Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-13

I
Gynt,' a drama by Henrik lbsen, In i've
acts and twelve scenes; translation by
William and Charles Archer; arranged
by Mr.. Mansfield. The cast;
Peer Gynt. ...........M Mr. Richard Mansfield
Ase, his mother. ...........M Miss Emma Dunn
AslalS the blacksmith. Mr.. Damon Lyon
MAIDS Moon, the bridegroom. ..::......
His Father. Edwin Caldwell
dls Mother...''...'... Miss sidney SoMein
bOlNelg. .............s...M MISS Adelalue NOWak
Helga, her sister. Miss DRY Dimond
liner tather...... ...Mr; James Il. Sah55It
Their Mother ............ Miss MyTa Broke
lngrid, the bride, his daughter; :.......
...................Mi Miss Adelaide Alexander
First Peasant Lad Mr.. Gordon Mendelssohn
.....................M Mr. Lawrence G. Tooie
Third Peasant Lad. ...... Mr. Louis Thomas
Fourth Peasant Lad. .....M Mr. Allan Fawcett
The Master CoOk.......Mr Frank Reynolds
First Peasant Girl.... Miss Evelyn LOOMS
Second Peasant .;;.......i;...iI.;
| Third Peasant Girl. Miss Isabel Howell
Fourth Peasant Girl. Miss Ruby Craven
! Fifth Peasant Girl. Miss Olive Temple
! First Elderly Mr.. J. Haley
Second Elderly Peasant. Mr.. David I. Arrel
An Elderly Woman. t;,,,
................. Miss Alice Parks warren
Another Elderly Woman. Miss Lettie Ford
Karl the cotters wife MISS - Gowe
Sotton M oTSnrgott
| Herr Won EberkOpf. ..,.,.... Mr.. Mendelssohn
Herr Trumpeterstrale''i : mt. 4&sh mus
Captain of the ship..............M Mr. Caldwell
The .....s.'..''..''.''..Mr, InoIi i
Inc OHiS
! The Sims Cook Mr.. MacDermott
/ The Cabin Roy......Mr. George Macdonald
Wedding Guests Peasants, Lads, Girls,
Dancing Girls, the Ships Crew and
Others
SUPERNATURAL BEINGS.
The Green Clad "om Mis- Gertrude cibeen
The King of the Dovre Trolls......:....
..".............Mr Henry Wenman
First Troll lmp.,.........';;..';M MI , IhomaS
Third Troll Imp...........,.M Mr.. Arthur Rowe
| The Ugly Brat........ Mr.. George Macdonald
The. Strange Passenger and Button ton.
Trolls, Imps and Others.
In preparing Peer Gynt" for the stage
Mr. Mansfield was confronted by task
the magnitude of which might easily have
daunted even more daring and persistent
spirit than his own. 1t has been for years
the opinion of the best of judges that
! Peer Gynt' was not to be acted. The
difficulties presented by the poem are not
merely physical. In addition to its great
length and the intimate relation Of its sew
eral phases, it presents an essence so sub
tie, 50 evanescent and yet so all-permeating
and important that without 1t the meaning
of the poem is in a great measure lost,
and yet to preserve which in an acting
version seemed far beyond possibility of
accomplishment. That Mr. Mansfield has
succeeded so well in embodyIng not only
the letter but the spirit of the poem is a
triumph far greater even than his excellent
impersonation of it's, principal character.
Architecture has been called frozen
music" but scenery is far from being
frozen sentiment" The environment of
Peer Gynt" is very essential to an under
standing Of the circumstances and motives
which make the play a sentient thing.
This fact presented one Of the greatest
problems offered for solution by the
adapter but, like the other, 1t was met
with an indomitable spirit and a determina-
ton to succeed. How well this essence is
preserved may be attested by those who
witnessed the scene in the mountains,
where the voice of the Great Boyg is heard
warning the unfortunate Peer; by the
, scene at the court Of the DOvre King
where the troils-those fantastic creations
OF the imaginative Northmen-were very
nearly realized, and so impressively pre-
scented as to give the most accurate infor-
nation Of what the great author had in
mind and, again, in the ship-wreck scene
where the Mysterious Passenger challenges
the returning Peer and forces him again
from his apparent charitable purposes into
the old selfish and inconsldeTate man whose
footsteps were leading him directly to the
Button Molder's ladle.
The production is scarcely less important
than the conception. It is the result Of one
great imagination seeking to realize the
thought of another Mr.. Mansfield has
made his scenery subjective and with II
supplements the idea conveyed by the
spoken word.
To the part of Peer he has brought thai
same careful, studious and artistic obser,
: walton which has marked his course since
he became prominent on the stage. The
thoroughres s with which he has assimilatct
the role in every detail and the exactitud,
with which he presents 1t, in even its mos
> minute and apparently insignificant as
pects, is but characteristic of the man
II is in a measure labor of love for Mr.
Mansfield, for 1t is inconceivable that Pee
should not appeal to him more strongl,
than any Of his recent creations. 1t is II
such distinct contrast TO the gloomy anC
depressing character OF Don Carlos, or tn,
sensual brutality and unreasoning tyranny
I Of Ivan. that comparison is impossible
] Both Ivan and Don Carlos were undertaken
. merely because they presented to MIR
: Mansfield the possibility for further ad
| vance and exposition OF his great art. Hi
. conception in each case was comprehen
sive and artistically effective, leaving al
undying impression Of each individual. an,
yet not single pleasant memory attache
TO either 1t is entirely different will
Peer Gynt. Not only is there here materia
for the artist, but there is also that incen
tive to the thinker in the lesson intended Il
be conveyed that moves him to a create
undertaking.
Mr.. Mansfield has approached Peer fl
this spirit In the earlier scenes as tn
thoughtless, idle, Dragging boy, who's
serious nature has not yet been touched
he gives a sympathetic note to the par
that is easily distinguished. Under the ap
parent carelessness Is discovered the deepe
nature which comes to light on his meet