The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-03-07
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

Col Schwartze (retired) Mckee Rankir
a. a'''''''''''''''''''''' .Nshcs y Nei
A Augusta, his Observation-Disclosures.
....,............Mr Mrs. Charles W. Brook.
pr. Won Kelsr.. Noryai Magregor
Gen. Won klebs. George &. Stales
pIof Beekman. n."..,...,, Fred r. sullivan
Max. .......................Wa Walter ~ Cluxtor
Frsnziska. ka.......,....,.........,.,R Ricca Alier
Ahefesa'''''..''." 'rahnle Sahhor
At the Providence Opera house satur-
day night an audience so big that Il com
PEELED Mr.. I>add and his musicians TO &c
way back and sit down behind the scenes
witnessed two genuine noveltles-Miss
Nance OMEN and play by Hermann
sudermann. "Magda-"
We are hearing "A good deal about Sud
ermann In these parlous dramatic times.
n dozen years ago or so in Germany he
Is understood to have ben a revolt against
realism. Here, In the land OF the free.
be Is offered as a protest against the un-
dying musical comedy and the hydra
typewritered cldye Fitch.
As we understood H.. the Sudermann
idea Is mild form OF the lbsen pro-
IL Is something like this. we should say:
II you are an Ibeenite. YOU raise YOU
eyebrows and inquire mildly Who are
they?' when somebody mentions the
Rogers Bros. for instance. If YOU have
Eonly advanced so far In the more precious
dramatic paths as 20 he a sudermanite;
|you hesitate 10 claim utter Ignorance OF
the more earthly attractions that fill the
srid stretches OF the dramatic season. but
sre moderately contemptuous OF most
Pinero. Both degrees. as we understand.
are, on the whole, tolerant toward
Shakespeare.
Fortunately for the box office. from
|lweek 10 week. there are only few of
ls, and our protest IN behalf of the
pushy- whiskered German and the Nor
ave N. nf- q ha Un nlxRa in q
,n mssse 10 see Nance o'Neil Saturday
wsrs ,hsp moye6 pss GS
orm the stage by our presence-snd will
elish our fiery-headed one and our Be
tsart,ls asn % ss % though ' sudermSn6 % u'rii pian, ~
alks- to- grown -men.and-women only had
aever been imported.
Students OF Sudermsnn. We are cred
bly, informed. regard Masds as his su.
breme achievement OF charac cter drawing
nd 'IIeimath" CHome). the title OF the
| ,lay in tho original, as the climax OF his
n. The play undertakes to portray to
uch an example as is properly extreme
otherwise, Magda IS our old scquaint-
nee. the woman. with past, the play
howfng the reflex action OF that past
n lover or husband. as has been more
ommon with US In the era OF the prob
I'M play OF tho past 10 or dozen years
Magda's' dramatic birth. and covering
period that "Magda' and Sudermann
DOUBTLESS influenced greatly, long before
Q imported them in the original.
OF course. there can he nothing really
ew In all this at this late day. Just as
he occasional stage singer makes the
Popular song seem stale by the time that
1e musical piece where IL was original
cts along, so a decade OF the Sudermann
fluence on dramatic writing makes the
E.oI ~nhn
novelty.
And, some years back OF that, did we
fot have dear old Hazel kirke?' Dun
an kirkes have been striding up and
own the land for many many seasons.
living their daughters forth into the cold
orld, because they refused TO recognize
ern parental authority. precisely as Col
-hwartze does the lovely Msgda--with
FETCHED results. too. except that in the
Use Of Hazel she thought she was mar
ed. anyway: whereas. Magda makes no
ch concession 10 our nasty-nice sensibil.
Nes
And at all times, whatever the purpose
the dramatist. or the lesson OF his
Toblem-although, we don't suppose tho
hthor OF Hazel Kirke" ever thought Of
problem. any more than did the author
Romeo and Juliet" another story OF
rent versus child. with most terrible
ensequences, at that. We really suspect
at the average audience leaves the play
Il altogether convinced that, on the
hoie. conventions are so bad thing for
lciety. even though they may be pushed
extremes on occasion.
3Mayhap, Magda herself has moments
ben she wishes she hadn't rum away
pm home and stern parent At any
4te, YOU feel that. after the fnal cur
fn, she is likely 20 marry the parson
bose suit, backed by the stern parent.
fs one ~ the causes OF her going out In
the FREQ world ito live her own life
her own way"-and fall in love--calf
re--with chump whom, being a clever
Pman, she soon comes 70 regard only
ith loathing
However the plays the thing-not the
ioblem or the moral. And Sudermann's
1agda' is well constructed on the lines
'moderation. simplicity. sympathetic
tslism- IL approaches It's climax natural
with cumulative interest The first act
brilliant comedy. sharp in dialogue and
pertaining as TO character drawing. The
ping German subaltern I'm love with
sda's little sister, Marie, the sister the
general, the professor. the three WON. !
every one OF them is as distinctive as
the principals-Msgda- her father |
stor Hefterdinct, Won Kellar.
fagda appears I'm the second act under
ftaEe name she Is a famous singer en- |
yed for musical festival in the town, |
pozen years after her departure from
tne-has yearning 10 sec the old folks |
especially tho little sister but Is none
eager unless she is 10 have her faith /
forgiveness and his consent that she /
her own life IN her own way.
Forgiveness II secured. but later the |
fher. almost in his dotage with dignity |
sense or honor exaggerated wants 10 \
questions as TO his daughters doinss
ing the twelve years that have elapssd.
ne second act is pretty talky but IN. /
act. whore the old soldier gets no, |
the trail. Is intense and absorbing and |
fan finally, the defiant girl bows her |
d.crushed 10 her fathers stern com. |
nd' you can feel the tragedy impend. |
+ the final curtain on IN. fourth az,
aplexy shifts the tragedy TO a most |
nal death scene that is 80 reallstical-
1one BY McKee, Rankin that YOU won |
somebody desn't spring 20 the tele.
ne ring up the Rhode Island hospitsl
summon an ambulance.
expect. some day, one OF these
ist dramatic writer's will offer for
edineation a portrayal OF an opera
for apDendi,ifis