Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-11

into notoricty. Since then hc has given forth six plays and clever little volume of sketches, and so phenomenal has been his success that he has already come to be regarded by the intellectual playgocrs and artists of his native land as the successor of the immortal Goethe. While many pco pie fail to agree with his enthusiastic ad- mircrS to such an extent, certain it is that since his mctcuric flight from obscurity to fame he has gained for himself place in the foremost rank of GrCatcat living dram a:ists, of which Henrik Ibscn Is rccog niZcdly the leader.
 Hauptmann has been accused of imitat- ing the great Scandinavian genius, but Hauptmann himself declares that he is a follower of no one, although he con fcsscs to inspiration from Goethe, whom he aims to emulate and by whom he revCrently swcarS. But he is no moro n follower of Goethe than he is of IbScn. His genius is individual and unique. He is the pioneer of n new school in dramatic art, as Wagner was in the world of music, and like Wagner he was compelled to fight hard fight for his artistic ideals be fore the public of his native land would accept him.
 Hauptmann has been claimed by nearly all crcCds. Tho atheists, socialists, natu-
 
 Catholics have in turn claimed him. If we wcrc to judge by his face and dress, wc should assurvdly set him down in our minds aS either a Catholic priest Church of England clergyman. But al though mODaStic in appearance llaupt mann Is not an ascctic. He Is indeed fol lower of no especial creed, though whilo mt times nanifcSting tendency to each he evinccs hostility to none. Every crccd- iSt can find something that appeals to his own particular doctrine in ll0uptmapn' < works. So true k this that when Emperor William, who iS a Protestant, witnessed performance of "Hannclr' he hailed Haurtmann aS the creator of a new Prot cstamt drama, while his Roman Catholic brother monarch, Francis Joseph of Aus tria. uVVlaru HanuClr' Ia be a true cN- poncnt of poprry. Hauptnann himself con fcSSCS to no conventional dogma. His crrcd k purely one of ;lsIhctiCism, his one great desire being that fer moral mental and artistic frvvdum-thc passionate cray ing "a be rid of all conventional fotters imposed either by church or society.
 To the ordinary observer Gcrharlt Hauptmann does not convey the idea of being an unusual man. He is absolutely unassuminG in manner, but to a close ob- server tho wonderful intcllcctuality of his faco suggests rarc possibilities in the man. Ho is of medium height and slender; his eyes arc blue. his forehead fine his mouth firm, the whole face radiatinR great con- ccntration of mind, combined with ccr- tain sadness and at times acute irony of expression.
 Hauptmann, who had been for some weeks Tn America, directing tho rphCarsals of tho English version of "Hannelc," sail ed for the fathcrland May 3, with tho in .g l:. ton of n new creation, upon which for tho past two years he has been working IL is a trilogy dramatizing the history of the Lutheran reformation. The first part is already finished, and upon completion of the whole it iS to bc hoped the gifted young playwright may once again come among us. JANE pnDSoN O'HERN