The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-20
"MARY OF MAGDALA" PLAYED
MRS. FTSkE PRESENTS HER NEW.
EST DRAMA HERE.
\ MOVING Poetic spectacle. In which the
Superb stage Setting Is Not the Least
Satisfactory Feature-A Great Up.
portunity and q Great Actress In u.

Satisfactory Feature-A Great OPP
portunity and Great Actress In II.
MARY Of Magdala. - by Paul Heyse. was
produced in this city at the Manhattan
Theatre last night Mrs Fiske and her
company appeared in this historical and
romantic drama In Ave acts the story
~ the repentan, Ma gdnien really revolves
about the betrayal and death Of Christ He
is the shadowy prOtagonst n'nually
spoken Of. referred to, by the characters
Of the piece; vet he is never seen. Therefore
no exception can be taken to the introduce
ion Of this sacred thnme. indeed, in the
West the play met with clerical approval
and this IL all the more remarkable: the
West is both the bakeoven of new religions
and the merciless upholder Of the old.
The author. DR. Paul Hey-e. is vener-
able Berlin playwright. who wrot" Fran
cesca da Rimini" as long ago as 1852. How
ever, II is with his novel Kinder der Wei,
that he first won fame and cosmopolitan
recognit ion. Tho new drama is rather
conventional in form and dicfion. ard
unless p'ayeI with speed could not fail
todrag. br in the English version there are
many speeches eliminated. white Mrs.
Fishes intense met hods and velocity Of
picion of heaviness to "A triumphant con-
rlsicn The superb stage settings, oriental
pictures Il peculiar richness and solid con-
struction. were not the least satisfactory
qualities IF last nights elaborate rro-
du"tio1
The deviations from the original German
are few, though radical No hint was
conveyed in the paraphra-c that Movys
IoEn and rpiukt Ia sad
the carnal jealousy Of Judas In the bril-.
liant novel MARY Magdalen." by Edgar
Saltus. il is that motive and not The
thirty pieces Of silver that prompts tho be-
trayal OF the Master Hevse makes Judas
- patriot who. disappointed in the politi-
cal outcome Of the Massiah's mission
resolves on giving him up to 'aphus Al
the end of Act III. Judas. tainted by the
nephew of Pontius Plate. goes TO the house
of the High Priest and knocks al his door
II is quiet though effective climax, Upon
tho ominous exclamation Of the priest
-Jud1si the curtain falls.
Tie play is a moving poetic spectacle.
ACt ] shows US the harlot in her palace
NJ Jerusalem. There is no attempt to
alternate her profession. Roisterers break
into her apartment in approved fashion.
and young Roman officer comes to her
rescue. But he. too. begs for the usual
reward He loves the beautiful sinner,
who is really the original Woman With q
Past She on her side loves the gloomy
JUDAS who dominates the action Of the
niece throughout. Then sounds what in
'Parsifal" Is called the Redsemer motive
Jesvs ia described by Judas and Mory
whose soul is being swallowed up in the
sands Of a di-solute, unhappy life, be-
comes strangely Interested in the recital
of the marvels attributed TO the young
Sazarene
Act H. is an interior in the abode Of
Fidrus. This scene gives an opportunity
for the introduce ion Of music. dancing and
gorgeous paraphc raalia of he East. Mary
visits the patrician and their conversat ion
IS interrupted by the ent rance a Cdiphds
In the German he commends to the woman
The example Of judith and Holophernes
the latter being typified in his eyes by
he dangerous demagogue, the Chrisf,
Who would attack the sacred traditions of
holy law. Naturally, this is omitted
A1ry is askei TO tempt the Roman. but she
viii not and rstires TO the garden i'll the hope
If seeing Jesus, who is az the adjoining
house Of Simon. n
she is pursued bv his infuriated disci-
pies. Simon defends her from stoning IN the
words OF Jesus: Let him that Is without
in cast the first stone" The mob van
shes Mary, her soul rapt by the vision
,,h,;c sn,,ar, 10 Jar,saien, vary
xoil. mnanaood an;ma,ad .csne f,,ii NJ color
1nd obarao,a,is,;a ut h ,b. setting 81
A., III Tboro ;s axoaii.n, con,ras, in tho
,rnu,s 10 pom,en snlI;.rv ,narcbants
,a, - .;''. ~ ,,aii.rs iand;n O.
NC or 90 10 ,o', -, ~ tfanmuorous and
a,h a VI n IL, W o,,e ,he s,orw
~, i; ,1,, H., ~ Ia ~ - rar,on,ancs
10y u now gu tne iiisi, ioaI W f,I,s
a,i. '11 ,eIect.oi VI .ne wv ~ ";,.o, for
,nlsn, nav I'm emiPio.eu a. p,'o' 'o'
hiS 'eNensc' put 'iiis l. no, s''e caSs,
IL lhe hopers sness OF ,he liiis' On
t'rueI promises OF ohris' ,hat luIIis nun !, ~
10 Nh'dihy. me motive Il su " 70
nov 20 human as a i3Ve interest. roi iea =
ons obvious 10 az 'hlS interest woui1 ue a
dangerous one 10 ueEti9p % .he to'', va
ran we aoahdohS MS Master 10 'he SAIL
Leurih,, .,., s,
,,Act ~ If elrong IN tie enouoi'ai sense
Mdrvs olter pilgrimage up tne SOD
sioPts OF saiNation continues, neI a.suis,
skIeat wneh siie 't'dih Us VI I nfte' oo.. ~
r"r.1s, 20 Temp neri PROMISES MS It ~
AZ fhdn : nahds II 1he accepts one St~
uses WIN horror ana oisin'sses MN ,he
mas seen hea'eh mlrroreu III tne efes y, 'nr
Son % nan Judds enters anu ",sN. ~
nlRW. IL she uenes nun ne VII oe wv.
IN the morning 10 XIII her' one sMea'
nat she VIII Keep the tryst' pea'h w.