The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-06

ter Mr.. Conreid's company was hard
~ even mediocre-there being only
three or four really interesting artists
the versatile comedian. Gustav Won Seyf-
f@erlitz, the bon vivant (there is no word for
IL IN English), Ottbert, Meta Buenger, a
stiu young woman, who plays German
housewives and mothers with delicate
humOr and genuine feeling. and Jacques
HOrwitz, who towards the end OF the sea-
son revealed himself such a graceful and
amiable comedian in the German original
of one Of Augustin Days old successes,
y Celebrated Woman" The rest, above
all the heroes and lovers, were a sad lot
indeed. Nor was-especially in the latter
half OF the seasOn-the stage management
always what might have been expected.
Hardly a performance at the Irving Place
appeared so finished in every detail, great
or small. as, say, the production of Clyde
Fiteh's delightful Captain links at the
Garrick."
INFLUENCE OF IBSEN.
Nor do / agree with Mr.. Hapgood in his
estimate OF Henrik Ibsen. in whom he APP
p%arently sees nothing but a master technl-
clan. To be sure Ibsen's technique is as
founding in its blending of seeming sim
plicity with the utmost cunning. So far
reaching and overpowering has its in
huence been, that already there are play
wrights who ignore that it Is TO Ibsen, and
to him alone. that practically all technical
improvements Of the drama within the last
nifty years must be traced. Paul Hervieu,
the most successful of the younger French
! dramatists, once wrote TO me that he ad-
mired the depth Of Ibsen's mind, but dis
approved of many details in his plays, such
as monOlogues, which he-Hervieu-had
banished from all his works. Now. it IS
a matter very easy to prove, that Ibsen's
The League of Youth was the first
drama ever written from which mono
logues were deliberately and completely
eliminated, as they have been ever since
from his production. Hervieu must have had
in mind Ibsen's older poetical dramas-
Brand and Peer Gyat"-in which the
monologUe is stil used.
But even If Ibsen were not the past mas
ter Of construction that performed those
inimitable feats in "A Dolls House" and
Ghosts" he would still retain a larger
claim TO recognition as the creator of such
big, square pieces of living humanity as
Advocate Helmer," Mrs. Alving," Car
penter Engstrand" and "Aslaksen- the
Printer" Compared with these, even the
characters in the plays Of the younger AL
exander Dumas seem artificial.
SOME YOUNGER ARTISTS.
Before concluding 1 should like to say a
few words about some artists who are
coming before the American public for the
first time-or almost so-this winter. Truly
DR.. Paul Weigel played the tiny part of
one OF the German students in Becky
Sharp" but that was next to nothing.
This season he takes a leading part in
Are You a MasOn?'-the fellow VINO mas
querades as a woman-and does it with a
reckless gayety that proves wholly ire
sistibie. Nh. Weigel is a German by birth,
and it is little short Of wonderful how he
has mastered the English tongue.
In the same comedy with Mr.. Weigel ap-
pears, In a character part, Miss Jessie
Church. Her assigned task is small, but
she does 1t exceedingly well. Miss Church
is that rare bird. a born coincidence. Her
future should be in sunshine.
Another newcomer may, perhaps, remain
unnoticed throughout the season. 1 wish
Miss Bertha Galland, who at present
charms large audiences at the Lyceum in
The Forest Lovers" no evil whatsoever.
Blu IL cold, or some such ailment, should
prevent her from appearing one of these
nights, New York would have an oppor-
tunity to see, in her understudy, Miss
Rachel Crown, an artist Of uncommon
energy and temperament.
Miss Crown is, as Miss Church, a gradu.
ate Of Mr.. Sargents academy, of which ]
have before spoken in the Journal. Another
institution of kindred aim, though in nc
sense a rival, is Mr.. William G.. Stewart
operate School, in the Berkeley Lyceum, il
this city. Mr.. Stewart. formerly a popular
baritone in the Castle-square Company, es.
tablished his school only a year ago., anC
already so solid an operate organization a!
the Bostonians has warmly indorsed hL
methods n given employment to severa
of his pupils. 1t does look as if the day!
of slipshod preparation for the stage wer,
gone, never to return.
; JOAKIM REINHARD.