New-York tribune., 1896-12-06
1BsEN IN LONDON.
,pp,rCE AT THE AVENUE
rHEATRE-MR. BANCROFT IN a
DICKENS RECITAL


.-ans described by Ibsens aoin'rerS as mas
.'.n,oce OF tragic beauty, inteiec'"ai o'S'u'o-
ter"eo~ n,,losophy of life. has been at once
.,o,Ienge to British Phiils'iiiiSi'' az" "' ''e
enS"' .addis,o. The challenge has been met
.s,h unwonted ferocity ny hos'ne '''''0'' "''''e
VII" ~.h,nners Of Ibsen have been enabled to
- as SUPERIOR persons, win IN ear i'' iius'c
p''e ,non their finer senses and capacity
-. receiving symbolic revelations winch are
..,,,ts,ligible jangles to the oro'ha'! Hiho
r,.o,onsed as the controversy mas peeh over the
-, methods and philosophical value OF lpsen
=. ,oot is undsputed that his dramas appear
" ,,a few rather than to the many. Inc! ex-
a., curiosity among those who want something
h =, talk about in the intervals or stale eN-
.rcs hut they lack attractive power TOT the
.oaav masses who support the Ehglish
80 Little Eyof'' has been produced en-
~-,,,orta,lv for five afternoons, and with sub
s-,n,o,s in advance for boxes and stalls which
.,orrs the management against loss
r.oso nrecautions and safeguards for procur-
49,, favorable reception OF a so-calied master
' =, human emotion and psychological
,,,,,v consciousness on the part of lb-
..r.s disciples that his works are not destined
o. attain TO any large measure OF popularity IN
rng,and They are luXuries to be enjoyed by
email circle of devout worshippers VINO
,..rh,e with a sense of near divinity as they
roach the shrine Hence the number or
..r,ormances must he restricted and the faith
e., devotees must rally in idolatrous and awe
s.uck alteration. There is no flattery or
.ro,;sn, so subtle as the incense offered to
n..,er whose symbolic harmonies and art
,,r.tsries are unintellgible alike to AIRY and
..rr,st In the top gallery. and TO the vulgar
,.o, philistne in the stalls and dress circle
r,oss who weep and shudder over the harrow
-. dialogues are the elect. who have been
,r.ht I'D in an ecstacy of self-appreciaton
,,,o A heaven % unspeakable delight. where
sendbity TO genius and to the hidden mys-
rss of human nature Is the breath of new
life
The Philistine, who goes TO the Avenue
Theatre without having been admitted into the
inner circle of Ibsen fanaticism. has an uncom-
Portable afternoon He is irritated and bored
He follows the play with unsympathetic heart
and finds 1t unutterably disagreeable. There Is
no poetry in 1t for his dull commonplace ma
ture nor is there any philosophy Of life 1t Is
a study of diseased minds. He finds some OF the
prose passages between husband and wife 50
plain spoken as to be indecent. and he wonders
whether Jude the Obscure" or Mr.. Grant
Aliens hilltop fiction will ever be dramatized
His prevailing impression is that everybody on
the stage except the engineer is mentally
diseased from habits Of self-absorption. ana
hat the wife stands in greater need OF the ser
vices Of a specialist for nervous maladies than
Il ANYTHING else Tie husband. moreover. in
,pres an irresistible impulse on the part Of the
phistine 10 kick him off the stage into the
l,rd. where his inflated talk about himself VIII
1e smothered.
All tbese structures are passed without any
,nDarent disposition to underrate the merits or
no actors who unite in this performance OF
bseo's mystery play. These merits are con-
derable and extort hearty appreciation. MISS
elizabeth Robins acts the part Of Asta' the
,alf-sister with sclfrestraint and charm OF
manner Miss Janet Achurch has a Inuch more
lificuIt task in revealing the htful caprices ana
aming intensity of the jealous wiIe' ana ue'P-
= moves the audience by her hysterical excite
nent when her crippled boy is drowned and MS
rutch is seen floating in the water. the part
q Little Eyolf is marvellously well acted ny
precocious boy Stewart Dawson. AS FOR Mrs.
,a,ric, Campbell's Rat-wife. ii is perfect in
measured elocuton. weird in intensity or force
nd almost nnelodramatic In picturesque quail
los Ibsen does not suffer from unsympathetic
at the Avenue Theatre.
The true Ibsenite however. is thankful that
70 ia not as the Philistines are, with their IN
ular prejudices in favor Of honest melodraha
II roaring farce or romantic comedy. lie GOES
N, nrofess to understand all the hidden mys-
cries Of symbolism in this play. The transia-
or himself cannot explain why the pedantic
husband is moved TO address Asia as E!oH
nd TO make pretence that she is not nan
lister but a half-brother. Less thouSntiui ad-
nirers find much that is too subtle f"r coniP'c-
bension in the movement of the play. and they
are constrained TO admit that the performance
as whole is narrowing beyond endurahce-so
soul sea rchinG," indeed. as 20 be cXhaus'ihs.
Still they revel in the consciousness that all the
deepest themes Of human experience are
worked out by a master hand and that ever;
character In the play is typical. even the un-
canny Rat-wfe symbolizing the still, SOFT
darkness" and weird fascination Of Death
On the evening Of the first matinee perform
ance OF Little Eyolf' there an old-fash-
ioned entertainment Of a different order In the
Queens Hall Ii was a charity night for the
benefit OF the cancer wards Of Middesex Hos
pital and the services of q distinguished BODY
OF patrons and patronesses had sufhced 10 Ill
that great audence-room with brilliantly
dressed. fashionable throng. Mr.. Bancroft
with book-rest in front and screen behind
him. was the sole entertainer and his WORK
was go well done that the audience was Kept In
constant state Of merrment. He had chosen
Dickenss Christmas Carol for an evenings
reading. arranging and curtailing the text 10
suit the occasion and the limits Of time Ills
talent as an actor one Of the familiar
traditions Of the London stage. but his adapt
ability and consummate art AS reader OF
Dickens were not suspected until he gave TINS
conspicuous demonstration Of his resources for
entertaining delighted audience. 1t was an
nounced as reading. but II was In reality
continuous recitation. with realistic acconmpani-