The sun., 1903-12-09
NEW PLAY IN IRVING PLACE.
Der Strom," by Max Halbe. Is Gloomy.
but Has Moments Of Power.

very disagreeable family. we'll named
Dom, was exhibited before large audience
last night at the Irving Place Theatre in a
new drama by Max Halbe, entitled Der
Strom." This family. for the most part of
its time, shrieked and wrangled, or else
sulked and drank Perhaps the gloomy
environment had something to do with
the nerves Of the Dorm family.
Somewhere in eastern Prussia, on the
River Weichsel (Vistula) the old home
stead stood, but not quite safe from oc-
casionsl inundations, and never beyond
the sound Of the streams sinister roar.
The entire piece seemed hemmed in by the
river which at last imposes itself upon
the imagination % a mere symbol and not
a viable dramatic device.
When the sun shines the Dorns stop
quarreling and snarling; when the wind
rises. and clouds obscure the sky then the
old trouble breaks out again. We have
been witnesses of sc everal disordered house,
holds invented by Sudermann and Haupt-
mann. notably in Die Ehre' and -Fuhr-
mann Henschel"; but to the Dorns must
be awarded the palm for general unhappi-
ness.
There are three brothers: Peter. Jacob
Heinrich. The last named is hydraulic
engineer who has served his ime in America
Ret urning home after twelve years he finds
his elder brother Peter leading a miserable
life with his wife Rendte; JCcob becomes a
hysterical. gangling lad Of seventeen with
a thirst for schnopps and covet GUS eye
mother. very much addicted to dark
and orphic sayings, and a morbid taste for
Bible reading. Indeed, the first half of
Act l. may be described as Babel and
Bible.
On one subject are the three brothers
unanimous-they all are after Remote; her
husband because she hates him and does
not live with him. Heinrich, because shewas
his early sweetheart and she is now unhappy;
Jacob, because he is moon-calf. The
struggle is brought about by the news that
Peter has cheated his brothers of their
rightful inheritance.
II leads to the catastrophe, which is the
destruction of the dam built to keep the
stream within bounds. The idea is old
fashioned American melodrama, and it
Johnstown disasters are not effective In
a piece which should be primarily devoted
to character study.
So we were given an excellent exposition
act, one clearly written with all the loose
threads skifuly caught up second act
with an effective curtain and third act
which spoiled the drama because of its
repetitions Of gesture, situation and dia-
logue, and because the main incidents
were not seen but related.
An old uncle, by far the most lifelike
character of all, describes the drowning
of the weak brother Jacob and the wicked
brother Peter and then the sane, we'll
balanced brother arrives and faces the
widow-who is far from disconsolate
Decidedly Herr. Hulbe has not written an
other "Jugend"
The performance was excellent, though
it might have been less vociferous. Franz
Kierschner easily carried off honors; ne
had good part and he played it artistically
Alfred Abel was remarkably strong as the
erratic, impulsive Jacob. Rotteman made
the most Of the engineer, and lived the
character; but it may be confessed that
it was not an interesting one
Julius Kobler had thsnkless role As a
hard hearted, hard voiced scoundrel of
choleric tendencies without one ray of
relief, one brief intermission from melo-
dramatic coloring, he did extremely well.
But he should consider the possibility Of
apoplexy. Such unremitting rage is dan
gerous.
Bertha Rocco as the abused wife who
turned the tables on her husband was