New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-09

IAN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE"

Mr. Tree who made mis- re-entrance In this capital
last night. at Abbey's Theatre. where he may %
seen during the current week, signalled MS return
by producing one OF the sap.ent Mr.. I5sens compo-
sl,ions called AN Enemy Of the People That
play vas published in English seven years aga
and II f. we'll known to students OF the contempt
rary drama II relates to case Of imperfect drain.
age IN n .i,te town on the south coast OF Norway.
Dr. Stockman, who resided IN that town discovered
that baths which had been established mere
instead OF being medicinal AMI salhtiry, hal oeen
tainted by sewage and had become poisonous, ana
DR. stockman ,hcreupon wrote newspaper aru.
Gle on the stbjec. which a local journals promised
10 print Or Stockmars brother. however, who
was "A ma gistraie and who hal a pecGn2ry interest
in the baths ami al not care how many peops
were poisoned by them, persuaded the journalist
not 10 keep his promise. and Dr. s.ocKmahs aru-
cie WAS therefore rejected. The doctor then called
a. meeting q the townspeope. In order TO read his
essay 10 them. but his opponents took possession
81 Il AMI "c0ughed him down" AM the asSenoags
broke up N "A TOW. Or. StOckman was thon dis
charged from his town Office. and 'boyco,tei" gen
orally. as IAN enemy OF the people and NJ resolved
to open a school for rags mutlins. Mr.. Ibsen has
told that en.lvening tale in five acts. which have
the sp-ight.iness Of the turtle AMI the aSiAiy OK
the
In Robortso.'s comedy Of School Of the
children. being asked In what way the people re-
warded the public services % Nelisarius. replied
that They deprived him OF his dgnites ana pus
his eyes out" The man who tres 10 benefit society
often comes TO grief. There Is nothing new In that
An Instructive essay might. doubtless. be written
the bluricrs ~ the majority. on human selhsh'
ness. and the erroneous notion that ali persons
born equal. and that the masses OF people,
simply because they masses, are Therefore
vrtuous. wise and infable. M lbsen's mind ap-
pears 70 have been distressed that subject when
he wrote An Enemy O; the People" He wished
10 announce hts opinion that the majority nag
might but not right. The subject = Appropriate
f1r treatise. but not for piay.-oecause IN play
there should be lesson. or moral, or precept or
doctrine. but simply an healized moving picture
o: human nature-an elementary force in the
human minds always present n It's own way,
and always takes care OF itself The stage must
rot preach. Mr.. ibsen's fundamental nnrmity a.
a dramatist is that he has set himself forth as a
regula tor.that he Is forever yocieraing that tho
world is out Of joint" and that 1t IS a cursed
spite that ever he was born 10 set IL right He
never Will succeed in setting il right and he never
will succeed on the stage until he ceases 20 be dull
His nasty plays make people sick, and his pedantc
former class. An Enemy o. the People" is a type
OF the latter.
The play requires acting. Anybody who Is
familiar with the stage can readily satisfy the
walk in and out. and 20 talk. Mr.. Tree appeared
as Doctor Siockman, and was duly oquaclo
IL Mr. Tree were brilliant actor. II mght b
judicious ior him 10 produce tedious play, bIt
since he Is. upon the whole actor of med.ocrty,
ho would be wise prefer bright pieces This
re VII perform I'm Hamlet" "A Bunch % Vo.ets y
The Merry Wives q. Windsor" and THE Ralled
Mongcr' Persons whc wish to this actor ct
his best should see him In "A Bunch OF Vioets."