The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27

man whose failure justifies Bjornsons title
is one Tjalde, a business magnate, a veri-
table captain of industry, who keeps vari-
Gus leaky enterprises afioat till a load of
debt is too heavy for them TO carry longer,
and they sink suddenly into the mud of the
stream on which they have seemed buOyant-
ly prosperous. AS he becomes more and
more desperate, his tricks of false pre-
tense pass into devices Of swinding and
the sluggish movement of the play shows
his mental torture while keeping the secret
of his insolvency from his proud family and
the trustful community. The work is
neither ina ginative like some of Haupt-
mann's, nor engrossingly literal, like most
of Ibsen'S.
The futility of writing such a play "A
Failure was proved by the single, separate
fact that even with an audience of friendly
students and guests with long hair on and
in their brains the most effectual scene was
the only theatric one, so old in idea and so
little freshened in manner that ordinary
assemblage would have disdained il, and
only impressive on this occasion because il
broke the monOtony of uneventfulness. The
captain of Inflated Industries, maddened by
the lawyer who comes to force him into
bankruptcy, holds pistol at the mans
head and is prevented from firing, not by
any physical resistance, but by q calmly
convincing argument that an assignment
would be wiser, all things considered than
an assassination. The lesson taught to
receptive observers of the stage by the Ibsen
school of dramatsts is that even the truest
transcripts from life are not interesting on
the. stage unless they contain more than
ordinary episodes Photographs are not
hung in art galleries, nor are monographs
used in musical academies.
Four big theaters in or near the Bowery
are given over to drama in Yiddish, the Ian
guage of the Polish Jews of that section of
the city. A stock company thrives very
well in each. 1t was in one of these houses
the Old BOwery, halowed by memories of
Forrest and the elder Booth that some in
Vited guests assembled at an extra after
noon performance of God, Man and the
Devil" Now, there are folks to whom any,
thing in a foreign tongue on the stage is
better than anything native. Experience
doesn't correct their Judgment. They told
US of a wonderful comedian at the Chinese
theater in Doyers street, and we found him
a Chink-chunk of falsetto crudity. They
were enthusiastic about marvellous TRACE
dian at the Italian theater i'm Mott street
and hired Carnegie Hall for an exhibition
of their discovery, but the Dago was no
more than an ordinarily competent actor
They became ecstatic over d company of
japanese players who. when put on view
in Broadway, seemed as though they ought
TO be Juggling balls sliding down wires and
climbing poles, so merely physical was
their acting. They are foolish in their
laudation of the German stock artists in
Irving place that one feels like decrying the
considerable merits OF the Conried produc-
tons. These unpatriotic Zanies were nu-
merously represented at the Yiddish per-
Torrance. which wasn't bad though no
better than are given by the cheapest of the
cut-Tate stock companies in English So
much by way OF a spanking for those child
ish ones who hurrah for whatever is not
American in theatrical art.
To the drama of God, Man and the Dew
IL 1 took a Polish Jew along to tell me
what its Yiddish meant. The Devil under
took 10 prove that a hitherto sinless peddler
would become wicked under temptation. A
prologue was In Heaven, and the voice OF
God was heard but He was not seen The
Devil appeared in the ensuing act on earth
wearing fur-lined overcoat. as If 10 pro-
tect himself against the cool change from
his home climate. His agreement with the
Almighty was explicitly spoken of as a
wager, the Mans soul being the stake Ii
was plain that the Polish Jews who filled
the balconies. saw nothing sacriegiOUs an
all that as they applauded the moral deduc-
tons heartily, yet they did also laugh at
the Man win the capital prize in a lottery
| fall. And IL did We saw him next as the
| ugly old wife. marrying his pretty young
| fact, physically and metaphOrically How
| ever, the sinner saved his soul by destroy
ing his body. That is what my Yiddish
/ friend said and IL did seem so-the com
| mand against self-saughter 10 the contrary
| Notwithstanding. He became so repentant
| remorseful and expiatory that he commit.
/ led suicide and the Devil Ownad nm, In sr