Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-23

- not appeal 20 the people who
D., ...r money TO see plays. the managers
would soon change them for something
else. But the romantic has always had
q strong hold on the popular mind. Ever
since tales were formulated for the edifica-
ton or amusement Of mankind. the won
derful has held topmost sway. Truthful
accounts Of actual happenings nave their
proper place In literature, but when II
comes to popularity that which didn't hap
pen has a distinct advantage, over that
>-wbich ala. while that which couldn't pos
H1ly happen overtops both. Dumas knew
this well as anyone, and he exploited
the fact with great thoroughness, nowhere
more than in Monte Crists." The great
popularity Of the story is easily accounted
for. and is shared by the play in which Mr.
oNeill has been acting so long that he
would like to get hold of something else
in which the public would fancy him. He
Is duplicating the experience Of Joseph
Jefferson and others OF the older genera
ton He has become thoroughly identi-
fed with popular character. and can not
get away from II. To announce his fare
well appearance is a trihe risky. no matter
how sincere his intention. Unless Mr.
'o'Neiil intends to retire permanently from
the stage and in event that he retains
his health, & is quite likely he will again
be seen as Edmond Dantes.
.
One notable exception to this rule Of con-
solidatns the actor and the play 10 that
Of Mr.. Richard Mansfield. This man,
who is pre-eminent In the world Of the the
alter, has just announced his intention of
adding still another play to his repertory,
and viii produce In Chicago about October
81 Peer Gynt," the Ibsen drama that has
been said to equal Hamlet" Mr. Mans
fields announced intention to retire from
the stage at the end OF a three-year period.
beginning with his season soon to open,
has not led him into habits of Incidence,
apparently, for he rs planning on at least
one new creation each season. and expects
TO keep alive his extensive repertory by
revivals each season. Peer Gynt" has
been acted occasionally in Chrietiana and
Copenhagen, and In 1895 Lugne-Poe pre-
scented 1t in Paris at the Theater de
roeuvre, but Mr.. Mansfield is the first
artist to give It permanent position In
repertoire and present II for the delec-
tation Of the general public as distinguished
from the picked audience which usually
greets special performance. Bernard
Shaw crossed the channel to see Peer
Gynt" in Paris and the opening paragraph
Of the paen which he wrote for the Satur-
day Review is q volume on the position Of
this play In relation to Ibsen's other work
and to our fsmirar-sii-world dramas:
Peer 0ynt" win finally, smash anti-Ib-
ssnism IN nnrdge, because Peer e every
the imagination that Hamlet, Faust, and
Mozart's Don Juan have haA. Thousands
o ssn VIII Tho rs S sssn
hngain; ana millions viii be conscious of
him as part Of the poetic currency Of the
witches in Macbeth" the ghost in HAM
let" the statue in Don Juan" and Meph-
'tweDsieth century y' than ne Boys the But
ton moulder and the strange passenger.
II is of no use to argue about II; no one
escape S the spell Il he once opens the book.
or---as can new affirm from experience-
he once sse: the s9 9sd Pns sS.
most CONSCIENTIOUS anti-Ibsenite you can
find, and let him enlarge to his hearts
WHAT as ss q He VEN
ssiTIsStsss peer a a'Sns %s:, ss Ss5s out :,
lose to deny that Peer Gynt" Is not one
r Sa Swo Of IL nina
DO net want TO know whethsr Peer Gynt'
is riaht or wrSpps good o or n$d art; ,r 1ns
tt-whether you ever had the same sensa-
ton before in reading a dramatic poem
saton except s from the Work Of men whose
greatness is now beyond question.
Once more the critic and his function II
under debate. This time the dispute arises
in London, where one manager has decided
that he will not furnish any press passei
until after the first week Of the run Of .
new play. He contends that 1t is due Il
the play and the company that an oppor
tunity be given to get matters to running
smoothly before inviting inspection that Il
likely not 20 be too friendly. Up to dat
this manager Is alone In his crusade, btu
tho London press stands with remarkably
frmness on the proposition that the man
aEer may take his theater, his compan!
and his play, and so to Jericho or sucl
other seaport as he may elect. For tn
present he will be allowed to Jog aloni
without publicity other than that obtaine'
through the advertising columns. new
complication arises in the protest OF tn
author, who would like to have his pla,
reviewed, and of the star. who 10 MAXIM
her first dip into the stellar space. an
would like to have the fact ohronicled, wit
such comment as the writer's might like +
indulge In. This latter phase 10 the on
that adds real interest to the AFFAIR.
the past the manager alone has been con
sidered and he solely from the box ONO
point. Now Il is beginning TO be mad
plain that the author has not extinguishe
his interest In his play when he dispose
OF the manuscript. and that certain maj
ketable value attaches TO the name tina
may come from a success So also tn
star whose interest Is Identical with tn
authors, ana In a sense both OF these wit
the manager. And the reputation can onl
be made by gaining publicity; publicity ca
only be had through the newspapers. an
the newspapers can only be used when tn
critic is employed The London way
much better than the Metcalfe way.
the critics viii only stand together and re
gard an injury to one an injury to all
they win easily carry the day, for tn
theater could no more exist without pub
licity than could base ball.
"a New YORK people were disappointed G
the promised opening of the New Asto
theater IN Monday evening. where Ami
Russell was TO have played Puck In ".
Midsummer Nights Dream" Some deta
considered essential by the New York al
thorities had been omitted. and
the advertised performance was forbiddsi
The theater was nilsd. and the audienS
waited IN patience while Messrs- Wager