The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-15
The Ib.en Play mt Ensrish,s.

stand. One could see the play twenty
times before feeling competent to say that
one understood Hedda."
So spoke that distinguished American ac-
tress, Mrs. Fiske, in a recent interview.
while she herself was drawing great audi
ences to the Manhattan Theater in New
York to witness her portrayal of the unlov-
able yet strangely attractive heroine in
Henrik Ibsen's drama, 'Hedda Gabler."
Those in the audience at Englishs last
evening who make it a point to keep posted
regarding all that is going on in the dra-
matte world must have recalled these words
of Mrs. Fiske Gf they had CHANGED to read
that interesting interview while witnessing
the performance of Elita Proctor Otis, an
actress of many accomplishments, who
opened brief engagement in this, her
home city, in this tragic play by the Nor
wegian dramatist. That Miss Otis succeed
ed in making strong impression in her
characterization of the complex Hedda
there can be no doubt, but for the general
ineXpert audience to be able to fully COM
prehend the queer heroine as played by
Miss Otis would certainly require the nine
teen more performances suggested by Mrs.
Fiske. And even then you wouldn't under
stand her, as Weber and Fields would say.
OF course, there was a small audience
present last night. A large audience was
scarcely to be expected, for indianapolis
sen, or for any other dramatic writer with
morbid pesSimiStic tendencies With the
exception of the heavily advertised "Resur-
| rection," with Blanche Walsh the star,
Indianapolis has turned its back this season
on all theatrical performances in the purely
intellectual class It might have been
ton of Ghosts" by Mary Shaw and her
| fine company, there would have been some
curiosity on the part of local playgoers to
| see other dramas by the great Ibsen. But
no; Ibsen is terribly in earnest; Ibsen is
| deeply intellectual; Ibsen doesn't amuse.
| And in spite of the reputation of Indianapo-
| lis as a literary center Indianapolis the
ater-goers don't want to be literary even
| for an evening or two-and that's all there
| Is about it.
| First of all this ''Hedda Gabler'' of Ib-
sen's-meaning the play itself and not the
| admiration from the student of dramatic
| art account OF it's wonderful example
of workmanship. Granted that the play is
morbid to a painful degree. there is no
theater-goer of the more Thoughtful kind
that can be blind to the perfection of its
construction. The dramatist does not seek
situations as situations. Just as in that
more actable drama, Ghosts" when the
strong situation arrives il comes so natur-
ally and the growth of it has been so steady
|
the theatrical explosion SO common with
| the ordinary dramatist From the very first
| entrance of the heroine-who, by the way,
| is heroine without any heroism-One feels
| that sinister tragedy is impending and
as the play progresses one understands that
| this tragedy simply cannot be averted. 1t
| isn't at all hard to understand the play,
| for the story is simplicity itself, but TO
understand Hedda-well, that's another
| matter entirely.
The characters in the drama introduce
| themselves naturally, and there are none of
| the clumsy explanations, ''asides'' and other
| theatrical eXpedientS of the unfinished play
| wright The dialogue is all just as it would
| be in real life, under the same existing cir
/ cumstances and the action moves with the
! utmost sm0othness along logical, or at least
| plausible lines to the foreordained tragic
| ending. Whatever else may be said of
| Hedda, she is most interesting. She has
met with disappointment at her every turn
and her nature is one that cannot accept
| disappointment as most people in this
world feel called upon to accept it. She is
| cold and she is, at heart, depraved; she
| she Is too cowardly to break away from
them completely. Her life with her husband
| bores her terribly and she is hopeless; the
man she loved, Loevborg, drops out of her
life after SCATTERING her ideal of him, and
Brack, profiigate friend, offers an alter
native to which she prefers death The
| whole story. in a nutshell, is that of a
woman who cold and hard and mean of
| soul, wrecks nearly every life with which
she comes In close contact and then COM
mits suicide. Although there is but a line
| or two in the course of the drama alluding
! to her physical condition, yet 1t is evident
| that Heddas approaching maternity is
meant, by Ibsen, to be the cause of her ac-
| centricities. The only explanation of her
actions is that the author meant to show
| how utterly irresponsible it is possible for
| bad woman to be under such circum-
| stances.
| 1t is no wonder that people who care
| little for dramatic art, but who wish to
be amused after their days work is over,
| remain away from a drama like this. But
on the other hand, it is strange that in a
city of the size of Indianapolis there are not
more people who are appreciative of mas
terful dramatic craftsmanship such as is
| seldom on view on local stage. The play
has been acted in New York by Mrs. Fiske
and has attracted the greatest audiences OF
| the season; it has been acted abroad by
| such worldwide artists as Duse, Agnes
| Sorma, Frau Frenkel, Martha Brandes and
| Elizabeth Robins. 1t is not q beautiful
| play, but there are those elements in it that
| elevate 1t far above the theatrical, and il
Is therefore well worth seeing.
The portrayal of Hedda Gabler by Miss
| Otis is fine piece of acting-the best, with
the possible exception of her Nancy Skyes
| in 'Oliver Twist that this actress has
ever done in this city But at the same
|
| has patterned her performance upon that
| of Mrs. Fiske. The jerkiness of hei
| speech the note of shrillness in her voice
| and the sharp nervousness of her gesture
| all remind one of Mrs. Fiske. But this does
not mean that Miss Otis's performance ii
| not a most praiseworthy one, for she gives
| an Accordingly interesting Interpretation OF
| the character. Her acting in the fina
| scene of the play is a powerful nature, ano
| is productive of such suspense to the au.
dience that the pistol shot, which comes
| from the room into which the hysterica
| woman has retired, is really welcome re-
lief to the pent-up spectators.
| Donald Robertson is excellent at Tesman
| the doting husband, who is as much of
| fool as he is man of letters. His make.
I'D and naturalism are deserving of specia
| commendation. The part is not an easy
one to act without making it too stupiC
to be interesting. Wilfred Lucas makes {
| handsome Loevborg, and plays the role will
| a great deal of skill, while Frank Denni
thorne is we'll cast for the character of tn,
INSCRIPTIONS Brack, as he renders the par
| quite conyincingly. The role of Mrs. Elv
stead is taken by Marion Ashworth. Thi:
is queer character, but 1T is assumed will
considerable success by the young actress
Miss Ashworth has a peculiarly childish
voice, which tends to lesson the force of hel
more dramatic speeches, but which. aftel
ALL fits I'm with the character of the high
strung, bewidered creature that Ibsen in
tended Mrs. Elvstead to be. Laura Palmer
impersonates 1esman'S good old relative
Aunt Juliana-the only really virtuous per
son in the story-in satisfactory style.
| The audience last night was always earn