Sanctuary: A Bird Masque

By Percy MacKaye, Arnold Genthe, Arvia MacKaye Ege

Book Overview

A woodland refuge becomes both stage and testing ground in this lyrical masque, where birds appear in human form and the work of conservation meets the imaginative power of myth. In a sylvan glade shaped as a sanctuary, Quercus, a faun and warden, tends the practical needs of wild birds, providing food, water, nest boxes, shelter and protection. Yet the safety of this carefully guarded place is threatened by Stark, a plume hunter who kills birds for the feathers demanded by fashion. Poetry, nature study and civic drama converge through dialogue, symbolic dance and pantomime. Dryad and bird spirit figures create a bridge between human speech and the avian world, while the sanctuary's naturalistic detail keeps the masque rooted in the realities of bird conservation. Science, art and imagination are not treated as rival ways of understanding nature; instead, each contributes to a wider enquiry into how knowledge may become responsibility and how concern may lead to public action. Freedom acquires a tangible meaning here: water, shelter, nesting places and safety from human violence. Against the shrine-like woodland setting, guardianship is presented as both daily labour and an ethical commitment, while communication between species expands the drama beyond ordinary human debate. The blend of fairy-play, nature poetry and sanctuary management gives the work a distinctive theatrical language for examining human relations with the wild. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9378410715
• ISBN13: 9789378410710
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 0.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"