The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-19
HIGH ART IN INDIAN DRAMA.
EDMUND RUSSELL ELETATES
THE STAGE ANOTHER PEG.
The Progressive stage Society Presents
"Sailuntala" with Gorgeous Costumes
and One or Two Real Actors-Mr.
f, hoppe Bewalls the Lack OF Audience.

,,oppe Bewalls the Lack or Audience.
A CORPS OF swamis surrounded by a
reinue OF large and reverent ladies'. num-
teress advocates and followers Of other
fancy religions whole group Of mar hists,
a fair sprinkling of Socialists and scores of
other people afflicted in various degrees
with isms. osophies and bugs. heard the
Progressive Stage Society present the
sanskrit drama "Sakuntala" at the Madison
So,,are Garden concert hall yesterday
afternoon.
The p. s. s. aims to elevate the
draml. They produce plays to elevate,
TO instruct. to enlighten, never, like the
sodden syndicate. to amuse. In this they
have scored great success.
'Sakuntala, as presented by Mr.. Ed
mund Russell, Is all culture and elevation.
It was written long time ago by an East
India, named Kalidas. 1t was mounted
yastei lay with many pretty costumes
and ects, of which Mr.. Russell, with his
four langes Of costume, his thumb rings
and elegant set OF turquoises, was by
far the orettiest. Mr. Russell impersonated
the lea ng male part.
The lay interpreted by various UNDER
gradua es and late graduates Of dramatic
schools assisted by Mr.. Russell and two
or thre real actors. was presented on
bare st We. At the rear ran a balcony
arrange Snt, and a potted palm repre-
sented t. \forest OF a terrestrial paradise
In which the first act Is supposed to take
place Real live East Indians from Mr..
Russell's retinue acted as ushers and
pedded programs.
Suddenly Mr.. Hoppe, the indefatigable
head and hustler Of the Progressive Stage
Society, cleft the atmosphere Of culture
and high purpose and introduced the play
In a monologue. Mr.. Hoppe announced
that the P. s. 8. aims to appeal to every
one, whether millionaires or bricklayers
In the native Indian d-r-rama, said Mr..
Hoppe, 'the stage manager talks to the
actors. They all asked me to say the
lines. SO I say 'em. Here comes the
leading lady
The leading lady appeared at !. the he bal bal
Mr.. Hoppe read q spiel from typewriter
paper, bowed himself Of to tremendous
applause, and the play was launched.
Enter Mr.. Russell as the Emperor Dushydntd,
IN q simply dear costume, and Nathan
Aronson as the kings charioteer. MIR.
Aronson wore gorgeous yellow costume
beneath whose skirts protruded the legs
OF the natural man.
.Sakuntala' Is an intensely poetic play.
and the Jones metrical translation,
used in yesterdays prof;dnctiosn sl,, KEGS
laughter OF nymph and king has been
adopted by the abbot Of a monastery in
terrestrial paradise. Dushvdnfd, En-
peror Of India. wanders into the paradise,
sees her. loves her, woos her through two
poetic scenes, and marries her at the mon
sstory With tho nndaTYfandin0 that abe
bto come to him at his capital.
But baneful goddess casts spell OF
forgetfuness over the Emperor. Months
later Sakuntala bids farewell to the mon
sstery to her jasmine vines, her fawns
and her companions, and goes to her hus-
hand. He has forgotten her and denies
her She reaches to her finger for the
kinsssgnet ring; 1t Is gone; she has dropped
It int pool where she stopped to drink.
Aheward a fisherman finds the kings
ring In fish and returns 1t to the palace.
Tears later the Emperor wanders again
into the terrestrial parad ise, He stands
Under the jasmine vine where he first saw
Sakuntdld. Two maids enter with young
hoy. to whom the Emperor Is strangely
drawn He speaks to the boy. who care
lessly drops bracelet from his arm. The
maids shrek as the King picks it up, and
explain that it is magic bracelet; that 1t
can be picked from the ground only by
parent OF the boy; in other hands, 1t turns
ing at this, Sdkuntald enters The spell is
broken, and husband and wife are reunited.
1t ia pure. dripping poetry. Miss Eda
Br,lna as Sdkuntqla made it appear so.
Likewise did Mr.. Russell-in spots. As
for the rest-well high purpose to elevate
the stage does not seem to d well In the
same person with clear enunciation. The
sodden syndicate pays too high for clear
enunciation. For the rest, the Indian
costumes the groupinRand the stage pio-
lures were perfect. There Is where MIR.
Russell shines
The ancient Sanskrt drama, Judged by
this specimen, comes nearer to the drama
Of our time than the Chinese, the Japanese,
or even the classic Greek The action vio-
lates the unities OF tune and place by skip
ping from locality to locality and from year
to year, and there is comic relief In the shape
Of bored courtier and scared fisherman
Any one could tell that it is ancient by one OF
the courtier's jokes.
Nothing to eat he says, "and Oh, I'm
60 thirsty-nothing to drink but water!'
In the internission before the fifth act
Mr. Hoppe made another speech.
Il don't like dis audience at all. said Mr.
Hoppe, -There amt enough Of it..
Mr.. Hoppe went on to ask how Mr.. Car
nege could expect to fill a 10000 900 en-
dowed theater IL people wouldn't pay
70 cents to see performance like MIR. Rus
sells
CROWDS AT CONEY ISLAND.