New-York tribune., 1903-01-15
THE DRAMA.
Nine. Duse as Magda.
THE METROPOLITAN.

Nine Duse appeared at the Metropolitan Opera
House yesterday afternoon and impersonated Mag
da, in Mr.. Sudermann's well known play, of that
name. This performance has been locally known
since March . 1896 when the italian actress first
save IL in this city. It is much the same perform
aHce that it then. except that IT is slower
and more cumbersome It will be repeated on Fri
day afternoon, when Nine. Duse will close her
present season In America. Particular comment on
il scarcely seems needfu but consideration for the
public interest always warrants protest against
plays of the Magda kind. They repuisive, OBJ
noxous and mschievous, and they ought not to be
presented.
Mr. sudermann's 'Magda'' Is a particularly rank
specimen OF sophistical morality and ponderous
dulness and but that it appeals to the Advanced
Woman it would have died as soon as it was born
Nothing in the character of Magda awakens
healthful sympathy and nothing in her conduct IN
spires respect. She is the paltry incarnation Of
perverse selfshness and the only practical purpose
that her presence can serve the stage is TO de-
clare that some people exist only to make trouble
equally for themselves and all around them. She is
the woman who is determined to have "a career,
ard when she has run away from home and turned
actress, and has become a mother without be-
coming q wife il is her brazen boast that her
spirit is emancipated. She is vain. selfish. i'll bred
covetous of admiration. inconsderate of others and
bent on having her way. at any cost and IN
spite of any consequence. and, in actual life, she
would be an exceedingly troublesome and offensive
person. Mr.. Sudermann, in making this play, ap-
pears To have been burdened with the tremendous
conviction that children should obey their parents
and that parents should be unreasonabiy exact
ing in their demands upon their children-a chunk
of wisdom that ought not seriously to disturb the
mental equilibrium Of anybody. AS often SAID ne
fore. in this place. morality is inherent In every
thing IT may always be safely trusted to take
care of itself. Art should neither enforce precept
nor teach a lesson. Its moral drift will determine
its influence and its moral drift ought to set tow
ard good and not toward evil. The trend now
ever should be spontaneous and not maglsterla
IF he salutes me with scrap of morality in his
mouth" SAYS Sir Oliver Surface. i snan oe SICK
directly. The stage IS never less attractive ttan
when it deviates into ethical controversy and TN
dertakes diffuse salutary otherwise regulatve
admonition TO the public morals Ihere mas
been vastly too much of that altogether superfuous
theatrical solicitude. All the situations In MI
S,,dernann's drama are strained. The difficulty
caused by the fugitves to her stern father
house could readily be removed by her precipitate
departure from it; and that in actual life Is What
would have happened. The interview between the
Iadv and her old lover and those between that
lover and her father are obnoxious TO good taste
and the commentator on them. If he were TO write
freely would be compelled 10 examine details OF
conduct unfit for print. The climax is stuploiy
coarse for the author has made his heroine act
and speak in a manner to outrage both hlial duty
and common decency. by intimating TO her father
that she has been leading life of vice and shame
That sort of thing is not strength: on the con-
trary. it is contemplate weakness; ana 1t Is very
utschievous No wound so deadly can be dealt as
that which defaces the ideal and stains the glory
of q pure womanhood-
The best that any actress could do with the cnar-
acter of Magda would be to denote the temper
arnent Of genius. Modjeska did, who, unhappily'
was the first English-speaking performer TO play
the part in America, nine years ago. at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre. That the best performance
Of ii ever given here.-for Modjeska embodied a
woman of genius. impatient of restraint. and alb
horrent Of conventionality; but therein she neces
sariIy defeated the applicability Of the character
and the experience 10 average life. II ell women
were possessed of genius. the temperament ana
possible experience Of woman OF genius might
perhaps be cited as significant but no principles
can be predicated upon the basis of an excepuonal
case. Nine. Duse's performance as usual WIN hef'
is photographic and 'natural'-and therefore tire
some; as. indeed all performances are that aim TO
be literal The public has gained no benefit from
seeing Nine. Duse, and unless, on her projected re-
turn to this country next year. she brings some
good and reputable plays. ii will receive from her
~,,-;s+-.+7ors po+bine hut injury WV.