The Washington times., 1903-02-22

Fawcett undertook to give the play first
in Baltimore thousands who had never
seen il. hundreds who had never read il,
and scores who had never heard OF it
grew intensely excited and protested.
still, when the play was produced it was
what is known Electrically as a hit
Attack the Mirror, Not the Subject.
Now, that play which is the greatest
success is always the play which most
accurately reflects humanity as il is.
That is one charming falling OF the hui
man race. Those who have seen Ghosts
have been properly horror stricken-in-
deed. that was Ibsen's purpose: but the
EOrror has been at life rather than at
Ibsen's drama. It has been a healthy
horror. il there is such thing. the kind
Of horror which makes the thoughtful
man or woman hesitate and wonder
whether he has ever fully comprehended
the weakness Of human nature. And be-
CO use Ibsen has dared to DO all this he
has been denounced bitterly-even have
been attacked personally by critics be-
cause 1 have dared to associate myself
with Ghosts in an artistic way.
There is something to me very iudi-
crOus and at the same time very pa
thetic in all this. Il is Iudicrous be-
cause IL shows what a peculiar hypo-
critical mind has been developed in man
BY that civilization which demands that
the most obvious facts OF life shall be
carefully concealed-pathetic because. "a
Bernard Shaw says. mans intelligence
has been so cramDed that il futters
q houf like wounded r,Fr4 ~,
scope Of thought is demanded Of it,"
Ibsen in Diluted Doses.
What has been Ibsen's influence on
the modern drama -
Like all great reforms" said Miss
Shaw. "Ibsen has been soundly cursed
for himself and his purposes long be-
fore the immediate effect Of his work
has been felt In order TO amount to
anything you must first make enemies
isn't that line in 'Cyrano de Bergeracs'
The JOneses. the PinerOs. the Haupt-
MAINS. the Sudermanns. all OF them
have served Ibsen in diluted doses. so
that today they are tolerated. even
liked. even hailed as geniuses. while III
sen. responsible for all Of H. is still I'M
known TO the masses. Possibly IL any
criticism may be made OF Ibsen for his
writing il is that he was too strong too
suddenly. II he had written a few milder
plays before he completely threw aside
the mask from all Of life he would have
been received as the GROWING genius OF
the coterie-as it is. he gave the first
dose at its greatest strength. and now
the diluters Of what he said are those
10 whom all bow in homage.
When the weaker dramatists have
served diluted doses OF his great ideals
long enough 10 educate the public palate
up 10 an appreciation OF mankind's real
Inconsistency some other man viii come
who viii say ii a little stronger, and
then in time viii come a full apprecia-
tion OF Ibsen. who has said il strongest
With the full appreciation OF what Ibsen
has said and done for this world there
viii come the reforms for which he
stands-then he will become what
hakespeare is today. II there had not
been a Shakespeare can YOU imagine the
dear old Bard of Avon trudging UP and
down Broadway with bundle OF manu-
scripts under his arm trying TO break
into managers Ofhce2
Perhaps il was q love OF the morbid
which made US first pay attention TO
Ibseu. but il is an appreciation of his
gruesome truths which has made a
select few his disciples And il has all
been for the best-it means the drama
al its best--it forecasts that day when
the drama shall become what il should
be"