The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03


frank protests.
The Dleasantries concerned mainly
her recent professional tour on the Pa.
cific Coast. The animation and gayety
of San Francisco, the beauty of the
bay-which she thought as lovely as
the bay of Naples-the receptivity of
the people-all had charmed her, and
she is eager to go thither again. She
was full Of the recent experience and
reverted to it several times, saying
once, With what delight 1 recall that
trip to the coast, and. along with San
Francisco the beautiful cities of Port
land, Seattle and Tacoma, cannot for
get the lovely warmth of kindliness-I
cannot forget the charming people
San Frap cisco she thought more like
Paris than any other city she knew of,
and the people seemed to her beauti-
fully willing to accept not only with
respect but with enthusiasm certain
newer phases of dramatic art and lit
erature which in certain communities
she did not name inspire a half-resent-
full attitude"
Here again is Mrs. Fiske on "Ros-
mershClm," that, with the Maeterlinck
ductions of her forthcoming season at
the Manhattan. in New York.
An Ibsen play deserves one years
study at the very least" says Mrs.
Fiske. Il have given Rosmersholm'
two and do not yet feel ready. There
ought to be law against the presen-
tation Of the Norwegian's works with
the hurried. hit-or-miss preliminary
work characteristic of our methods of
theatrical production. But perhaps
am an extremist in this matter. l
worked six months, for example, on the
one-act play Dolce, which 1 have
never presented in Chicago, and then
was not satisfied with the result on the
opening night.
AS for ROsmersholm,' I dare say 1
read it twenty times before the light
began to dawn. To me it is the great
est, the most complex, of Ibsen's works.
and 1 believe that ultimately Rosmer
and Rebecca Will take their place with
Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde
and Eloise and Abelard as the supreme
figures Of tragic love in the dramatic
literature of all ages. The more one
studies 'ROsmersholm' the firmer this
conviction becomes. And / haven't a
doubt that Rebecca will ultimately
stand side by side in the classic roper
tory with Juliet. 1t may not come to
pass in our day, but it will come. for
the world does not possess a greater
tragedy of expiatiOn than this of Re
becca, who, a perfect VaIeria Messa-
lima in the beginning of her life story,
ultimately is purified through suffering
and is dead to every impulse save the
desire to serve"
After Rosmersholm' We must never
say again that Ibsen is not beautiful.
1t is the most heartrending thing 1 have
ever studied and still its pathos is pure
beauty. Mr.. Huneker has said that
Rebecca is the wickedest woman in the
drama. Yes. But that phase has
passed and the expiation has begun be-
fore the play opens. Rebecca Gamvik
is dead and the new birth of Rebecca
West, as the former adventures is
known at the Rosmersholm, is the
theme of the tragedy"
1t may be remarked here that Ber-
nard Shaw in his "Quintessence of Ib-
senism' constantly insists upon "the
vital part played in this drama by the
evolution of the lower into the higher
love-"
This f1eeting epitome of Rebecca
Vests spiritual rebirth was given with
tremendous enthusiasm by Mrs. F'iske
Here to me is the most beautiful and
poetic part Of 'Rosmersholm.' Rebecca
West has made her way-her calm,
unfaltering, ambitious, intrepid way
through seas of blood. The green be-
comes one red She desires to possess
Rosmer. At last the way is clear. But
she must be wary. He is a man of ex-
quisite sensibility. She must advance
slowly, wait and be still. And as she
waits, slowly, gradually. the beauty of
his character opens the little window of
her soul. (She did not know she had a
soul.) And as she waits and waits. at
last, for the first time in her life. love
comes to her. 1t is we'll that Ibsen has
not revealed to US the Rebecca West of
those days-the days of illumination
and remorse. We could not have en-
dured the sight. 1t is a ghost we see
when the curtain rises How can we.
in the presence of this martyr of mar
tyrs among all the stage, women of sor-
rows. say again that Ibsen is without
beauty and poetry
''They say worse-that he is unneces-
sary," was suggested.
She answered in a strange. still tone
$50, suppose, are the flowers unneces-
sary."
Kyrle Bellew is to visit US next fall
after an absence OF seven years. He
will appear in his great Eastern sue
cess, "Raffies."
Henry MiIler's play for next season
will be Joseph Entangled," by Henry
Arthur Jones. It will be produced in
New York Immediately following Mr.
MilIer's stock season in San Francisco
Charles Frohman has selected Hilda
Spong to be leading woman with Mr.
Miller next season.
The story that Charles Richman is to
be Ada Rehan's leading man is evident
ly untrue as he asserts that he is tc
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