The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-15

historical Dante. 1t is the moral Dante
Politics pass away, accessories fade.
What moves us is the dominant idea Of
the poet-his attitude of revolt against
the Injustice Of men. In him through the
mist of the Middle Ages We see modern
light shining.
THE two parts of Pia and Comma were
intended by the authors 10 be played by
the same actor We so played them in
ondon when Miss Lena Ashwell assum-
ed the double role. l found, however.
that this quality was very confusing TO
the audience. They were not quite sure
when it was Fla and when it was Comma
that they were seeing, and as the play it
self was so complicated it seemed TO me
a wise thing 10 have a different artist for
each role In a way it is the managers
duty to make his play as understandable
as possible. and anything which throws
an obstruction to the audience under
standing it is an afront TO them.
las to the moral and educational fea-
lures of the play l can say but little 1t
would not be becoming o. me 10 talk
particularly on that subject l am sure
of one thing, though. and that is that
/ Dante does direct the attention OF the
public to the study of DAME. the same as
the play OF Faust took the people TO the
reading of Faust. This is clearly shown
by the many thousand copies of the origi-
nal works that were sold while the plays
were running. Naturally, | think that
it is an educational accomplishment 10
induce people who otherwise would not
read them to the reading of Faust and
the Inferno
The rIay of Dante shows. in my esti-
nation vivid picture Of Italy at the
time. l have had many friends tell me
that it was Il play they liked young people
to see, in that it gave 5nem right con-
ception of that period of Italian history.
Formerly the names they met in histori-
cal study were merely abstract words,
but by seeing the play these names be-
came a reality and acquired personal
ity that history did not show.
The whole life of italy in the four
teenth century was a Weakening and Il
merging from the deathiy darkness and
unaesthetic torpor Of the Middle Ages. In
no other city did that joyous song find
more fascinating expression than in Flor
ence. 1t was then and there that Boo
caccio and Sacchetti revealed in Their
stories the full real and jocund sense of
the new life. There painters, sculptors,
artists and musicians evoked the love or
the beautiful and raised il by their arts
to the highest standard. There the people
! INDUCED in all kinds of bright festivities
and artistic revels. AS was genial, ma
tural, spontaneous. Even now the custom
of hymning May and celebrating the
springtime in quaint, charming fashion is
common in the green valleys of Tuscany.
This historic Transformation scene in the
history of the world is one that might be
overlooked by the casual student. The play
brings it into prominence"
Have you any plans as to new pro-
duction for next year,
Il fancy that my repertoire will last
me. l have absolutely no new produc-
! ton in view. When we return to England
1 shall probably revive Beckett How
ever, revival of any or my old plays
means practically a new production, as
all the scenery and costumes for thirty
three of my plays were destroyed by fire
! in 1897, so that whatever l revive now
will entail a great deal of labor and ex-
pense The public are continually de-
handing a revival of some of these old
plays. L presume that we may do some
of them for night or two.
Il have. come to the conclusion that in
/ New oYrk nothing is surprising. No mat
/ ter what happens. whether people are
blown up in a subway or run over by the
street ears, New York is never surprised
1t seems to be city that has got beyond
the elementary passions
Sir Henrys daily life is a very simple
ore. He rises late and devotes the morn
! ing to his correspondence. After luncheon
he invariably goes to drive for couple
of hours either through the park or up
riverside drive, of which he is a great adj
mirer One reason why he has taken
apartments in an uptown hotel, the Marie
Antoirette is that he may be convenient
! ~ situated for the daily afternoon drive.
Returning from the drives he takes 4 nap
! for an hour, then goes to the theatre and
works.
What do you do for exercise. Sir
| Henry
Il act. That is sufficient physical exer-
else for any one. 1t is surprising, perhaps,
! but il is a fact that a man who plays
Hamlet, for instance, is putting forth
more heart pleasure-which the scientists
call foot pounds-is getting harder phys
zeal exercise than the man who is carry
| ing bricks in a bod all day. Acting q
! long part is exercise enough
And then Sir Henry lit another cigar
Sir Henry is quite as welded TO his
| cigar as was the late General Grant.
! There is always nopen box of them at
his hand and one burning between his
! fingers. 1t is not that he is such a per-
/ sistent smoker. He really smokes very
little considering how many cigars he
buys. but he is a persistent burner Of
tobacco. He lights cigars and then holds
them between his fingers while they burn
up.
The journey through hell" said. Sir
Henry, reverting TO the play as he waved
| HIS cigar toward the carpet. is naturally
1 the most spectacular and most popular
I feature of the play. Dante IS 50 asso-
ciated in the popular mind with he'll that
it is almost Impossible 70 mention the one
without suggesting the osaer.
In the Divine COMEDY. the poem
which made Dante immortal. IS set forth
the story OF the poets allegoricaI TIP
! through the three kingdoms Of Damna-
ton. Publication and Blessedness. This
! auegory comprises the third act Of the
play. which is called the Vision II IS IA
six scenes. showing the door Of hell. the
bark Of Charon. the fiery graves. the cir
Gle of ice. the bridge or rocks and the
railing of Asphodel.
The poem runs that Dante having sunk
in sleep in a wood where he had lost his