The evening world., 1894-05-02
"uANNELE."

duced at tho Fltth Avenue Theatre last
night and gave unmistakable pleasure
TO n large audience. At the close OF the
first part of the representation there was
some applause. but 1t was scattered.
and II was plainly to be seen that the
audience vas In a maze of wonderment
about the purport and purpose OF all
they had been looking at and listening
to. But when the second curtain de-
seconded and the performance was
over, the theatre fairly rang with
enthusiastic approval OF the
evenings work. The applause was sus-
taincd for five minutes. during which
time the whole house waitel and
brought out Gerhardt Hauptmann, the
futhor. twice. Hannele and the Hanne-
lean Christ a half dozen times, II one
Of the smile-wreathed Rosenfelds once.
Only a few In the audience, who pre-
tended to be greatly grieved by what
they vaguely described as the irrever-
ence Of the play. didn't like It. Nearly
everybody was delighted with 1t and
said 30. in addition to Joining In the
noisy and hearty commentator at the
conclusion OF the play.
There Is nothing irreverent In Han
nele." 1t Is strange, weird n full of
symbolism; It is ~spiritualistic to a grue-
some degree. but 1t Is neither religious
nor irreligious per se. Greed has no
part whatever In its motive. Belief In
n future state Is made n vehicle for the
phenomena with which Mr.. Hauptmann
Nils the dream-phases of his story. but
mat IL all. Inc FEARS anu hopes vi "a"
hi-treateu young g'ri III eA'ren'''' u
nish the dramatist MS meme anu pe-
cause hahneie Is Christiah, 'hiiS,'ah
ity gives its coiorihs 10 inc s'.N"e
contrast between her conu'''oh n"u "r'
thouEht operations. Leaving us "ss'e'i
cal possibilities out OF the question:
fiafhele can 90 no harfh' =.
a child IL dying. she mas peen taush'
that death Is the door to eternal PUNISH
ment or eternal JOY. Naturally she pre-
fers the latter she ilsps her anxiety
that the loving Jesus should stretch
out his arms and take her 10 heaven
Her brutal, drunken, Vagraht 1ather
has beaten ana abused her uhtli
her body Is run or bruises. lie
turns her out In the cold, and. weak n
desperate, she seeks the river. Tencher
her TO the almshouse. which Is her
homo. to die. with terrible liberalism
the abJect environment OF this passing
younC life Is made manifest. Wretched
beggars crowd around her rag-i1eckcd
bed. The besotted father Is brought In
and is seen to be n worse type OF tramp
than Walter Jones or Walter Gale ever
offered us. The place reeks with
wretchedness and poverty. An atoning
antithesis Is presented In Teacher Gott-
wald. refined, cultured and superior to
all around him. In the early portion or
her dream we are made acquainted with
the fact that poor little Hannele has
loved the Teacher. and there Is a suspi-
clon that she has once. at least. In the
mute language OF a few violets given to
him. tried to tell her love.
Be that as 1t may. she Is now on her
deathbed hoping n praying for heaven
and her loving Jesus She has never
seen either OF them. but she has no
doubt often painted mind-pictures OF
them. Ana how has she painted them?
Surely, her heaven was n place directly
the opposite or the almshouse ana lts
access ries. No rags there; all shining
SILKS ana brilliant tnsel. NO hithy hard
bed. but n couch or down and gold and
crystal. NO bare rect. but beautiful
white slippers. NO quarreling thieFcs
and & but angels In "hite with
great white wings NO damp anu darR-
ness, but wonderfully radiant lisht. Ana
what would her loving Jesus look ike!
Why. glorihed Teacher Gottwald. OF
course. The Teacher was her IDEAL mere;