The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-27
AT THE THEATRES.


Karl LnderS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Nr. Andrews
Herr GebeimFath stolz Won Pappenhem
.......................... .Mr Griffith
Miss Haitian OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Mis- Rruck
Mefuck Mi - oOks
/ Fr1uIein Anna Sartorus ........... Miss Oliver
Miss May Nedderhura ..-..-.-....., Miss Muli on
frdu SChHldt ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Miss Glidd4u
Clara Miss Blanchard
There came a crisis. and the men sent
deputation to Eugen to say that if he
would accept the post of leader they would
strike, and refuse to accept any other than
he. And then ne urged them so
strongly to stand by Herr Won Francius
that we were quite astonished.
Amid the silence that ensued. he began to
direct us He had won the day
for Won Francius."
This is from the seventh chapter Of the
fourth of the books" into which Jessie
Fothergin divided her graceful pen-picture
of German student life. The First Violin
The musicians under Max Won Francius,
the director at Elberthal, have grown
weary Of his rule and approach Eugen
Couryoisier with view to putting the
place in his hands. TIE young fellow re-
fuses the honor thus suggested end, by
the magic Of his commanding individuality
and mentality, saves the official head of his
superior OF such nature is the incident
they who have read the novel must recall
it. In an adaptation Of that novel, per-
formed under the original title bsfore a
brilliant audience last night at the Co
lumbia Theatre, Richard Mansfield, as
Eugen Courvoisier. again triumphed for
cause not quite his own. This time it was
Jessie Fothergills reputation and that OF
The First Violin" that were saved. Mr..
Mansfeld's repute and his genius and his
personality accomplished the task.
Unreservedly The First Violin is The
least worthy of the plays that the Ameri-
can master has produced since attaining
his present eminence. A statement that
the work OF dramatization had been badly
done and that Miss Fothergilrs dilation
OF unconsequential things had become a
brutal handling of consequential ones
would not describe the vehicle though
doubtless the claim need not be qualified.
The truth of the matter Is that the piece
is unwOrthy-unwOrthy Of the Intellect
and disceTnment and comprehension Of the
artist who exploits it, In the offering
there is 50 little that is self-explanatory
that persons unfamiliar with the primal
VERSION CouiG not possibly UNDERSTAND tUe
spirit and drift of its story. So little of
the much that has been taken from that
story has been treated with reverence and
appreciative tenderness that they who are
familiar with the primal version must re-
gret understanding. The greater portion
of the rather pretty tale has been de-
graded 10 a level from which even the |
wonderful influence of Mr.. Mansfield docs
not entirely lift ito a level that, but |
for the elevating power of MIR. Mansfield, |
might be said to have covered the play |
with the mirc Of mediocrity. The musical |
theme OF Miss Fothergills booll-Raff's |
Fifth Symphonie-in the adaptation, be- |
comes 20, Du Lieber Augustin:" the ct |
mosphere no longer is Of simple lives and |
gentle loves. but Of beer and sausages. !
The "Augustin" and the beer aud the |
sau5age5 are literal. This is the altera- |
ton that has been made.
The lowering Of standards is marked !
throughout the entire presentation. 1t is
not that lowering which the admiring read
er Of a story imagines when the arrangeT /
has not seen characters and incidents as |
he or she may have seen them. 1t is a
brutal. unc0mpromising lowering. It is !
a lowering which converts creations that
were pregnant with implied nobility into
cyclists; conceptions that
were Iedoient with a quaint hGmor which
rendered them grateful to the nostTil Of
the brain into broad ungainly caricatures.
One might have found Max Won Francius
in love with May Wedderburn. auI Anna
Sartorius, gused as a dreadful stage scouu-
dTeless. willing to do anything that would
win for her the regard of Eugen Courvoi-
sief-one might have found these usual
nesses, deemed them necessary to the con
stTuction of a drama, and have tolerated
them But il is hard TO discover that an
incGnsiderate TemOdeler has forced Fried
helm HELEN, the devoted and reserved.
to boast that he has not eaten for days; /
forced Eugen Courvoisier. who bore his
vfe's sin sooner than expose it, to plead
that an explanation Of his guiltlessness
would not he believed. 1t is hard indeed
10 be introduced to a Kari Linders with
Genie thirst and cOlOsless hair. a Merrick
with a scnseless denseness concerning the
German language. Clara Steinmann alias
who delights in picking green
ribbons and quarrels with her betrothed. /
Il Is hard to have subtle suggested singu- 1
lar motives distorted into the trite the
apparent and the conventional. All tnis is
hard, whether the auditor admired Miss
rather a-Jean-Libbeyish
'olame CT not.
The bald stor, told in the piece is almost
Is it was in the novel Intially. the spec
ator sees Friedhelm Helfen's room at
Frau Schmidt's. and is brought in touch
With its lonely occupant. Karl Linders Is
PRESENT and Anna SaTtorius with Clara
ybo is made the daughter OF the lodging
,eeper. Friodhelm Helfen is very miser-
bile lie has decided upon suicide. and
S about to blow cut his brains when the
lew FIRST violin. Eugen CJurvoisier. comes
With the boy Sigmuud and with the at
ecti0n and interest that frisndless Fried
ielm has never known. Then there is the
ailway station az Cologne. where May
an English visitor separated
rom her companions. finds it impossible |
O continue 20 Eiaerthal her destination |
5ugen C0uryoisirr meets her regards her {
indy lies about the next trains. and. de- I
pite the jealous watch OF Anna Sartorius. |
teals an hour of her company. The OBJ {
ervsr is shown the apartment Of the com
AIDES a, Elberthal. Miss Wedderburn cuts
Ter cheyalier in that apartment, lacking /
seat at "LUhengrin % and repenting. re-
urns TO find that he has taken the cut "a
cart and means 10 abide by it, Sigmund
5 claimed by the family OF his father ana /
5 sent away. Desolate Eugeu Courvoisier
earns 10 love May Wedderburn as she him. !
his love holds through their mutual tri- ,
mphs at the concert hall, through IT,
Nposure Of the generally accepted idea
hat the musician is a fOrger, and until the ,
rst violin righted a last is received and
ecoiyes his bride into the home Of his r
ncestors Rothenfes So far does the :
lay follow the book. ,
In the following there are strong
nuches and artistic, despite the degrade
ion mentioned. The first of these occurs q
uriug the conversation between Eugen !
nd May. at the station. and perhaps is 2
lOre apparent because Of the cheapues5 ii