herself more attractive, because she believes
men prefer women to be useless and extravagant; if left to herself
she would be a domestic and capable person.
COTHURNUS: This character should be played by a tall and imposing
figure with a tremendous voice. The voice of Cothurnus is one of
the most important things in the acting play. He should have a voice
deeper than the voice used by any of the other persons, should speak
weightily and with great dignity, but almost without intonation, and
quite without feeling, as if he had said the same words many times
before. Only in his last speech may he be permitted a comment on
the situation. This speech should be spoken quite as impressively as
the others and fully as slowly.
CORYDON and THYRSIS: These two characters are young, very simple,
and childlike; they are acted upon by the force that sits on the
back of the stage behind them. More and more as their quarrel
advances they begin to see that something is wrong, but they have no
idea what to do about it, and they scarcely realize what is
happening, the quarrel grows so from little things into big things.
Corydon's first vision of the tragedy is in "It's terrible when you
stop to think of it." Thyrsis' first vision comes when he looks into
the pool; in seeing the familiar reflection he is struck by the
unfamiliarity of one aspect of it, the poisonous root; for the first
time he realizes that this man who is about to kill with poisoned
water his most beloved friend, is none other than Thyrsis
_himself_,--"'Tis I!" The personalities of Thyrsis and Corydon are
not essentially different. They develop somewhat differently,
because of the differing circumstances.
When Columbine goes out for the first time she takes with her her
artichoke and her wine-glass, also a couple of macaroons, which she
nibbles, going out. This helps to get the table cleared. The other
articles are removed by the shepherds when they prepare the stage
for their scene, in this manner: at the cue "Sir, we are always
ready. . . . Play the play!", Corydon and Thyrsis come down stage,
Corydon to Pierrot's end of the table, Thyrsis to Columbia's;
simultaneously, first, they set back the chairs against the wall,
Pierrot's left front, Columbine's right front; next they remove the
two big bowls and set them in symmetrical positions on the floor,
left front and right front, in such a way that the bowl of confetti
may be the mine of jewels for Corydon, and t
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