PREPARATIONS FOR JEANNE D'ARC AT VAUCOULEURS.
Three weeks of daily rehearsals at the Harrow theatre in Old Deerfield have
brought the forthcoming production of "Jeanne d' Arc at Vaucouleurs"
to a degree of finish which promises well for the final success of the piece
in public presentation. The entire cast has been working every evening, and
a large amount of private rehearsing has been going on at other times. It is
safe to announce that the play is working out on the stage very successfully.
The play was originally written for the Harrow stage by Mr. Hutchins, and was
cast into thoroughly dramatic form. While it is in verse it is yet primarily
an acting play, of fundamental human interest and great simplicity of style.
The usual Jeanne d' Arc plays have been spectacular. Some of them are hardly
more than pageants. In contrast to these the present play is kept by intention
entirely on the personal and domestic side of the story. Its dramatic interest
springs altogether from personal characters thrown into violent opposition.
The absence of the spectacular quality from the piece does not mean, however,
that it is without graphic interest. All the details of the piece are being
worked out with complete fidelity to the times represented, and most of all
with reference to the beauty of the stage pictures. The movement of the whole
will be effectively harmonized by a refined color scheme which will be both
highly decorative and at the same time symbolical.
During the coming week the finishing touches will be put on the ensemble of
the action. Minute care has been given in the preliminary training to the difficult
details of verse reading, and to the wide variety of emotional expression which
the piece demands.
The role of Jeanne d' Arc herself is almost exacting one. It is a character
in which some great actresses have signally failed. The management confidently
expects that in the present case the local public will have the pleasure of
seeing a portrayal of that character which is both sympathetic and convincing.
In order to insure the most comfortable accommodation of the public, the number
of tickets issued for each of the three performances, Aug. 2, 3, and 4, will
be limited to the seating capacity. To prevent congestion at the gate and disappointment
from overcrowding, patrons are urged to secure tickets in advance. | 
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