The daily sentinel., 1905-04-26
TheSinSOfthe Father

/ 1.-The sins of the father are visited
upon the children This terrible
fact was given a clear and realistic
demonstration last night at the Park
opera house in the performance of
Henrik Ibsens powerful problem
play. Ghosts"
The play last night was entirely
different from anything the patrons
of the opera house had enjoyed in
several years. The audience was
large one and seemed to be appre
ciative of the high class, deep drama
and the superb acting.
Ghosts" is a great moral drama.
Like all of Ibsen's works, it is
gloomy. morbid and almost terrible
in its makeup The lesson taught in
the play is fearful one. and those
who witness the performance will
find in ii food for thought Tor many
days. 1t delves deep in the myster-
les of life. The truth is plainly told,
but in such a polished way that no
one could be offended. There is no.
thing rough nor offensive, though
some might so interpret it. Immor
ality is dealt with to teach great
moral lesson. The play itself is not
immoral.
A father has led a dissolute and
wholly immoral life. His wife finds
him out. For the sake of the child
that has come into the home she has
covered up his sins and let the world
believe that Capt. Alving is a good
man. No one shares her secret. AL
wing is the father of a child born to
waiting maid in the home. All this
Mrs. Alving knows and carries in her
heart. Early in life AIving dies.
wrecked body and soul by his excess
es. The mother has sent Oswald, the
son. from home to keep him from
his father. The play opens with Os-
wald's return home.
The mothers whole life is wrapped
up in the son. She tells the story of
her wrongs and of the sins of the fa-
ther to Parson Manders, the old
friend of herself and husband. Os-
wald meets Regina, the illegitimate
| child of her husband, who is en-
ployed as maid. Knowing not the
terrible secret he became infatuated
with her. Like shock from the
heavens. Mrs. Alving finds that the
boy has the traits of the father
Always the terrible ghosts of the
past haunt the heart of the broken
woman. In the second act Oswald
reveals to his mother the fact that
he has received the most horrible and
loathsome heritage that a dissolute
and immoral father can leave to his
child. The physicians have given
him no hope and he lives in ter
rible dread of coming idiocy. The
son declares his intention of marry
| ing Regina. and then the mother
reveals the truth to the young peo-
pie. Regina leaves to live life of
shame
In the last act, in a great scene.
Oswald exacts promise from his
mother to administer to him a poi
son he has prepared whenever the
horror comes. The curtain falls on
the scene where the son is NUT
tering idiot and the mother is pre-
pairing to administer the poison.
Miss Laura Frankenfield is wom-
an of the greatest dramatic ability
The character of Mrs. Alving is
very difficult one. and better por-
trayal of the character than that
given by Miss Frankenfield could
hardly be given. She is entitled to
rank among the leading emotional
actresses of the day. She simply
lived and breathed the part of the
wronged and broken-hearted mother
Paul Terhune takes the role of os-
wald. This, too, is a difficult char
acter, but the young actor is perfect
in the portrayal. He was equal to
every one of the great climaxes of the
story. He easily won the admira-
tion of the audience.
Edward Babille was splendid as
Parson Manders. In the heavy dia-
logues he proved himself high class
actor
Florence Gay. as Regina, was very
satisfactory. and Charles Gay gave
a correct portrayal of Engstrand, the
carpenter.
Perhaps the greatest scene in the
play was in the second act where. in
the dimly lighted parlor. the son tells
his mother of his blighted life; al
though the last act was almost its
equal in strength.
The company presenting this re-
marlSable drama from the pen of the
great Scandinavian dramatist is thor
1 oughly capable, and the attraction
last night, while it may not have met
with general approval (heavy dramas
of this character rarely ever do.
was nevertheless one of the best
things seen on the local stage this
season.
The next attraction at the opera