Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-04


taking N the way Of a drama
80 This seas N he has selected Peer
GYM, the hitherto unactsd, in EnEi sh'
work Of Henrik Tbseh Per thirty years
this drama II mystic symbolism has walked
the coming Of a rnan Of sumoient courage
and patience, with the genius % bis art to
support him In hiS undertaking. to give
"a the world that speaks and unders tands
English alone Mr.. Mansfield played Peer
GJht' for the first NINE before an audi
e3cs at the Grand theatsr In Chioaso en
last Monday nlsht. The event was enc Of
inferno tional Importance. for the spectacu-
lar comedy has on It's dramatic and toetio
NSide been the delight. and on its sosuic and
mecblRaoi side the despair Of the European
theater. This was the first time Ibsen's
comedy has even been Gtven IN d 'ish and
It was accomplished n a trilinaphant man.
ner by Mr. Mansfield. whs hAs IN his meta
BILE and ambitious career given the stage
nothing more splendid to the eye OF al
verting to the Imagination, Though the pan
oramic beauties Of "Cyrans de Bergerao''
and King Henry W. prepared the way.
There were fourteen massive sets Of seen
cry ana the sunrise END SUNSET and moon.
light effects on she Norwegian meuntaina
the warmth Of palm groves on the Med'tsr-
ranean. an oasis In the desert. a Norwegian
wedding festival fairyland scenes q fan
tastic charm aad the submerging IN q
storm at sea Of a wrecked vessel occupy
Ing the entire stage. were the notable pio-
torial triumphs 81 the production. The
human nSte is continually conspicuous in
Peer Gynt." ThsTe n a ring OF Eood sheer
almost frsm end 70 eaa interludes q fam
tastic sentimental slotesgue and Super-
natural touches which Justify the dehnitien
OF Peer Gynt' as the comedy Of human
life"
Mansfield has never before had a role OF
such comprehensive variety. Peer Gynt Is
noe hero but he Is a most IovabIs and
amusing sinner. q cousin in kind to eur old
friend. Rip Van Winlkla whose blbuIou=
\ failings he shared Fer three acts Mans
feld was the idle, dreaming, boaSting
drinking, delightful neer-do-weI peasant
youth In the fourth act he has become the
matured man Of the weird. cosmopolitan
cynical ant witty In thu last act he is
the aged home wsnderer who has heard the
iall Of the love Of his youth and returns
20 her arms TO realize the FIRST real perms-
nent joy Of his life Peer Gynt" is d.
version. poettcal and at times fairy story
put there 10 philosophical background and
<the writing on the wall reads the resurreO-
ton or the human sSul IN pure love. There
Rwere nearly 200 peopls on the stage and
notably delightful performances were Given
by dozen Of Mr.. Mansdeld's leading art
lists. The wedding dance, the Treu-irnp
dance and Anitra's dance with her attend
ants and three songs. were all beautifully
given. concert orchestra played tho cell
sbrated Greig music.
How we'll Mr. Mansfield succeeded in his
undertaking may be learned from the ex-
pressions Of the critics in Chicago Mr.
James o'Donneil Bennett of the Record
Herald. in the course Of 6 scholarly and
altogether enjoyable review of the play
l-Sraa it's presentation, says;
Ibaen's Peer Gynt" received its FIRST
REPRESENTATION p ads In the English language at
hands Of Richard Mansfield, and the huge
unIq1ertaak9ing-a task for a Titan scent
Interpret a piece Of literature-was aus
pietously brought to pass The difiouit
stage, was made intslligibie and ELOQUENT;
long and splendid series of pictures
Egdaclous In conception and regal In the
spealxing actor has dared to attempt for
JUS thirty years-for 1t was thirty years
ago that Ibsen himself decided that SPeer
y! mt was possible as an acting play
was proved both feasible and profitable,
end MI. Mansfield added to his reptOrtory
hgure OF enormous power and Interest
bew1dering in its many aspects, poignant
inspirting in its Stimulus to the mind
soienn and awful in its message to the
SoHI o. Pas gro T2n striSying humanity.
tery OF the art OF acting and his powers
on poetic Interpretation in a manner so
brilliant and profound that last night lie
may be said TO have begun a new chapter
) IN hls already momentous career Ths
mere catulogue OF the exterior adornments
4 ne UlnRS over this rDla fe hau
| tie frohcs; he presents a frozen epitoms
or The terrors OF eredulous and ignorant
horrible; he voices the cry Of love and
yeaTning. grief and despair and the glib,
teiSsm ne Is S,s4ant cUmi tS ma
the Joy of living he shakes with the palsy
OF broken age; he is BY turns easy, non.
creature; he dances: he sings; he speaks
Sermani he speaks French; he jokes and
he covers; he Is poet and promoter; he
"Everyman" to "Faust"-witR 3 dash a.
lDRern9rd shaw-snd he animStes a figure
eontempoFaneous as Dewie.
Mr. William L. Hubbard. in the ChicAFo
Tribune. approaches the task In a more
critical mood and without oaEping or seem
inE oaptious points out some Jaws in the
dra-ha and it's presentation on the whole
he gives his need VI praise and says:
Richard Mansfield has done much with
Ibsens Peer Gynt." In fact he mas dons
AL that Il is believed possible FOR anVSns
to do. He has shown the hrst half 81 In TO
be one OF the most attractive OF stage en-
tertainments-not play. perhaps, Ia the
close meaning Of the term but a theaprfesi
entertainment DELIGHTFULLY."- amusing, oiled
Win humor and touched with sentiment
ana most appealingly human.
he mas shown also what every reader OF
the work believed and feared-that the lat
ter half Is distinctly inferior to the arst
SO Iar as stage availability and theat a.
values are concerned Not that this latter
half Is uninteresting but II lmpresses as
slow after the bright, outdoor rush of thu
earlier part and no am0unt OF fne STAGING
and excellent acting can hide the fact thaf
u Is dramatic poem and not q Blay Like
the second part Of Qoeths's "FSusf - IN n
the pset and philosopher, not the dramatizf
claimed his rights. and tile result is a
poem IN drama form, which % philosouhfo
not dramatic, and which. although deITrl1t-
fn 90 read, Is unavoidably clumsy when
the attempt Is made TO enact III
= 81 need not be taken from tbess STATE
Z lnents that Peer Gynt" as given ~ ~
Mansfield Is failure. Far ffsm n II IL
one OF the mos, beautiful and most COR,
plete productions he ever has o6eTed snd
he has placed many splendid Achieves n, : N y
20 his credit along this line of ms ART AnS
rs FAR as his perform tnce RersonailV' IL 90
cerned there Is no role Ia his entire Ters.
tory In which he Is seen 10 better a 49,,
tage than In that OF this fancy burSsSalS
ne'erdoWeel Of the north ne vo,,sh ~
efn nd al ssAAAAA VI