The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-17
AT THE THEATERS
Metropolitan-Richard Mansfield in "Ivan
the Terrible"

lmpelIed by some fortunate within
Richard Mansfield has returned To tha
field of dramatic endeavor in which he
IS most successful. He has given up for
the nonce the Shaksperean and the heroic
Tor which he is but i'll ,fitted-and is
aeVollng ms great talents to the fashion
ing OF odd character, work in which
he has few if any peers. Give Mansfield
a crotchety character to depict and the
lack OF great play in which to set his
lmpersonat1on will not prevent him from
achleVlng masterful and impressive
work that will fix and hold the interest
with curious fascination. In short the
cLaracter ana not the play is the essential
tnlng IN Mansfield success. This must
be evident from a consideration of his
best work from Baron Cheyrial Bean
Brummel and Cyrano down to his latest
achievement, the grim and fantastic car.
Ivan Vassilyevitch.
Count Alexis Tolstoy, a relative of the
greater Tolstoy, in constructing a his
torlcal play, found himself. confronted
with the same dilemma that has arisen
for other playwrights. He found himself
cpllged to 90 violence either to the facts
OF history or to the canOnS of art He
chose to stick to history and make the
most of the dramatic opportunities. The
story OF the last years of the terrible car
is intensely dramatic in many of. its
or conference in the tale Yet as a study
OF the influence that years of autocratic
power have exerted on character of the
keenest intellectually, but warped by SUI
perstition and twisted by a cruel egotism.
it is a play of deep psychologist interest,
Paralleling IN many respects the play
Louis XII" it is lightened by a ce,t
tain grim humor that Eliminates the
gloom.
Mr.. Mansfield shows up the great car,
contemporary Of Elizabeth Of England,
in the bitter days when, after rule of
unexampled cruelty, his evil deeds return
to torture his soul, while darkening clouds
OF misfortune lower about his empire.
The proud spirit, broken by the excuses
that followed a sudden release from a
singularly confined and repressed youth
and overwhelmed by misfortunes from
without, is seen in its dotage. But there
are occasional and vivid flashes Of the
old power. 1t is a wierd picture or rather
series of pictures-for Mr.. Mansfield with
all the cunning of his art, indicates clearly
the successive stages in the process of
degeneration. The remorseless cruelty of
the man, his dark and foreboding super
stition, his shreWd and biting humor, his
violent temper bordering on madness, are
all items in the soul-confiict that RACES
fitfully, now impelling to lay down the
scepter and seek forgiveness of his sins,
again the symbol and the substance Of
power.
In the last scene Ivan, thrown into a
transport of fury by a sudden clear vision
of his favorite's deep and treacherous
purpose, dies in the futile effort to wreak
a vengeance that slips tantalizingly from
his moribund grasp This is a fearful
and impressive triumph of acting. Mr.
Mansfield artist to the finger tips, is so
intent upon vitalizing this character that
he forgets to commit the faults that mar
his more heroic or more human imper-
sonations His offensive mannerisms slip
from him like garment and he takes on
as his very own every aspect of the ur-1
speakable Ivan.
The one other important role is that
of Gudanoff. the favorite whose rise to
power furnishes whatever of action there
is in the play. This is finely played by
Arthur Forrest, who lets US into the
secret of his motives and his purposes
with subtle JUNCTION. It is an impersona
ton worthy of the play and the produc-
ton. Miss Ida Conquest as the scorned