The sun., 1902-11-08
DUSE IN "TRE DEAD CITY,"
4 GREAT ACTRESS ~ 4 POWERFIL
BIT UNPLEASANT PLAY.
Triumph for the Venetian Tragedienne
IN D'\nnun/io's Latest Drama. Though
u u One Of speeches. Not Action.
and the Audience Was bored AZ Times.

Signora Duse appeared last night at the
Victoria a. Anna. blind woman. in Gabrielle
d'Auminzio's tremendous LA Ci,ta MortaS
The Dead City" Her performance was
another triumph conside ring the exceed
ingly difficult medium she worked in But
his 's'ipersubtlc Venetian" fears no, hing
that can he spoken and. IL may he con
fn>sed at once. that d Annunzo's modern
tragedy" largely consists Of speeches.
rhythmic in phrasing. vivid in rhetoric.
passionately poetic. vet speeches, not
action.
Compared 10 la Gioconda. "The Dead
city becomes highly polished specimen
# tho static drama; there il little tha,
- dynamic until the scene hefor" the last
And the theme, rhund.r-charg"d a. i, L.
with symbolism,i~ i filter for reading than
for publication before the foo,lchts Tie
play l. literature first, drama aftorward.
Sarah Bcrnhardt produced IT first ia Paris.
Incest a. n subject for dramatic treat
mont l. 40 new hing. The Greeks cin-
poyed a. a. n iCt rotr OF horror and in
TN" "u1pu~" of Sophocl"s, the Hip
poytu-' of Euripedrs We recall with
grateful memories BernharIt'~ puiesant
'Ph"drc" in Racin"'- paraphra~o Of the
Greek draiuati> and in IN" Bible itself
this dire theme may be encountered; though
no one has had 'he courage 20 sci the ep-
s'd" of TomCr and irluon in the Book of
samuel. Later in the flush Of the seven
lc"nth century dramatic rona-ccuce John
Ford wrote hi- masterpiece TITS Pity. &c .
cuphomistical!y known a The Brother and
Sister"
IA that play, admired Of Charles Lamb
j. >e' forth with wealth of realism un-
dreamed Of hv D'Annunzio and he Greeks
he details OF a larentable passion. and so
cunning l. the an OF Ford iha, We find Cur
selves piryng the unhappy pair. G;crrnni
aad .irrdbeild, poor play'hines Of the gods
ui Naguer- Die Makure" It j. unnccc.-
sary to >peak Music, a. Henry James
remarks. l. great solvent.
But mark the handling Of tho Young
Italian poet Oh,c-sod by tho Greeks.
Ae has constructed his tragedy on antique
lines Ilimo i limited al. We even see an
adul "rous love for evil passions hunt in
couples throughout this dream-lika story
Ia Development. almost j. catastrophe
rrrcipitatcd Tn" incest. however. j. po-
t"ntlal II j. only an idea IL scourgcS
he two men like whips In the hands of tie
ay'ugiug Furir-. And il finally doomS To
lorrid death al innocent creature, hopeless
lv involving at the same time the happl-
hess Of three survivors.
T. i ken crime contemplated. not ac-
compiished, 'Lls loN" of brother for a
..~l"r. \ ACriti, might poin, cut with atuity
that the Italian poets form Is a r. phcd
from the Grcek with several variations;
'h"r" IL q breach of unity cf place in tie
ld-t act nd no false oata -tropne- j. hin,cd
~ in tie fourth act. This W. F. Apthorp
has point, d out. II j. not the sole de-
rarturc. Instead e presenting us with a
frozen imitation Of GrcCian tragedy, like
most writers who S&Vc attempted to cope
with III" classics, DAnnunzIu frankly filled
thc ant iquo mould with modern feeling
His men and women are modern they
arc uf to-day, ncurotic, morbid. fcbrile
souls And this modern atmosphere H.
iangiipg 'is~onarCo TO them that prefer
their tragedy unadultcratod. without an
oUnc" of john tord> lusty Elilahcthan
arimali-p. u AnnunZio 80 ContriV"~ his
play ot g aracter and shock of inCideu,
that y" are dl~Quieted. dismaved. not
80 much by the them" a. 10y its insidicu~
music.
With hi customary audac,v hc places
his a tiuu in Greece. on he plain of Argoli>.
archaeology j. the background Four
friends are engaged in eNC'ayating the
dead city OF NyCeur where Sci,linmann
discovered, or Thought he disco, cred,
he tombs and dusty bones of the Homcric
heroes. From these tainted remains j.
"Nhaled the moral malaria that sets in
action "n2ip'~ piece. II j. a genu-
lnely original and morbid idea.
The hou-" of the men Of Atrcus j. dug
gp and from II comes spiritual pollution
Like m4I"r of string quartet writing
the author ha~ manipulated hi~ four charac-
tors - sEiliully that the melody worked
l. over mysterious, eyer mcaucholv Anna
l. blind -h" j. th" wif" Of iiessdndro. a
poet aud scholar idesGHdr il morally
blind for h" loves ,h" Younger Bidnco the
sister If ih~ friend L'onGrGd LcDadrdo
the ~uc'" Hful ",plo~or and rifrrnf Homario
Iomh-. loves hi, own ~i~i"r tina ancient
r"i~ou working in hi veins and with
'h'- un"alny combination d Aunun2ip
plays his sinister tunes, cNok"s his strange
harmuuc..
In'r" i NO necessity of disputng the
daring OF this scheme. and lust a. inutile
would u" a discussion Of it's ethics. II
s""'u- 'hi. in hi- three plays LA Goconda-
Lac IA Mortd" aud Francesca Il, Rimini.-
ID ,'V. ~" rJ- tiird his prentice hand AZ
modern r'lil,tu. ancient tragedy and his
,"r. n m"tpIrama. They are all three
liig &C. V experimental, and, il mus not be
IA 'an III" works ui a beginner.
u l. 'l" "Nterna's Of the drama with
VII h "" ar" moro concerned In five
acts 'rr" "f them were placed i'm the
I70,r ut IcordrdJs HOUSE; Act II j. the
I''".lnf oi -" same hut~c. 40 ' a fptru-
tan nt tir away. Il H. 'Ncu n soul trag-
"|r hat /, enacted. and one cannot u!it.
,-".'" =" f." iur that much ~tldv Of
Ma"erl ck has bc"u r.. y rusible for the
H expressing at luosphcrc. There l.
'n 'Nr !logl g, With it, haunting repeti.
10 '-. ii" sam" olrCtri" apprehension
-''''" a. 10" Belgian pooms-are hi, fran
'l' ma u"tt.~ dramati
N'-'u"-, moNcment-. the music of
~uuu'nHr speech, slow glanC"s and patISes
IN" la.-' J. n hig factor in Mae,erIinck
are '"'"h INTO sort of inCOmp.e ehensihlo
SYMPHONY Even il the audience had
lhd"' stood Italian last nigh, it is doubtful
b. '1H' aided Eiit would have made clearer
%" m.N"d motives of N. piece.
N"'Hu',ly subordinate, Elrouora Duso j.
'O' al rro'dEpNI,t. Blind, though not
nom hUil, and because Of her eXQlIi,itn
la".l" ~'U~!bll'y -h" understands the love
"i ilT husband for hcr friend. An exalted
>'nllN'n' pt r"nun'lttIou prompts her to
ui'h" 'hl- secret passion, and when She
discovers that Bi11cd j. langrshug, too,
h"f nlri l. Wad" up She Will Of ace her
self. Nh" viii olay her uS."s, life, 80 hat
''" -oul' may lhriv" in happiness More
man 'h- III" tclupt~ her husband With the
~" l"auty "f Bi1rcd, Her" j. an I'M -Crock
d'i ~ ou"". II j. altnIi-p gone Quite
'uai From iHEG j. m"rciuiv kept the
'nlnN lp'" Of ia" brother, nor II il revealed
20 hG"cd. Therein lirS auothcr doyiat ION