New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-02
LONDON DRAMA.
A Neurotic German Play at the st.
JameS's Theatre.
London. March 10

srsraa OF German temperament and atmosphere
hut there was human nature in it, and men and
vromen could renew their youth when they
went to this theatre and witnessed the revels
q, the students. II deserved the popularity
which it attracted from the opening perform
snoe; but Loves Carnival" viii not have an
equally favorable reception. If one may Judge
from the hostile demonstration which it ex-
cited on the first night. II is an English YER
sion OF Herr Hartleben's "Rosenmontag." and
the translation has been made. with liberal idel-
~ by a German. Herr Bleichmann. Il is a
tragedy OF German barrack life, full of local
atmosphere and color, and il is well staged and
enacted with exceptional spirit, and if it does
not please English playgoers ii is not through
any fault OF the stage management. but because
the subject is repellent and they cannot recon-
Gle themselves to an essentially ignoble end
ing Of noisy military piece with the hero and
heroine killing themselves under the fantastic
masquerade OF carnival JOY in life. The acting
Is strong, and OF atmosphere and background
there is no lack; but there is little real drama,
and what there is must be profoundly distaste-
ful TO English ideas.
The first act OF Loves Carnival" presents an
elaborate picture Of the convivialty Of an Off
GERS messroom, where everybody except
Lieutenant Hans Rudorff is in uniform and
laughing or shouting over champagne, brandy
and beer. A band plays outside the windows.
and everybody's health is drunk with rounds
Of ''Hoch hoch, hoch!" but apart from mill
tary customs and barrack room jests and
morals there is little that the playgoer under
stands Rudorff finds it difficult to be civil
10 one Of the officers, and two Won Rambergs.
his cousins. have evidently been plotting against
him. but he has returned from six months
leave OF absence in high spirits and announces
TO his intimate companions his engagement to
a rich bankers daughter. The act ends with
out sign Of approaching drama, and the
dience, already weary OF the jingling OF glasses
and the angling OF drums is convinced that It
cannot understand anything so 'stodgy''
German drama The second act erags almost
as sluggishly, for IL is mainly occupied with
the reception Of the banker by a noisy squad Of
spirited and thirsty officers There f. how
ever, a confidential talk between the banker
and his prospective son-in-law respecting
old love affair; and after his departure there
Is a cynically frank account by the two
Rambergs Of their own success in breaking 1t
Of by a disgraceful plot in the interest of their
cousin and his family. The truth is blurted
out to him by an intimate friend when he re-
turns; and instead Of a melodramatic scene he
retires In fun military dress 10 carry out one
Of the minor details of parade ground inspec-
ton. To the end Of the second act there has
not been any genuine drama, except a single
explosion OF wrath from the officer who has
been treacherously deceived by the Won Ram
bergs. and not woman has crossed the boards,
although portrait Of one has been placed on
an easel before the big drum was brought in
and beer put on tap.
In the third act the first love- Else appears
In RudOrff's room. and each explains to the
other how the cousins have lied and brought
about a misunderstanding and separation.
a. 4,f1-s
door and the girl conceals herself and Won
Grobitzsch. who has been the associate Of the
Won Rambergs in a base plot against her repu-
tation. enters and reviles her coarsely. The
girl, enraged by his duplicity. cries out from
her hiding place and energies 10 face her ira
ducer and to defend herself. The superior Of
ficer retires from the room to report the Incl
dent TO the colonel and the girl, after a long
and painful disclosure of the manner in which
she enticed by the Won Rambergs into a
champagne supper at Won Grobitzsch's room.
also goes out. bewailing her fate IN running the
man whom she devotedly loves. With this act
the dramatic motive ends. although the cur
tain is still to rise twice. The duped lieutenant
neither Furnishes his cousins nor marries Else;
and he seems 10 be incapable OF exerting his
VIII OF doing anything manly or sensible.
lie drinks with everybody who enters his room;
he listens 70 the incoherent talk OF jewellers at
his window. he jilts his afTianced wife and re-
sumes his intimate relations with Else; he be-
comes a frenzied lover and rants about honor
when he has violated everybody's confidence
and proved himself to be an imbecile dreamer;
and he talks in the dark about suicide and
takes the girl in masquerade to a carnival ball
The curtain falls at last, after some grotesque
preparations for farcical regimental theatricals
and the suicide OF the Two lovers. They rush
into an adjoining room and lock the door behind
them after a final exhibition Of nervous debility
and imbecility and two pistol shots are the last
sounds heard.
With all the beating Of cymbals, blowing Of
bugles. banging OF drums and revel Of drink,
there is an imperfect revelation OF elements of
The military code which without doubt interest
German audiences. a duel. for example.
Impossible under the barrack room standards
established by militarism in the Fatherland.
Else was an affectionate girl OF the lower or
middle class and since she was not officers
Slaughter, nor technically lady, her lover
could not avenge her honor by blood. nor chal-
lenge one or all the conspirators to a duel. He
could not defend either her reputation his
own by raising any question Of honor: and this
point OF social-niltaTy ethics was probably the
paradox which Herr Eartleben wished to pre-
sent when he wrote the gloomy play "Rosen-
montsg"; and since the Fatherland is
swarming barrack under the conditions OF uni
eersal CONSUMPTION. and officers are constantly
flirting with women who nominally not
ladies" under the drastic code OF the marti-
bets. the problem is Ineligible in every Ger
man town where there is a garrison Points
Ike these are not understood by an English
audience. which knows something about the
alleged expediency Of Raging as a social re-
fornatory agency for preventing giddy young
officers OF wealth or title from making fools