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Chantecler Play in Four Acts By: Edmond Rostand (1868-1918) |
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Play in Four Acts
By
EDMOND ROSTAND Translated
By
GERTRUDE HALL 1910 DRAMATIS PERSONAE CHANTECLER
PATOU
THE BLACKBIRD
THE PEACOCK
THE NIGHTINGALE
THE GRAND DUKE
THE SCREECH OWL
LITTLE SCOPS
THE GAME COCK
THE HUNTING DOG
A CARRIER PIGEON
THE WOOD PECKER
THE TURKEY
THE DUCK
THE YOUNG GUINEA COCK
THE PHEASANT HEN
THE GUINEA HEN
THE OLD HEN
THE WHITE HEN
THE GREY HEN
THE BLACK HEN
THE SPECKLED HEN
THE TUFTED HEN A Gander. A Capon. Chickens. Chicks. A Cockerel.
A Swan. A Cuckoo. Night birds. Fancy Cocks.
Toads. A Turkey hen. A Goose. A Garden Warbler.
A Woodland Warbler. A Spider. A Heron. A Pigeon.
A Guinea pig. Barnyard animals. Woodland Creatures.
Rabbits. Birds. Bees. Cicadas. Voices. PROLOGUE The customary three knocks are heard. The drop curtain wavers and is
rising, when a voice rings out, "Not yet!" and the MANAGER, a
gentleman of important mien in evening dress, springing from his
proscenium box, hurries toward the stage, repeating, "Not yet!" The curtain is again lowered. The MANAGER turns toward the audience,
and resting one hand on the prompter's box, addresses them: The curtain is a wall, a flying wall. Assured that presently the wall
will fly why haste? Is it not charming to delay and just look at it
for a while? Charming to sit before a great red wall, hanging beneath two gilt masks
and a scroll The thrilling moment is when the curtain thrills, and
sounds come from the other side. You are desired to night to listen to those sounds and entering the
scene before you see it, to wonder and surmise Bending his ear, the MANAGER listens to the sounds now beginning to
come from behind the curtain. A footstep is it a road? A flutter of wings is it a garden? The curtain here rippling as if about to rise, the MANAGER
precipitately shouts, "Stop! Do not raise it yet!" Then again bending
his ear, continues making note of the noises, clear or confused, single
or combined, that from this onward come without stop from behind
the curtain. A magpie cawing flies away. Great wooden shoes come running over flags.
A courtyard, is it? If so above a valley from whence that softened
clamour of birds and barking dogs. More and more clearly the scene suggests itself Magically sound
creates an atmosphere! A sheep bell tinkles intermittently Since there
is grazing, we may look for grass. A tree, too a tree must rustle in the breeze, for a bullfinch warbles
his little native song; and a blackbird whistling the song he has caught
by ear, implies, we may presume, a wicker cage. The rattling of a wagon run out of a shed the dripping of a bucket
drawn up overfull the patter of doves' feet alighting on a roof Surely
it is a farmyard unless it be a mill! Rustling of straw, click of a wooden latch A stable or a haymow there
must be. The locust shrills: the weather then is fine. Church bells
ring: it is Sunday then. Chatter of jays: the woods cannot be far! Hark! Nature with the scattered voices of a fair midsummer day is
composing in a dream! the most mysterious of overtures harmonised by
evening distance and the wind! And all these sounds song of a passing girl laughter of children
jogged by the donkey trotting faraway gun reports and hunting horns
these sounds describe a holiday. A window opens, a door closes The harness shakes its bells. Is it not
plain in sight, the old farmyard? The dog sleeps, the cat but
feigns to sleep. Sunday! Farmer and farmer's wife are starting for the fair. The old
horse paws the ground A ROUGH VOICE
[ Behind the curtain, through the horse's pawing. ] Whoa, Dapple! ANOTHER VOICE
[ As if calling to a laggard. ] Come along! We shan't get home till
morning! AN IMPATIENT VOICE
Are you ready? ANOTHER VOICE
Fasten the shutters! MAN'S VOICE
All right! WOMAN'S VOICE
My sunshade! MAN'S VOICE
[ Through the cracking of the whip. ] Gee up! THE MANAGER
The wagon to the jingling of the harness rattles off, jolting out
ditties. A turn in the road cuts off the unfinished song... Continue reading book >>
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