Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-28
AtnuSefnentS

subject ist OF course, stgmatzed as the
Of the game, and a necessary part Of It
The Mysteries, however. are all on the
world the play of Iris" IL not only dirty.
but dull. Nothing in IL rises above the
level Of a Jardin Mabille intrigue or q bar
even moderately novel. There is no genius
there Is not even audacity-in the making
weak. senseless, perverse, misguided, ill
regulated, no-principled woman. The thing
is commonplace and tedious. The depletion
OF a Cyprian in her amatory troubles does
not offend a sane judgment: II only
w~earles. There Is not. and there never
has been, on the part Of any judicious
sentiment Of a dissolute man or an un-
chaste woman, in due perspective, in a
the personality is presented and the use
that is made OF 1t. shakespeare
G5eoP% mo1. and IN .b his AP 3t t Q ufieeqqsldi
Benedick. But Cleopatra and Antony are
great and typical p-ersons--persons Of mag
nihcent stature and glorious and infinite
v~artety-ideals Of grandeur-images Of
mighty passion, ennobled and consecrated
by poetry. Cleopatra Is not a spineless,
addle-headed young woman Of the glorihcd
shop girl strain, accepting money from a
sensual Scoundrel, whose base purpose IN
Cleopatra does not keen house" for q Wall
street broker. Antony is not a dissolute
cad. smashing furniture because he finds
that a paramour has deceived him. Mr..
Pinero's types Of love ere cheap and
tawdry. and when you have passed an
evening with them you long for a shower
bath and a disinfectant. The playwright.
indeed, has grated his scenes together in a
skillful manner, so as to bring down each
curtain on a telling incident. and he has
garnished them with terse, cynical. irOnical
dialogues. and closed his piece at a sharp
climax. But this professional deXterity is
not remarkable-for Mr.. Pinero was once
an actor. and he has thoroughly learned
his art: the stage owes fine things to him
and gnrtpfN hnu rannrnfyaA nn1 ranrar1n1
them. His art, however, is not in the least
marvellous He is far from being a deep
thinker: he Is not comparable, as a drama
ust, with either Gilbert or Merivale, for
imagination, passion, pathos or humor; and
7 his play Of Iris is. in any sense, shock
ing to the moralist of experienced mind, il
only is so because it shows how sadly a
clever man can misuse his talents, under
me mistaken notion that he Is showing in
stage from the letters Of convention. when
he dtsdalns the restraints of artistic pro-
PtLIGty and dehes the laws Of t~aste-laws
men prescribe. not squeamishness, not
timtditv, not hypocrisy, not cowardice. but
dignlty. refinement and decent reticence,
IN treating the baser passions OF mankind.
II is useless. however, to discuss this sun
(ect any further. "Ephraim is welded TO his
ldols' and welded he will remain. Per-
sons VINO think that the private life and
painful experience OF a demirep for thai
Is the true name for IL. putting all
sophistry aside constitute a fit subject to
be set forth in a work of art, and consid-
cred and canvassed by a theatrical audi
ence' VIII accept and Mr.. P1nero's
play. On the other hand there are extant
a few believers in something better. q feu,
VINO think that the province OF art II the
mlInstratlon OF beauty; that the first pr1n-
not anonymous with garbage: and that
me need Of society, at every turn, is a
prospect OF loyeliness that cheers, Of happi-
ness that delights, OF goodness that en-
courages; Of sweetness that refnes and of
me nobility TO be emulated rather than the
aepraTty to be Stunned. BY those be-
levers-'poor remains OF friende"-"Trfs',
VIII be condemned, as II ought to be; FOR II
~ niscESJit to is able author, a disgrace
20 GOOD literature and a blight upon the
stage. $50
while writing Of critics II is proper 10
mention, and with much regret, that one
of the most polished, courageous and
thoroughly equipped OF western dramatic
critics has laid down his pen for the
time at least. Mr.. Lyman B.. Glover OF
the Chicago Record-Herald. who has been
to the central west what Mr.. Winter ia
to the east, has resigned his position on
the newspaper with which he has SO Iona
been identified and will take up the work
OF manager for Mr.. Richard Mansfield,
succeeding Mr.. A. NJ. Palmer, who will
retire from active duty, but will maintain
an advisory interest in the undertakings OF
the great star. In making this announce
aoN ouuudJt the HeCOTu-EeTdlQ SdlQ.
Mr.. Glover's many friends will 1oin In
wishing and anticipating for him the high.
est degree of success from both an artistic
and a business point of view in his new
in the country with so broad and intell-
gent a view of the best possibilities OF
It's expositor for the public. In whatsoever
he may undertake to direct II will be a
foresone conclusion, from which there will
done with a clear-sighted appreciation OF
and zeal for the best interests and the
highest aims of theatrical art. In this
view both Mr.. Mansfield and the theater.
going public are to be congratulated upon
securing the services of a man so emit
nently qualified by native taste and ability
and by long study TO direct efforts wholly
toward worthy n
From another point of view It may be
matter for sincere regret that something
OF that which the theatrical profession
win gain directly it VIII lose indirectly
of journalism of one who for nearly twenty
years has filled an honorable place among
those writer's who interpret the art OF the
theater to the newspaper reading public
the Herald IN 1855 and except Tor an in.
more directly associated with the manage,
ment of stage interests, he has continued
the same columns. He has brought to III,
task besides an honorable love for the
art, singularly clear intelligence. acut,
expression Of broadly intelligent views
sound and temperate Judgment, and, above
all, answering devotion to the highesr
ideals, not only in drama as literature anC
acting as an art but as to all the re
lations and influences OF art and literatur,
to and on the life of society. Nothing un
clean or degrading In tendency. no matter
what IT might be In other respects, hai
ever won approving expression from him
Professionally, and, IL may be added, per
sonally, he has been an eminently clear
and trustworthy writer and man. VIVA
he has written has always not only de
served esteem for breadth and in
mander the respect and deserveC
the confidence Of the public. III,
newspaper profession can lilly spare from
among It's servants any man who so com
bines clear-stghted ability and high pro
fessional character. His professional as
sociates will always wish him success. bu
they will none the less miss him iron
their ranks.
Coming Events.
There are two reasons for the splepdi,
] naaAlH anhNaA -