New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-24
THE DRAMA.
"M0NNA WANNA. -
Manhattan Theatre.

| shown for the first time in English in this city
at the Manhattan Theatre last night with Nine.
Bertha Kaioh a Yiddish actress from the East
Side who aspires TO honors the English speak
ing stage, in the title part. large audience wit
messed the representation, which was noteworthy
for picturesque and imaginative scenic investure.
for movements of vibrant If not always restrained
or subtle emotionalism, and for the opportunity 1t
afforded to make in some adequate measure the
acquaintance of a drama that has been hailed
throughout Europe and represents the latest and
quite different phase of Maurice Maeterlinck 5
creative energy. His earlier plays, in their curl
Gus reiteration Of phrase, were put the
shadows OF a mood. with the wrath OF
Poe as stage manager. Norma wanna writ
ten, as he frankly confessed to Mr. Huneker
for Nine Maeterlinck"-is a drama for the
practical theatre. placing the title character in
situations that out-Sardoudle Sardou In their de-
mands on the virtuosity Of actress ana relying
for success with the mob doubt solely on the
simplicity with which this is achieved the theat-
rical clarity of the appeal to elemental passions.
Nine. Kalich handicapped only slightly by for
egn accent. is actress capable OF Vlrtuoslty;
the low, strangng note of woe, the shout OF trl-
umph when with a lie Wanna claims Frlhzl7aIIe
for her own her husband thinks to wreak her
vengeance on him. the audience know to wreak
her love; the denotement of high nervous tension
the inspiration of that spinal thrill i'll the Dehouer
which comes when passions are clashing on tho
stage with the sembIaRce of reality-these Nine
hauCh mas at ner COI1IlduuI anu Io'oN AA7--- 49,
used them at times with fine effect
But '.Monna Wanna is something more than
series of theatrcay effective situations, something
that the author Of Fedora would be incapable Oh
creating perhaps of comprehending. On It's hter-
airy side is the picture 1t creates Of the olenoeo
blood and beauty of Italy during the rebirth OF
learning Old Marco, returning with his awful mes
sage that. to Pisa, Wanna must go alone uy
night. wrapped only in a cloak. to FrlnzlValle
tent tells first of a dsmembered statue he had
dug up in the Florentine camp. "One lhandl was
curved as slender fingers when they press
dainty breast" Father" says Guido, for
get not that people is dying of hunger; that there
are other things for them to think Of than dehcate
hands and q bronze torso" Marble, my son. 1t
was of MARBLE" says the old man. And ever ne
babbles Of Plato So too the race which had pro-
duced Dante and Perarch spinners OF subtle verse
which was fostering Da Vinci Of the Lady Lisa
ana soon to foster Benvenuto Celni (who cracked
heads and made wonderful broEzes as the mood took
hiIn), could not produce other than strong yet
subtle minds for NJ Maeterlinck to play with Old
Marco says Prinzivalle is a wise man" that has
his lone private madness" Man IL made in that
fashion" he adds. This madness IS his love for
Wanna, and it is surprise to find him setting the
price he does Pisas deverance. but at the
same time remaining a figure with undoubted
charm. Such madness a sign of the birth
throes Of the Renaissance Nor is there any sur
prise when Wanna heroically come to his tent in
spite of her husbands reputation Of her that she
Petrarch's passion for Laura turned TO something
finer in the face of her nobility.
It is rather the suddenness of Vannas change of
heart that has seemed to many the weak point OF
the play. Wanna knew Prinzivalle a boy-she
loved him with that early love that in Italy. If
anywhere IS not forgot. He has made me happy,
she says to PrinzivaIle Of her husband, las happy
may be that has renounced the dreams a
little wild that seem not made for life here be-
low" Eternal beating Of the wings of romance
against the bars of fate! The quest of Alastu and
the Scholar Gypsy! And she, a throbbing creature
of half-pagan Italy. found the dream in the
person of Prinzivale. found it only to renounce it
and go back to her lord with her lover dignifed
hostage and the savior of Pisa. The scene of her
conversion in the tent then. is far from being the
weak spot of the play; it is the most significant.
the most natural, the freest from theatrcalism.
Played properly it is void of any indelicacy; 1t is
surcharged with romantic feeling and the purity
of ennobled passion. 1t is in the finest sense dra-
matte. And here Nine Kaich lacked the subtlety
of method, the power of understanding and imag
nation. to give the it's true beauty and
Significance. Here her crudites of training her
monotonous insstence in the vibrant nerve. were
painfully apparent.
The scene is wrought of dialogue and shifting
moods called up by word picture, memory,
Only a strong and penetrating imagination
can fully vitalize it the stage. acting through
the medium of trained and refined art Neither
Nine. Kalich Henry Jewett was equal to
the task Here the actresses art went barefoot
we'll as she. MT. Jewett's art was far more indie
Gently exposed. His speech muffied and
rnonotonous. All the poetry of his lines, to say
nothing of the poetry of the character of Princi-
valli-for he was poet and lover and mailman and
hero-vanished if they were not Poetry melted
into the commonplace unnaturalness of the paste
board stage. The audience coughed fretfully- Mr..
Maeterlinck was 5000 miles away, in Paris per-
chance in Belgium. which is also figure of speechl
The third act combines the psychological subtle
ties of what has gone before with theatrical sur
prises piled one on the other, with elemental pas
sions aroused their highest pitch 1t is this act
Sardou could understand. and it in this act
that Nine Kalich above the promise of her
earlier work ard woke up the house. A simple.
proud statement of the truth of her purity to her
husband: gathering scOrn and inward disgust his
love proves unequal to the task of believing her. the
final 81 have liedI I have lied" shrieked to save
her lovers lfe her dssembled madness of rage for
revenge, that she may secure the key to his dun
geon; her exit to work her vengeance him as her
husband thinks, but in reality her exit from her
dream at last all these pile one on top of the
other calling for unfagging virtuosity in the
actress for abundance Of vitality, fexbility and
power Miss Kalich met the demands in a way
that leaves no doubt of her vitality, though much
of her fexibility. Here spineless, boodless
acting Here the ring of passion, the thrill OF
emotion But 1t crude, monochromated- The
mad climax of the play is logical if its ethics may
be questioned Miss hGlcn eECeu II Win tHe IOSl-
cal note the birth song Of the Pagan dream. That
final cry of JOY was her best work of the evening.
Frederick Perry played Marco with picturesque
ness and sincerity. Henry Kolker, as Guido, was
sincere enough but the part demanded more than
he could give It emotional force And. after all
the poetic drama is at mercy OF its interpreters
SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL" AND GOWNS.
Amelia Bingham Appears to Advantage in