The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23

He Ii swift as panther in action, his glanc
IN imperious, his gestures eloquent. hi
. voice particularly musical And, unlik
Z most actors with reverberant vocal organs
= he never seems to be listening 10 II. y
. the interview with Trirulxio went superbly
, and it affected one as II did at the first read
ing as suggested by Browning, yet ~
. falls into it's place in the general inachiner,
, OF the play, not the least like the "Lura
episode. | write this despite Prof. Phelps
discovery and Maeterlinck's confirmation
that he is a close student of Browning
NJ. Maeterlinck is an amiable philosopher
III a critic calls him a plagiarist, he politely
bows and answers: "By all means--I reaC
Shakespeare and all the great poets"
But borrowing crudely and transplanting
another's idea so that 1t blossoms into
newer, stranger flowers are two different
things / am not now defending case
that has been coded by the accused.
have seen -Monna Wanna" twice and read
Browning's "Luria." and assure you that
IN the compar atively colorless story Of
Lur,d and Tibursio there Ia little kinship
to the gorgeous barbarian Prinsiraile and
The cruel, crafty emssary from Florence.
The quarrel between the men IL dramatic
necessity, for apart from the narrative it
depicts the opposing natures Of the two
men. Tripuixio Is a medBval Machia-
velli--lean, dangerous. with burning eyes
and the brain of great diplomatist. He
recalls the features of that Venetian doge
who shall 90 down to remote posterity in
| the masterpiece of Bellini-a face once
seen never to be forgotten. Herr Gregori,
| the Trirulzio on this occasion, was a match
for Reimers In histrionic power and ex-
ternalization of the men Of Florence. His
was one Of those achievements which mark
the German-speaking actor a. master in
character parts. With breathless interest
the huge audience and it WAS midsummer
watched the mental conflict OF the pair and
the final physical outbreak The attempted
assassination was perfectly executed. And
when the defeated but ferocious Florentine
refused his hand to his too grievous foe.
you could not withhold your tribute of
admiration for the wonderful counterfeit
ing of nature by Gregori.
The second interview in the tent, the
entire duo between Wanna and her mad
lover, made beautiful and human music.
The slight air Of unreality did not interfere
with ones enjoyment-the spectator, if ne
would become accomplice Of the dramatist,
must accept his postuate. In "Mcnna
Wanna" there are several trying ones
Few women would subject their honor to
such tremendous test. But Wanna Is one
among the few. SO judith, 20 Go iva
That Prnkil ale would sacrifice his life,
career-his disgrace by the Florentines il
only a dramatic expedient-his honor is
something that must first be believed
then seen. The wounding Of Wanna on
the shoulder. while it serves TO disclose
that she is undraped. is too suggestive of |
artitice. parallel artifice; Pnnsiralls, too,
IL wounded on the forehead This doub- |
ling OF wounds weakness and diverts. for 1t
is the soul of Wanna and the soul of Primal
rdHe that make the play. not their bodies |
These wounds are also preparation"
for the last act, us they are violent wit |
nesses to the falsehood Wanna chooses to !,
utter for the sake Of her great love. Vainly |
endeavored to discern offence in this |
act, There is no real physical display, |
no emphasis of the fact that Wanna Is I'M |
clothed beneath her ample mantle.
The most trying point is when Prinziraile |
asks her If she is as he nominate ed in the bar
gain. She curtly responds. He points to |
the couch, and to II the self -elected lamb ,
walks and with a single gesture Of despair !,
st retches herself upon the altar OF sacrifice. |
She shudders but once-it is as she dimly |
discerns the presence of her tOrturer back |
Of her. And SO shuddered her audience
when Hohenfels plays the part. II il not /
difficult to see that in the hands Of vulgar,
egotistic woman Wanna could he made the
very symbol Of the willing courtesan-as
her husband branded her, But it would
not be the Wanna of Hohenfels, not the /
Wanna Of Maeterlinck. A woman COM
pounded Of purity and heroism, Of passion
and mad courage--the poet has mixed the
strands as naturally as possible Wanna il
one of the most exacting characters to
interpret rightfully since Heddd Gabler.
The one blot on the performance. not
serious one, however. was the Guido Of that
actor KainZ, whose methods
are now as Anticipated as SonnenthaIs
He Ia not such roarer, such a blllsterer as
he is more hysterical and, by
actually distressing. He played the sorely
ried captain of Pisa in the good old
emphatic way Such facial commissions,
Such twitchings Of handsl Why, even his
lostrils We're overworked; while his voice
assaulted the gates of heaven Kainz has
animate, and as 0s,raM in Ghosts" he
plays with much effect. To display his
y he selected Hamlet as his fare
we'll performance OF the season, and recog-
lzed where Ferdinand Bonn and many of
he younger school of German actors get
heir traditional business. II is a Hamlet
he like of which has never been seen on sea
1r land-hectic, epileptic, lunatic and alto
yether un-Shakespearian; a consistent
based on a wholly mist AIKEN
'rading.
In conclusion, Norma Wanna" proved
10 be all had expected. For once rumor
lad not exaggerated. The way il was
by Stage Manager Hartmann made
)ne at ease. In the second act when the
curtains of PrinsiUdlle's tent are parted
or the second time, we see Pisa in the back
ground. Illuminated for the feast. and the
historic leaning tower (Maeterlinck had to
nave his little tower motive) ablaze with
lights. Before the carts containing food
md ammunition start for Pisa-the price
prinzudUe pays for Vdnnd--a striking tab
eau is exposed, with Pisa dark and cheer
ess the stars twinkling above it in cold
lard sky. The final picture IL worthy OF
he play, and here Hohenfels was at her
pest, while Reimers. with his brief speech
md trying pantomime. was all we expected
Wy second "Monna Wanna" was success
md worth the trip from New York to Vienna.
Norma Vienna" az some Of its admirers |
all the city on the beautiful green--not
Danube.
Why Vienna has lost its place in the race
or travelling patronage is not such mys-
cry as it seems. The city IL out of the line
# the conventional "tripper," and too far
or the Cooking tourists, Then the Wen
lese, being an easy-going people, quite
onent with their city, are not so keen ,