The Washington herald., 1906-11-16
THE SUNKEN BELL. .
Mr.. sofhern and Miss MarIowe Give
a CharnImg Performnace of PLAY.


Last night. at tire BeIasco Theater. Mr.
Sothern and asiss Marlowe changed their
/ bill. presenting the second play IL their
+ present repertoire Charles Henry Melt
zer's The Sunken Bel" translated by
him from Gerhart Hauptmann's Der
Versunkene Gi0cke" This version is the
same as used b. Mr. Sothern in the sea-
son of 1893. which created az the time
widespread interest. 1t Is q cause for re-
gree that last nights performance was
the only une of this unique and inspired
( masterpiece "The Sunken Bell takes
/ the spectator into a realm Of mysticism
/ and superstiuous fancy. peopled with
/ fairies, sprites. evil and good spirits
spikes elfs, and all that fanciful horde
which the imagination creates.
! Heinrich. the master bell founder, as
piIes TO the creation Of such q noble
work-such a great and perfect bell, IS
snaH ring out the doctrine Of independ-
ence Of thought from The heights of life.
/ Tire powers Of earth. jealous Of his mighty
aspirations. wreck them. and sink the
bell In the depths Of The lake. Given up
for dead. amid the ruin OF hls life-worl.
he is rescued and rehabilitated by Rau-
tendelein, fairy being, who opens his
eyes and causes him 10 break away from
convention and to sacrifice home. fam
IL, honor. all fer the pursuit OF his ideal
stiIi the creation OF his master bell. But.
yielding to the contemplation and enjoy
ment Of mis- dreams Of power. his cunning
caves him. he fails utterly. and overcome
with remorse, he dies. with the sound OF
the sunken bell, tolled by the hand Of his
dead wife, ringing in his ears
The role OF Heinrich must be regarded
BY the admirers Of Mr. Sothern rs worthy
Of a high place-if not the very highest
IN the gallery Of Characterization em-
bcdied by him. He gives an impressive
and tragic picture Of this symbol CT NOR
tai,ty. struggling ever upward 20 the sun;
this weak. yet determined plaything OF
bis own ideals. His scholarly reading Of
Mr Meltzer's exquisite and stately verse at
once places him in the front rank of intel
!ectual actors. u was as Heinrich that
he first laid siege 70 recognition in serious
roles, and ne followed his success in this
direction by his Hamlet and other great
characterize tons
Miss Marlowe who last night played
Rautendelein here Ior the first time.
gave 10 1t a touch more OF material en-
chantment than might be expected OF a
being not Of the earth. To is a difficult and
trying part. and Miss MarlOwe's grace
and classic beauty more than atoned for
the lack Of that mist OF intangibility with
which Rautendelein is-suppcsed tc be en-
velCped.
Much could be written OF the capable
manner IN which the company in support
0f NJ. SOtherH and Miss MaTiowe. &C
quilted themselves in their various parts.
Dir. Eric as the wood-sprite. 50 syr-lke
creature typifyiug the gross and material
things in nature. and Rowland Blackstone.
as the Nickelman. The spirit of doubt
were among the best Mr Buckstone-s
makeup was "a wonder or The cOstumer's
art. The production was Il magnificent
one carrying out i1 every way the ex-
traordinary possibilities OF the play. both
I'm mechanical and spectacular effects.
The Incidental music. composed expressly
for The SuDkeI Bel" by Aime La
chaume. was a notable feature of the
production.
Tonight AIR SOtheTn and Miss Marlowe
viii present IN Washington for the first
time Sudermann's great play, John the
Baptist"