The Washington times., 1902-12-09
A Brilliant Audience Mani
festly Impressed by Mrs.
Campbell and The Joy
Of Living


lumbia Theater last night before an au-
dience brilliant IN composition and
bright with rich toilettes. Her play was
"The JOY OF Living" translation Of
Hermann Sudcrmanu's "Es Lebe das
Leben. i'm which she has won the plaua-
its of London. New York. Baltimore and
now Of Washington. Today her audi
once is no doubt Witnessing her COM
plete triumph: and equally beyond doubt
its members are severally deep in the
mcshes of the sociological problem the
work is designed TO present
Mr.. Sudermann has written On this in
stance Of modern German life. cir
cumstance with which he is entirely
familiar by birth. by long residence ia
Berlin. and by many years Of notable
success Iu the field of German journal
ism and letters. Until now his fame has
rested chiefly on two works-aIm Zwic-
hcht' and 'Magda' Today it depends
on I'm Zwiclcht" and rs Lebe das Lee
ben"-thC one q collection of strong. af-,
fecting, uplifting f0lk-5toriesi the other
play Characteristic o Of the period
tense. troubled. rcprcssod. and filled
with Uniformed or incomplete purposes.
I'm Iwielicht' is on exempliheation of
art used as a lcuse 10 magnify the beauty
Of simplicity and truth; rs Lebe das
LebeH- is an exemplication Of art used
as cloak to hide the form OF vice and
disguise IFS unloveIiaess.
The story is soon ana easily told. A
young. temperamentaI. ueurotIc noble
woman is married 90 a man chosen for
her; she encounters another 20 whom
she gives her heart eagerly. and who re-
turns her love with his own. both are
married but both yield, for fifteen years
they subdue their love. then the ex-
igencies OF politics. the muItiform
cross-purposes Of modern campairu
disclose their secret: and the woman
'atones' for all the wrong the two have
done and suffered by drinking an over
dose Of the poison regularly given her
as medicine. The scheme of the drama
IS thus most simple It's development is
unvaryingly appropriate. Woman. hus-
band. and lover meet day after day In
The current OF modern society. Their
voices are kept low and subdued. Their
ratures are repressed Their hearts
vince and break with the barest super-
tcial indications. In the end the wo-
man suffers the most. pays the penalty
as she sees it. and by heroic seIf-abne-
cation solves the problem" for the two
others
What scenes such a dramatic com
position affords must be patent to every
theat tergoer. There are the discovery bv
the lover that both hearts stm beat
warmly with the old love though, to
have been subdued long before: the dis
closure OF their old relation: the hus-
bands disregard Of all the suspicion
thereby excited: the confession by the
wife 10 prevent her lover from lying. the
latter's submission 20 the husbands win
that enc of the two must die: and the
suicide. II is abuudantIy fluent. consec-
utlve- and dramatic Yet the deer, inn
press conveyed by Mrs Campbell and
her company on their audito~s-thev
are hardly spectators-is produced all
most without the ordinary expedients OF
the 6tage-high tones. exaggerated ges-
ture. and cIimactical situations. Every
I-
tonaL The ciimaxes exist in. the nina
Of 'he audience only. The stage is quiet.
and the play calm at the end OF every
act
The star in such a play appears. OF
course as the unfortunate and troubled
young wife, role which Mrs. Campbell
interprets suDerlauvely well. as those
mo saw her last year viii understand
readily. Her natural equipment Is gen
erous-sho has a meIllauous voice a vib-
liant and clear euunciauou. bcauteous
presence. grace of movement. a 1.-THE.
nervous figure, a WOcful aspect febrile
temperament. and morbid Imagination
To this are coupled an the resourcas Of
hiztrionlc art The union is that mastery
Of artlce and infusion of spirit which
create completely tho illusion OF nature
Her costumes are "a series Of beautiful
and expensive gowns, and are the last
contribution 10 q perfect stage-sotriup.
With her as the chief supporting mem
bers OF her company appear Vaughan
Glaser and Frederic Kerr. who enact the
roles OF the lover and the husband. and
Who contribute strong impersonations Of
those widely differing characters. Tho
former is hesItant. rezoIute. preyed upon.
and Inspired in turn. The latter realizes
oonvincingly a man or dun brain. pleas
ant manner. love OF ease, and honest de-
votion TO bis family. The others OF the
company hll subordinate roles with pro
poruonate skill. In short. The play
wright must regard the Interpretation AS
entirely adequate
But with all Mrs. CampboIIs wonderful
powcg with an The circumstances which
complete tho presentation. with am su-
otrmann's great skin. and his surprising
achievement in this work. there is sHu
en- impression OF uuHaturaluess. of inn
probability, OF insincorty. The audience
listens. accepts. perhaps suffers. and
leaves The building puzzled II is the
inevitable failure which attends what
ever is rot founded on old-fas8 .orcd
virtue.
The reason is obvious. The whole per I
formancc is a protest against cgnveD- .
tiou. against that restraint OF human in +
clinaiiou which corresponds 10 the re-
stralnt Imposed on mechanical force. .
both are dissiDajcG. Crutrlfuaated IN
less norur rTnnr ..r-r.--. 90 t- A.