The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16
Henrik Ibsen's sGhosts' the
CrawfOrd's Next Attraction.
Is One Of Many SO-CalIed
" Problem Plays"
MARY SHAW THE STAR.
Will Be Last Performance Of
the Season.
Other News Of the Plays and
Players.

Topeka is to have an Ibsen play to
close its theatrical season. Ghosts" in
which Mary Shaw made a pronounced
success this spring in New York viii be
presented by her at the New Crawford
Monday night. May %. In summing up
the week in theatrieals in Chicago w.
l. Hubbard. the critic of the Tribune,
says in last Sundays paper:
The appearance here on Thursday and
Friday afternoon of Miss Mary Shaw in
performances of Ibsen's Ghosts" prov
ed one of the interesting events not
alone of the week but of the season.
The performances were in every re-
spect worthy of sincere and ample CONF
mendation. both Miss Shaw and her as
sociates being competent and the pro-
duction showing careful and sympa-
thetic preparation. The chief pleasure
afforded, however. was the witnessing
once again OF a play that was not
mere rehash of familiar and we'll worn
material. Ghosts" is not a cheerful
play; it is in fact. horrible in its sub
Ject matter, but it has material for
thought in it; it sets one to using what
ever little gray matter he may have in
his Uranium; it does some thing besides
merely amuse for the hour or the mo-
go home with an impression-a distinct
one such as you viii not soon forget.
People of flesh and blood are brought
before you, not mere puppets, moved by
the wires of a dramatist's ingenuity.
The conditions in which these people
live are not entirely pleasant ones, per
haps, but they are conditions found in
this complex life of ours. and the out
come of the acts of these people is in
variably as reIentlessly true and inevi-
table as fate itself.
He is stern dramatist. is this Nor
Wegian poet and analyst, and he never
sacrifices logic and truth to sentiment
or public opinion. Cause and effect an
inevitably in harmony with him. and
though he may distress US and unpleas-
anty jog some of our dearest and most
comfortable beliefs and superstitiOns, he
tells us plain truths and he sets as
thinking.
The person who sits through per
Torrance Of Ghosts" carries away with
him a moral lesson which is only the
more potent and convincing because it
has been shown him and not preached
at him. Ihsen's art is not by intention
didactic. but it points a moral Just the
same The results OF dissolute living
and the shaping influence the past life
of the parent exercises on the child are
not the only lessons taught by Ghosts
even though they may be the most
striking ones. The danger Of pointing
out to others their duty when we in
reality know existent conditions only
superhcially. the advisability of sacri-
fcing all that makes life beautiful and
joyous merely that the conventional and
the respectable may be conserved in the
eyes of the world and the mistake
made in regarding life as a thing OF
sadness and sOrrOW-the belief as Pas
tor Manders expresses that it us not
right that mankind should be happy
these are but some of the questions
Ibsen has raised in his play They may
be ghosts all of them, but they are
well to consider Occa sionally and when
conjured up by a wizard as mighty as
is he they have a tangibiity and sub
stance that enable them to compel at
tention.
When Henrik Ibsen was 8 years old
his life Of comparative luxury sudden
~ came to an end through reverses of
his father. 1t is quite natural there
fore. that pl ecocious as he was his at
tention should be directed toward the
seriousness of life. His childish occu-
pations of carving wooden figures in
dulging in magic-eVen to the extent of
giving public performances-rev in
historical books rather than romances.
indicate both the effect of necessity and
the direction his energies We're to take.
Apprentced at is to a pharmacist.
he became a competent clerk, at the
same time preparing himself for col
lege- I'm young manhood his mind was
directed toward dramatic life. but more