The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14
MAETERLINCK'S "JOYZELLE. "
TIE NEW PLAY JUST PRODUCED
~ PARIS.

II Is a story OF Ideai Love-Mme. Maeter
Iinck's Actins Of the Title RoIe-'AT
Interview with the Belgian Poet
Three Plays at the Theatre Antoine
Passersby on the Boulevard now stare
at the Gymnase theatre which bears the
inscription lie Theatre Maeterhnck'
Whether this ny be considered sign
OF the / m ~ / shall not pretend 10 oe'
eide. II seem, m )re like one of lmpre'
sario Sthurm mn x clever devices than any
sctlol dt m md of the public for the plays
OF the Belgian mystic and spiritual DIRT m l.
fist Perhaps Schti m mn, who has d.
rected the tours Of Bernhardt, Patti, Dlise
Agnes Soim n and 10 my other celebrities
knows, whereof lie announces. Certalnlv
such an institution az the Maeterlinck
theatre was undre; m vi OF a decaoe aso
by the poets 10 vs.. ianatcal adherents.
However, thr.a it stands, this Ghiche,
aud there It stood this night ] STUN Died
through the >, m -obscurity Of the we'll
known house to nv loge. The critich M )
of the new play had not been reassurng;
n second M ,nna Wanna" was not to be e1-
pected; return to his earlier m inner was
unthinkable, so / confess that | awaited
the parting of the curtains with falr
am ,lnt of curiosity. | was not disap-
pointed when the first scene disclosed a
loooia @! Renaissance pdldzzo lhis
settinv sounded the keynote--and very
beautiful, delicate note il was. for the author
has been As careful in the m bunting OF TINS
NAV as he was indifferent in his first essays.
Sjenor Rovescalli OF Milan has carried out
the designs of Charles Doudelet with fidelity
and taste. The Pinturiccho costr IN S are
=" fro m the sem, hands. Nothing-eS-
the lighting-has been emitted that
~ int add to d he incarnation Of this dream =
Tor a DIRE, m play "Joyzelle' is, full OF strange
hypnotic action and phrases that haunt
The piece, which is called "Conte
glamour" is in five short acts. 1t is con-
fined to four characters. two OF which
carry the slight thread Of story. In style
It is midway bet tween Maeterlnck's earlier
manner and -Monna Wanna" II might,
IL considered in historic sequence. have
been written before -Monna Wanna, and
t.us could have furnished the link bet ween
the static and the dynamic theatre OF
this pco,. Coming after the Italian tragedy
OF hot blood it seems like casting back
to an earlier manner. But it is not There
Is more action than in any play, Wanna '
excepted, more than in "Pdliaas and Nell
sander There il passion, and climax
that comes perilously nearer theatr.calism
than anything Mast erinck has yet written
though he st GERS around the banal. avoiding
it by a hairbreadth. Admirers OF the
dramatists repressed style mist have taken
a deep breath as the episode of the at
tempted assassination developed into some
thing quite unexpected.
"Joyzele" ia little more than serie- OF
situations. in which the heroine is tesred
by the stern old enchanter Merlin When
called upon the poet at his pict uresque
Ii tie house in Possy ! asked him about
"The Tempest, which the critics one and
all saw in bis play. He smiled and replied
that Shakespeare was a good point Of de-
parture. Could there be better one?
The resemblance is rather superficial
Prospero and Miranda are, in the mysterious
island of Maeterlnck. Merlin and Ldnceoy-
the latter the magician's SON. and Joy.eile
is if you will female Ferdinand come to
WOO the youth
The changes to be rung on such theme
are not few. But Maeterlinck has elected
to introduce a new and more disturbing ele-
rent. 1t is ArieNe, the subconscious
MIXTURE Of Merlin, who always warns him
Of impending danger. Instead of the old
fashioned soliloqly we get. because of
shis dualisnl, dialogues between Merlin
and his sublimnal self. This sounds ter-
ribly metaphys:c. :, but az treated by
Materlinck Merlin's alter ego, his doppei-
pdnger, as the German mystics have it.
Is a charming young woman attired in
gray and purple, minor in key. II she
Z. -, he hae al H.
power of projecting her into the visible
world-materiaizing, the spiritualists call
it-snd as KHngsor tempted Porafnl by
Transforming Kundry into a seductive
shape, so Merlin Uses Arielle as an agent of
temptation against his son, his weak and
handsome Larceor.
The plot is slight. Love. a very pas
eionate, earthly love. is the theme. Doubt
less Maeterlinck intends the entire conte
rs a symbol; theatregoers will be more
Interested in its external garb. Briefly.
Merlin interrogates the sleeping .ArieAe
and learns that his son Lanceor. who has
just arrived on the island. is at the crisis
of his life. lie Gestin de ton ills est insert
tout enter dams un cercie d'dmour." 1t
is condemned by the fates to die within the
month if he does not find perfect love,
and to this love all is permitted, even crime.
If he girl upon whom he casts his eyes will
sacrifice all for her love, then happiness
is his portion We are plunged into a
fairy land at the first words Of Merlin,
This gift Of evokng an atmosphere in
few phrases is Nlaeterlinck's own. All
resemblance to Shakespeare's folk >anishes
as the scheme is unfolded. At first We
Gee Merlin addressing Article. When she
sleeps he loses his force and 80 he awakens
her. After learning Ldnceor's destiny. he
resolves to be on his guard. Jovreile is
cast up by the sea and encountering Ian
ceor, the infammable pair fall madly in
love with each other. Nothing can come
between or II any une does--! Ldnceor
is more assured than Joyseile that this is
his first. his perfect passion. But Merlin
who pretends anger, as does Prospero, re-
solves to test the newly kinded fame
He threatens to kill JoyzeHc If she meets
Ldncsor, but she detes him. and refuses to
bind herself to any promise imposed upon
her. To sonorous and emphatic Non!
oil int