The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
an IL Norway's grand old man.

"lbsen Ia Norway's grand old man.
Nine. Sissak Bardizbanian, n Swedish
actress, made this declaration in an account
I of Ibsen's home life which she gave recently
before the Progressive Stage Society, The
actress told "A great deal about that ooun-
! try's grand cid man in talk with Sun
reporter Inter
Far from there being any anita gonism
to lbsen by reason Of his attacks on the
established order of things she said,
'he IL tho pride OF all Norway, and
the younger artists. actors and writer's all
adore him In Christania we have one OF
the few theatres in the word in which
plays OF the most advanced thought and
the highest literary merit are financially
successful. The Deutsches Theater in Ber-
lin ia something like it,
st il the National Theatre, supported
by the state, The son OF Bjornson. Bjorn
Biornson, il the manager. and has com
plete control of all productions, lbsen's
plays are produced constantly, and for
years past his new plays have como out
there before they have appeared anywhere
else. Last winter they had very inter
esting revival Of The Emperor and the
Galilean.' which had not been produced
before for IA generation.
They play The Master Builder most
frequently of all. because they have
there a very great actress, whose leading
role Is HiIdd. Her name is Johanne Dyb-
wad, and il she only played in other Ian
guages she would be recognized for what
she is one OF the greatest living actresses.
a Dolls House is also played frequently.
"The antagonism to Ibsen all died out
years ago. My generation has known
nothing of it. But very few people OF this
generation know Ibsen personally. He
Is now very old, but his dislike for meet
ing people has more to do with his seclu
sion than his age In addition. to meet
lbsen, one must. get by Nine. Ibsen. She
is a typical old Scandinavian housewife,
and she is Ibsen's Watchdog. deyoting
her life TO protecting him from the inva-
sions of the multitude. Only II you can
get past Nine. lbsen do you stand pretty
good chance to see lbsen.
Young actresses anxious to get start
on the stage all want 10 play something
OF lbsen's before him. Often he will not
see them, but on several occasions when
he has been pleased with the interpreta-
ton of young asprants, he has placed them
mos, advantageously by his recommended
ton.
Every day as regularly az clookwork
Ibsen goes down to the Grand Hotel and
takes one particular seat in the cafe TO read
his paper over his beer That corner il
kept sacred for him The hotel people will
not allow any one else to sit in that seat
1t il worth a good deal TO them, for all the
tourists in Chrstiania collect there to see
him and most Of them put up at the Grand
Hotel because they know it is Ibsen's haunt
Sometimes he will allow some of them 20 be
introduced to him. and Americans have
the TaDutatiOn of eating mast tha ha rriar
most easily.
"Ibsen has one little son-oh yes a man.
but so little. Being Ibsen's son, Of course
he has done all those things no should not
have done, like ministers sons. He married
a rich mans daughter and went into politics
and now is the Norwegian Minister at
Stockholm That's funny, isn't it, when
lbsen has always hated the politicians so?
don't think man like Ibsen ought to ha We
any children; especially not any sons, for