English audience. Mr.-Athol Stewart
was conspienously successful as Egbn. But the
production of the two plays putt the intelligent
theatre publie under vet another deep debt of
gratitude to the Stage Society.
APOSTLE OF ITALIAN UNITY.
box 26/4
eS
M
0
#l 4
“GREEN COCKATOO.“
DRAMA OF THE UNDERWORLD
OF PARIS.
A GRIM STORY.
The Incorporated Stage Society gavo lovers of
the drama an intensely interesting afternoon at the
Aldwych Theaire yesterday, when the Society pro¬
dluced two plays by Arthur Schnitzler, The Com¬
tesso Mizzi,“' a comedy, and “ The Green Cocka¬
1oo,' a tragedy in the grotesque.
* The Green Cockatoo is a masterpiece in
bizarre dramaturgy. Stevenson would have loved
at, and might even have written it in the form of
a short storv. It has atmosphere and character
and a great final thrill that, coming with cumula¬
tive effect, would shake any audience.
The Green Cockatoo?' is an underground
tavern in Paris run by Prosper, a former theatre
manager. The time of the action 1s July 14th,
1789, and in ihe Paris streets a mob is busily en¬
gaged capturing the Bastille. Prosper is an inn¬
keeper with an original turn of mind, and to at¬
tract the Paris gentry he hires members of his old
theatrical company to play the parts of Paris
ruffians every night, act scenes of violence, and
relate imaginary decds of theft and murder for the
edification of aristocrats in search of a thrilling
experience. There is in this company an actor
called Henri, a man with a dream in lis soul. He
has just made the beautiful Léocadie his wife. He#
has forgiven her all her former lovers, and he is
taking her away from Faris. To-night is his last
performance as a ruffian in" The Green Cocka¬
too,“ and he promiscs Prosper a special thrill for
his audience.
JES1 TURNS TO EARNEST.
Well, the äristocrats in all their powder and
patches and ruffles and silk have assembled in the
çavern of“ The Green Cockatoo.“ The actors play
their ruffianly parts, but at last the great sensa¬
tion comes, when Henri rushes into the tavern
like a man distracted. He tells the story of his
marriage, and everybody knoys this to be true,
but he goes on to relate how he found his wife
with a Duc de Cadignan. He has murdered the
Duc. Now everybody, knowing that Cadignan had
been Léocadie's lover, rises in horror. Is Henri's
story the truth or merely part of the play? The
Duc’s friends beseech him to stop acting and tell
the truth. And at that moment a section of the
mnob which has captured the Bastille rush into the
tavern and, hearing that Henri has murdered a
Duc, proclaim him a hero. All the citizens cheer
him and his friends congratulate him, stating that
they have long known the relationship between his
wife and ihe Duc. And, hearing this, Henri be¬
comes demonincal, for he has only been play-acting
after all, and the Duc still lives. Then the Duc
enters 10 rally the arstocrats against a mob that
has already risen, and the murder which has been
alie becomes a reality.
Mr. Leon Quartermaine has never done ansthing
in an his honourabie stage record better than Henri,
and Mr. Luke Forster made a distinct hit as Pros¬
per.“ The Green Cockatoo“ should certainly find
a place in the evening bill at some West Londont
theatre.
The first piece,“ Comtesse Mizzi,? shows uss
another side of Schnitzier’s art. It is very bril¬
liantly written. but would hardlv prove acceptabie
to a general English audience. Mr.-Athol Stewart
was conspienously successful as Egbn. But the
production of the two plays putt the intelligent
theatre publie under vet another deep debt of
gratitude to the Stage Society.
APOSTLE OF ITALIAN UNITY.
box 26/4