The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-25
"GHOSlS' AT THEATRE
IBsEN's DRAMA BY A CAPABLE
 COMPANY.
Miss Alberta Gallatin Charmed Two Audiences With . Perfect Pre- sentation of Play by the
 Great Scandinavian.


 Montgomery has passed upon ''Ghosts,
 as presented by Miss Alberta GaIlatin
 and company of players. It is a marvel ous stage creation. The play, delineating as t does, q se- ries of pictures of the human soul, has left trail of thrills behind 1t. The two
 women and three men who moved
 through the production will be rembered
 for their skill in portraying human emo- Ltions-their names will be linked with Tan entertainment superb in its artistic
 simplicity. fE To fully appreciate Ibsen one must ap-
 proach him understandingly. Like Brown
 ing, the name of Ibsen has been der1ded by ignorant tongues until 1t has be- come somewhat popular to speak or write of the great Scandinavian genius lightly.
 as one who shanis culture, as a pretender
 or a literary mountebank. The truth is
 this condition has been brought about
 by bad actors. Ibsen. perhaps the great
 est dramatist of modern times, has done so much in characterization that his works are a perennial temptation to the untutored minds of the stage. Like moths, they have fitted about the Great Light until their ambitions were singed while the public looked on and won- dered at their folly. The bad actor heaps | ignominy upon Ibsen. The great actor re- lieves his name of the odium.
 Ibsen is naturally not popular with hoi polloi. He makes his appeal to the elect. He writes for thinking persons. and hts message must be delivered by actors who | understand.
 | Mrs Fiske is an artist of the stage
 who places the proper estimate on Ib- sen. A little while ago she charmed us of the South with her keen insight
 into the depths of this master mind. And
 now comes Miss Gallatin. with the sym
 pathy, the knowledge and the intellect uality to properly convey the characters drawn by this modern, but misunderstood
 master. Moreover, Miss Gallatin is ac-
 companied by actors who are of the elect. They think, they feel they know. And thinking, feeling and knowing they give l us the power the strength, the beauty of | the drama.
 Ghosts is not Ibsens masterpiece, but | it is a drama, 6 tragedy, of the human heart, which enthralls. It looms and gIooms in it's intensity. It Is cold. pitt less, cruel story. But it Is truth. | "Ghoets' of a misspent life. This is the | theme. A young artist reaps the harvest sown by a absolute father. and his moth- CT suffers with him. A story of hereditary
 influence that breaches a powerful ser mon And like the workman with pick axe, Ibsen drives the lesson home. He lays bare the human heart and it's frail- ties, it's passions are expressed with the ferocity of a butcher using cleaver.
 This is extraordinary but 1t Is virility. Truly, in the words of Ibsen i've poor
 mortals are pitifully afraid of the light"
 He stands the skeleton up before the calcium and we glare and gloat over 1t. Herein lies Ibsen's strength. Our fear in- terests us. We realize and we remem- Der.
 There is scant necessity for a newspa- per to rehearse the story of Ghosts Persons who read are acquainted with the loyal mother love and the unconven- tionalities of Mrs. Alving; the half-craz-
 ed, degenerate Oswald; the hypocritical,
 canting Parson Manders: the loathsome-
 ly lighthearted Jacob Engstrand. and the
 pretty, but intriguing Regina.
 The drama as produced yesterday af-
 ternoon and last evening at the Mont i gomery theater was by the following ac- | tors:
 Mrs Alving .................. MISS Gaiatin
 Widow of Capt. Alving. Chamberlain to l the King.
 Oswald. her son. an artist. Claus Bogel Pastor Manders ...........Allen Davenport Jacob Engstrand, a carpenter. 1 ........... ...................John Ravolo
 Regina Engstrand, Mrs. Alvings | maid ........ Rose curry | It is useless to single out one of the
 players for commendation. They were
 selected for their fitness and there was not a false note during the three acts,
 Persons in the audience who realized the
 depth of the drama were not in the
 Montgomery theater. They were at Mrs. | Alving'ss country house In Western Nor way, Could more be said in praise of the | five stage artists?
 There is little action in Ghosts" The
 natural dialogue moves the piece along but the dialogue carries listeners with 1t. The end of 1t bursts upon the audience
 with force that Is stunning. Insanity seizes the son who has fought desperately against it. and crying for the light Of | the morning sun like the wall Of lost soul, reason leaves him with his heart