Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-30

The Weeks BnIs

The weeks bWs
Belasco-''rJiobe"
BurbanlS-"At Piney Ridge"
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Grand-"Queen of the White Slaves
Fischer s-Burlesque.
AngeIus--"Ifome Sweet Home"
Chutes-zoo. Band Concert.
LTHoUGH II Is usual to let dead
n week bury It's dead In a theatri-
"A cal world yet since so many AMI
various conclusions have been reached
regarding the performance of Ihsen's
Ghosts at the Belasco last week and
since Manager Morosco Of the Burbank
announces that he will shortly present
q series OF special Ibsen matinees at
the Burbank, the subject Of such writ
ers and their plays calls forth further
discussion.
Il would be extremely interesting to
gather the opinions Of every person who
has attended one Of the three matinees
of "Ghosts' which Harry Mestayer
has given here and discover just what
significance each attached to the ter
rible tragedy, just what Impressions IL
created and to what extent, IL any, 1t
"set people thinking" to good pur-
pose.
There is always symbolism In Ibsen
and consequently there is practically
no limit to the variety of interpreta-
ton which may legitimately be I'M
posed in an analysis of one OF his
dramas. Symbolism is all a matter OF
vision and one may discern 1t as truly
In a hencoop as in rainbow. But IT
does not, as many seem to think, clothe
a dramatic work with superior intel
lectual force or entitle it to greater
reverence or sanctity that is offered
to those plays which pretend to nothing
more than to hold the mirror UP to
nature.
So far as the plays of Ibsen intro
duce into the general run of theatre
cal rubbish a leaven Of intellectually
and awaken the general public to the
fact that even more diversion is to be
found in plays which appeal to the In
tellect than in those which aim at the
eye and ear alone their usefulness is
unouestioned There Is also an easy
recognition of the wonderful crafts
manship in the works of this famous
Norwegian. Technically his dramas
are almost perfect and he has put his
stamp upon the drama for all time.
But doubt enters concerning the
ethical values of these denunciations
against the existing order of things.
Their aim and purpose are not prl-
marily to deliver messages of help, hope
and courage, but to paint in the most
dismal colors pictures of vice, gloom,
disouiet and encouragement. In these
can be found the keynotes of every one
Of Henrik Ibsen's acted dramas. In
all these masterpieces there is inflicted
upon; the consciousness a sense of hope-
less pessimism and the theater is turned
from a temple of esthetic beauty into
a charnel house or clinic for the dis
section of morbid emotions.
There is pointed out excellent prece-
dent for tragic horrors in the history
Of the drama. "Oedipus Rex gener-
ally considered the perfection of Greek
drama, deals with one who murders his
father and incestuously consorts with
his mother, and finally tears out his
eyes while his mother hangs herself.
In "Antigone" the hero is buried alive.
Hippolytus in the play of that name
is beloved by his stepmother, who
hangs herself because he has repudi-
ated her passion. and subsequently his
father, thinking him guilty, causes his
death. Agamemnon is murdered by
Clytemnestra in order that she may
consort with another man, and the
drama also relates of father being
compelled to eat stew composed OF
the flesh of his own children.
Here are classical examples for the
modern dramatist who is preaching the
inexorableness of fate so long as he
does not dwell upon sickening details
Of sensuality or the foul physical conse-
auences and concomitants of hereditary
physical disease, but just how much
good the relation Of these horrors,
whether by the ancients or the mod
erns, has done for the world is still
an open question.