ROSTAND, re/stall, Edmond, French poet and playwright: b. Marseilles, 1 April 1868; d. 2 Dec. 1918. He obtained his education at the Marseilles 1.„ycie and the College Stanislas of Paris, and in 1891 was admitted to the practice of law. He first came into prominence as an author in 1888, when his (Le gent rouge,' a vaudeville sketch, was produced in Paris. About that time a small volume of poems, en titled Musardises,) appeared, but attracted scant notice; nor was (Pour la Grece) (1897) a poem which he recited for the benefit oi wounded Greeks and Cretans in the Grieco Turkish War, much more successful. As a playwright, however, he at once met favor. His (Les romanesques' (1894), (La Princesse loin taine) (1895) and (La Samaritaine) (1897), all in verse, were applauded by public and press. But they were quite outdone by his (Cyrano de (1897), a five-act drama in verse, which proved to be one of the most conspicuous successes of the modern stage, being presented in Paris 500 times consecutively, with Coquelin in the title-role. It was given also in the United States in English by Richard Mansfield and in French by Coquelin. It employs the his toric figure of de Bergerac, duelist and author. (L'Aiglon) (1900), based on the story of the king of Rome, was given in the United States by Sarah Bernhardt, who created the part in Paris, and in English by. Maude Adams. M. Rostand was at the height of his popularity when (Chantecler) was produced in Paris in 1910. Seats sold. for $50 and the American rights for its presentation cost a fortune. originally had been written for the French actor, M. quelin, who died before rehearsals and the title-rOle was then given to Guitry. The play was not a conspicuous suc cess and its presentation in English with Maude Adams in the title-role was even less successful.
M. Rostand had been made a member of the French Academy, 30 May 1901, the youngest ever admitted; he was raised to the
. rank of Commander of the Legion of Honor, received a grand diploma for writing (Chant ecler) and was lionized at many brilliant assem blages. Other poems and plays by M. Rostand were pois seer& ; (Don Juan); La Cantique de l'aile> (1911); Le printemps de raile) (1912); (La Belgique,) and (The Song of the Stars.) Rostand's versification is finished and brilliant, his wit keen and polished and, added to these, his work displays a certain enthusiasm and spontaneity. He contributed, with Stephen Phillips (q.v.), to the much-talked-of renais sance of the poetic drama.
Early after the outbreak of the War of the Nations in 1914 M. Restand volunteered to fight as a French soldier, but his services were declined. He proceeded to hearten the Entente Allies, however, by writing patriotic verse, and one poem, in which he praised America's atti tude, was dedicated to Sarah Bernhardt. When the Lusitattio was sunk, M. Rostand wrote a long poem excoriating Count von Bernstort Gentian Ambassador to the United States, and accusing him of perfidy.
Rostand married early in life Rosamond Gerard, granddaughter of Count Etienne Gerard, a Marshal of France during the Napoleonic wars. They had one son, Maurice, who has collaborated with his mother in writing the plays (Un bon petit diable,' produced in New York in 1913 as (A Good Little Devil) and (La petite vendeuse d'allumettes> (1914). Among English translations are (Cyrano) by Thomas and Guillenard (1898) and Hall (1898) ; (L'Aiiglon) by Parker (1900) ; (Les romanesques) by Fleming (1900), and Hendee (1899), and (Chantecler) (1910). See Cifearr ECLER; CYRANO DE BERGERAC, and VAIGLON.
Bibliography.— Piton, Dumas S. Ros tand' (Paris 1898) ; Chesterton, G. K., (Varied Types) (New York 1903) Hale, E. E., Jr., (Dramatists of To-Day) Modern rn D ed. ib. 1911) • Lewisohn, Ludwig, (The oderama) (ib. 1915) ; Edinburgh Review (October 1900) and L'Illustration (1898, 1910).