The sun., 1903-12-18
MAETERLlNCK'S MONNA WANNA
THE BELGIAN'S STRIKING DRAMA
HEARD IN GERMAN.
irving Place Theatre CrOwded-The Per-
formance Honest, Not Brilliant-Man.
aEer COnried Says Something About
His Right 10 Give the Play,

"In my twenty-five years as a theatrical
manager l have never produced a play
without having the legal right to do 80,
said Manager Conried last night in the
lobby of his Irving Place Theatre
This remark was called forth by question
put by THE Suns theatrical reporter on
the all absorbing topic of Maeterlinck' 3
sMonna Wanna" which was given for the
first time in German in this city. Manager
Fske has the English rights. Manager
Conricd has the German rights from the
translator To this translator he will pay
ROYALTIES due. That is the arrangement.
The pother is really a misunderstanding,
for the play has never been protected by
copyright. Last summer a representative
of THE SUN received letter from Alfred
Sutro, Maeterlinck's English translator
informing him Of the absence Of proper
copyright.
Any one can give "Monna Wanna As
matter of fact. it has been played at the
Thalia Theatre on the Bowery in the Hebrew
tongue, and out in Milwaukee at the Ger
man Theatre. There was no attempt
OH the part of Manager Fiske to stop last
nights production .Monna Wanna is
far from being a second "Parslfal" in the
legal mart.
As might have been expected the per-
formance on this occasion was honest and
far from illuminating. The subtlety, the
sonoro,fs prose, the delicate ethical point,
in a word, the heroic splendor of Maeter-
linck's stirring drama were all absent.
For brillancy was substituted pious artis-
tic earnestness, for poetry q commonplace
muscularity; but even a mediocre interpre-
tation could not quite dim the beauties Of
the play though 1t did throw into unpleas-
ant relief it's prolonged conversational
passages.
went for naught-notably the entire scene
between PrinzepaM and the Machiavellian
Florentine emissary Trirulzio. AS the epi-
sode is written the contrast Of the spy 3
mean soul and the barbaric grandeur Of
PrinzerdW Is a big factor in this act IL.
The wounding of the latter serves its pur-
pose in the next act.
1t is hardly necessary to tell readers OF
The Sun the story Of this new judith, this
combination Of Godira and Sdidmnbo who
went forth from beleagured Pisa to the
there to lay down her honor as wife, as a
woman, her life II it be asked, at his feet.
The role is trying one 1t demands an
actress Of heroic, artistic stature.
Bertha Rocco is not physically or tenn
peramentally suited to the part She Is
Intelligent, we'll trained, but her methods
are too colloquial, too colorless for roman
tic drama. She worked earnestly and de-
serves praise on this account That she
would be a second Georgette Leblanc,
one believed.
Alexander Rottmann was a stalwart
md unmodulated Prinseuali. His tent
tcene was marked by moments OF reso-
mpple man OF. culture WHO was in the ma
lure Of the character. His love making
was robust rather than tender He might
dispense with his Fauntleroy curls and
play with his own hair, which Is blonde
and curly as 10 required.
Mdrco-a very Polonious in his craft and
garrul:ty-was the most satisfactory figure
In the cast. His flrst act was effective.
Julius Kobler was Guido Colonnd and was
f,pienetlIs e enc. enough even to the point OF
i Is pity Her. conrisd /. 50 occupied
role that would suit him well. Julius
e. I'D Ss
much too dark. We could not see the
faces OF the actors, and gesture and ex-
preston count for much in this piece. ;.
The production was not sumptuous; II
was the best that could be made by the
management. But there was no reason
why that back cloth drop in the first act
should wabble in the Pisan breezes. One
leaning tower is enough for any Italian
town. no matter its ambition for architecture
out Of plumb.
There was much applause from a big
audience and @Monna Wanna" assuredly
scored success, which, un der adverse
circumstances speak much for its vitality.
Whatever else the Conried company can
do-and it does many things well-tragedy
Is not it's forte.
Parsifal Burgstaller sat in a stage box
and doubtless wondered why Wagner had
not given him such chance at lovemaking
ss Prin.erdlR. .Monna Wanna" will be
given for some time to come.