The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts

The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts?by Maurice Maeterlinck

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Title: The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts
Author: Maurice Maeterlinck
Release Date: August, 2005 [EBook #8606] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 28, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE BLUE BIRD
A Fairy Play in Six Acts
BY MAURICE MAETERLINCK
Translated by ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS

CHARACTERS
TYLTYL MYTYL LIGHT THE FAIRY B��RYLUNE NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT DADDY TYL MUMMY TYL GAFFER TYL (Dead) GRANNY TYL (Dead) TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS (Dead) TIME NIGHT NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT'S LITTLE DAUGHTER TYL?, THE DOG TYLETTE, THE CAT BREAD SUGAR FIRE WATER MILK THE WOLF THE PIG THE OX THE COW THE BULL THE SHEEP THE COCK THE RABBIT THE HORSE THE ASS THE OAK THE ELM THE BEECH THE LIME-TREE THE FIR-TREE THE CYPRESS THE BIRCH THE CHESTNUT-TREE THE IVY THE POPLAR THE WILLOW STARS, SICKNESSES, SHADES, LUXURIES, HAPPINESSES, JOYS, ETC.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
A new act appears for the first time in this edition and is inserted as Act IV--Palace of Happiness. It has been specially written for the Christmas revival of The Blue Bird at the Haymarket Theatre, where it will take the place of the Forest Scene (Act III., Scene 2). In the printed version, however, the Forest Scene is retained; and in this and all later editions the play will consist of six acts instead of five.
ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS. CHELSEA, 14 November, 1910.

COSTUMES
TYLTYL wears the dress of Hop o' my Thumb in Perrault's Tales. Scarlet knickerbockers, pale-blue jacket, white stockings, tan shoes.
MYTYL is dressed like Gretel or Little Red Riding-hood.
LIGHT.--The "moon-coloured" dress in Perrault's Peau d'ane; that is to say, pale gold shot with silver, shimmering gauzes, forming a sort of rays, etc. Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian (�� la Walter Crane) or even more or less Empire style: a high waist, bare arms, etc. Head-dress: a sort of diadem or even a light crown.
THE FAIRY B��RYLUNE and NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT.--The traditional dress of the poor women in fairy-tales. If desired, the transformation of the Fairy into a princess in Act I may be omitted.
DADDY TYL, MUMMY TYL, GAFFER TYL and GRANNY TYL.--The traditional costume of the German wood-cutters and peasants in Grimm's Tales.
TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS.--Different forms of the Hop-o'-my-Thumb costume.
TIME.--Traditional dress of Time: a wide black or dark-blue cloak, a streaming white beard, scythe and hour-glass.
NIGHT.--Ample black garments, covered with mysterious stars and "shot" with reddish-brown reflections. Veils, dark poppies, etc.
THE NEIGHBOUR'S LITTLE GIRL.--Bright fair hair; a long white frock.
THE DOG,--Red dress-coat, white breeches, top-boots, a shiny hat. The costume suggests that of John Bull.
THE CAT.--The costume of Puss In Boots: powdered wig, three-cornered hat, violet or sky-blue coat, dress-sword, etc.
N.B.--The heads of the DOG and the CAT should be only discreetly animalised.
THE LUXURIES.--Before the transformation: wide, heavy mantles in red and yellow brocade; enormous fat jewels, etc. After the transformation: chocolate or coffee-coloured tights, giving the impression of unadorned dancing-jacks.
THE HAPPINESSES OF THE HOME.--Dresses of various colours, or, if preferred, costumes of peasants, shepherds, wood-cutters and so on, but idealised and interpreted fairy-fashion.
THE GREAT JOYS.--As stated in the text, shimmering dresses in soft and subtle shades: rose-awakening, water's-smile, amber-dew, blue-of-dawn, etc.
MATERNAL LOVE.--Dress very similar to the dress worn by Light, that is to say, supple and almost transparent veils, as of a Greek statue, and, in so far as possible, white. Pearls and other stones as rich and numerous as may be desired, provided that they do not break the pure and candid harmony of the whole.
BREAD.--A rich pasha's dress. An ample crimson silk or velvet gown. A huge turban. A scimitar. An enormous stomach, red and puffed-out cheeks.
SUGAR.--A silk gown, cut like that of a eunuch in a seraglio, half blue and half