MAETERLINCK

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 10

MAETERLINCK

POET AND PHILOSOPHER. (By H. Hamilton Pyfe, in the "Haily . .;■ ,; Maii.") ; , .;. It was in the dim twilight of a theatre shrouded in dust-sheets that I greeted M. Maeterlinck on tho evening of his,, arrival. Only the Haymarket stage: stood out from the gloom. . A wonderful vision of the Palaco of the Future caught and hold the gaze with its subtle harmonies of blue. Blue figures flitted, here 1 and there. Bluo lights shed a mysterious glow upon ,tho 6cene. Out of the shadowy region pf the dress circle came a voice from timo to time, exhorting, pleading, instructing. M. : Maeterlinck sat by watching intently, wrapt in the epiotions of the hour.. For the first time he was seeing upon the stage an ombodiment'of his exquisite and touching.: fairy tale, "The Bluo Bird," producod at tho Haymarket Thoatro on' Wednesday night. -It was clearly no time to talk to him then. So I quietly sat down and awaited a more favourable inpment. ■' Eventually my patience was rewarded. In an eyrie overlooking Regent's Park, 1 in the "sky parlour," where Mr:.Sutro fashions his mindstuff, into acts and-scenes for the pleasure of playgoers,' M. - Maeterlinck received mo w:itn the most charming cordiality. For an hour the: greatest;of our younger European masters,' the' poet and . philosoIpher who has won the heart and stirred tho intellect, .of a .world-wide .audience, talked upon many ■ subjects with that simplicity and modesty and ease which' are characteristic of all distinguihsed [ minds. ..- ■ ■■./-.'..-.

Maeterlinck on England. . ~ "This visit to' London", he'says in his gentle voice,-.'warming- his;hands at the fire, "gives mo . great 'pleasure. I have not seen 'The Blue Bird' performed. Jt was done,' of course, in Moscow and in St. Petersburg, but the' Russian : winter, you know—l was afraid of it. 1 It: was such a long ; way."; He. smiles, with win-, ning good .humour.; •:. . ':.'■■;: . ; , '_■■'. "And the English winter, oher maitre ? You don't,fear 1 that?" "Ah; ynen.^ : ■He smiles again, '"Though it is true I could not hero workout'pf doors as I do at Grasse, where I pass;thb winter plea-, santly in tho sunshine. Yes, Iliko. to be near nature when I ■write.' I. cannct bear being cooped up in a study, though," he quickly added; ' my friend ..Sutro; makes mo extremelycomfortableyhere, :But your English: climate .'has' many 'charms: On Sunday.'l went for a motor drive into tho country. The sun was warm and delicious; the sky of a tender; limpid'blue. The colours of the landscape were charming. But fer,. great cities J. have,-no ■ lik--' ing. I' grow' so weary of the'- endless streets. In Paris I have a little apartmbnt, but I "go there'-seldom. . Do :you -know Grasse? '-.'.' 'y;-. ■ \ -■-,:■, And then the poet'plunged mtoya description -of 'the little'town perched up. near-the'Mediterranean shore, where all. spring, and summer the., air:-is .perfumed by flowers grown-fbr scent; ..On 1 his mbtorkicycle ho makes many 'exoursions among tho moiiritains,;at'the ybaok;-^;"Some 'people laugh at me;" he", says, "a' ; ppot.yon a"mbtor-bi6ycle';':they think itMncongruons. ; But consider .now, much. 1 more convenient it is:'than a motor-car; .'You' are ncartotho road, you. see all that there is to 1 bo seen.: You can-go along l little paths; delightful, quiet wood-ways ywhero no- motor-car can pass. Still, tnerb is a drawback. My dog cannot go 'with; me. In the motor-car ho enjpys himself more than anyone. : He' makes us go but in it simply to give him pleasure.' ■

"The Bluey Bird." ;;; .;;,■:';!■:■;.;' Clearly ho is great friends with dogs. ; He shoivs. that:on "The Blue,' Bird,", whore :The' Dog has one of the best parts.;; And this.gives me,an opportunity;of turn-: tho conversation back-to the play;-; With", a sigh he submits. --."Yes," ho.admits, 1 "it is quite true that:fifty-two • companies, are playing,tho pieco in Russia.,..lt his become; so popular that the newspapers speak bf-'the'Blueßird craze.' : Why has it'.notybeen done ;in Paris? Ahl"'he shrugs; his broad shoulders. : "In-Paris nowadays thny do not care 1 for .'simple things.; They must-have .the,wife, thb husband; the [lover, "always 'that;' .'-Their palates must, be'tickled'by highly: seasoned dishes.! This' Blue Bird ; of (mine, is, just a fantasyi' a, fairy tale/-.We' all seek-'rhappiness, Jdo/we not? Well,y<..tho Bluo ; -Bird is:happiness—the bird;that is never caught. l ; Quite simple,: story for-..children-rof .all ages. Somo/peoplo sco mystio meanings in -it, but, I—l,see none..'lt'was a aistTactipn,..a hpliday task."'.:-: '.'• -;.-'••: .'-■ ■: :■ ■■'...-,';'.. ..■'■;

"One thing: I notice—the.understand-, ing "which English actors : have of animal'characters.: The dog especially is an instance: of this, and, -I must: add;--'the. cat also:;! The mixture of human and anii mal: character^" is' suggosted: with. exaot skill and.iufihite'.humour. How adorable,! too,'are the 1 children! '.;They enjoy :them-' wives, so much...'They are full of: good, .humour .• and.', fun... But,' tell- mei'.'-.-.con-tinues the pbet, suddenly switching the talk; off himself again; -'-'how is it'.l can find'ho Shakespeare play to see in London ? This is terrible.' I cannot under-' stand it.. Your' English' nation, so proud of its past! Your Shakespeare, tho world's greatest;poet! Yet. you' neglect him. Even for reasons of education you ought to have him" acted continually. Why have you no institution like the Comedie Franchise ?'-'-. —-.•■-••■ -■'■ ...-.:-:..--.:; ..;.;; ' "Poetry, chor. maitre, is under a cloud in these days: -It : is. all. commerce.■'.-' But we'have" hope's-, of tt National: Theatre,: and :whon- wo-posses it,; be. sure we'shall: give an'honoured place in bur repertory to the- worksbf Maeterlinck." -:Ho-laugh-ingly ■ protested; and so we.badb.farewell. My;dream of a,playhouso devoted to the best'drama of all lands may never.come true, ; but, at 'any 1 rate, Herbert Trench is doing us credit, as a nation,'by producing so.admirably "The Blue Bird..'.