New-York tribune., 1906-12-04
LONDON NOTES.
Shasr Puppets and MediG0al Pag-
edntS.
ea7tS.

talent for self-adCcrtiseTnent- These sufIce 10
keep a small theatre in continuous operation ana
70 impart factiIious importance 10 the produc-
lion OF a new play al the Court where Mr. Gran
Vile Barker and other accomplished actors are
Infatuated with the i3es that ne is the only in
reFectusl nlsvursgflt % the lime The Doctor 8
Dilemma - A tragedy in fos7r acts. is play ut
ferlv unlike anything that has ever been staged.
and consequently il must be accounted oTlgi-
nal and individual work. whether IL amuses.
bores or shocks the spectator. It is also filed
with what may ne roughly described as miscel-
laneous Shaw talk about diseases due 10 para
sites IL the blood the vagaries of the artistic
temperament and the supreme issues OF life,
faith and death. This method Of self-sdvertis-
ing Is the commercial motive for plays which
violate every dramatic convention and are as
surned 70 make direct appeal 10 an intellectual
audience by their phenomenal cleverness. In the
new tragedy there is neither coherent plot nor
interesting story. but the puppets are wound UP
talking machines for variegated Shaw, and
the clarter goes on until the patient listener
is irTitated and exhausted
The bulk OF the talk is medical jargon unre-
neved by wit or paradox light or shade In
Rernbrandt's Lesson OF Anatomy attention is
concentrated OF the living doctors in the pres
ence Of death In the lesson OF Shaw psychology
neither nfe nor death commands the eye. Every
body has his mouth wide open. There Is con-
fused rnurrnur Of voices IN a farcical demonstra-
non that while artist. although a disreputa-
bic knave. ought 70 be allowed TO live for the
sake of great work he must be killed off by
laundering doctors before his charming wife ia
disfllusioned When the doctor really RESPONSE
bic for her widowhood IS prepared TO claim her
hand as q reward for protecting her ideals, she
has married another man who is not even
named This is Mr.. shaw's way Of mocking the
Sbsru
the story IS not Of any consequence and that
they have their moneys worth in brilliant dis
Cussion. with the privilege OF being occasionally
shocked They have had for example. what IS oD-
viously designed 70 he a humorous death scene
This is when the knavish artist. whose life has
been considered inferior in value 70 that OF an
honest hardworking doctor afflicted with con-
sumption. is wheeled in an armchair TO the foot
lights. where he recites his supreme faith in
VeIasquez and Rembrandt and everlasting
beauty, prohibits his wife the decencies of
mourning and gasps out one rhapsody after an
other on art. while journalist in a bowler hat
takes copious notes OF the dying mans words
one is az loss 10 understand what order Of
Intelligence can consider this shocking scene
amusing.
There have been many strange figures in the
Deans Yard since the old Benedictine monks
not employed n their devotions or in feeding
beggars At the doors one Of the Deans worked
up a Jacobite plot IN q secret hiding place be-
hind the abbot's chimney. and another, with
scientific turn filed the deanery with fossils,
monkeys and snakes Canon Hartford. who died
this week at an advanced age. was as eccentric
the oldest among them He lived in a curios-
ity shop stocked with art treasures which he
had collected, eating his meals Al NapoleOn's
-r-G
boastng that his house had never been cleaned,
busted or set in order He had scholarly tastes
had travelled in many lands and had known In
1imajely DOre. Ruskin. the BrOw-nings, Wagner
and many musicians and painters. He bought
old masters and tried 10 restore them by what
NE considered an infallible process. but o-dina-
rily ended by running them. He reverenced rhs
memory Of Purcell and busted himself in com
posing in the grand style anthems which were
never heard outside his own library. He sur
vived Hu his closest friends. and as the IN
frmities Of age increased became quite uncou-
Danionable- Rheumatic g0ut in the face i'm
paired temper which could never have been
under steady control and the senior minor canon
o. The abbey was cur of from his old circle Of
acqualntances and left 10 rust out by himself
among his faded CImabues and antique music
scores In the old Benedicrine days the super
arnuated canon might have been walled I'D in
rhe little cIois-er as an anchorite 70 pray for
everybody in the abbey
The historical pageants are marching on. Old
Sherborne on the edge OF Dorset, set The style
and Warwick followed IL with splendid stage
management in an ideal open air theatre on the
castle grounds. Bury 81. Eduunds is arranging
similar fete for next summer. and loyal Win
chester is moving in the same direction. Even
sluggish oxford has taken fire and is 10 have a
series n historical masquerades 70 illustrate
NOT the lost causes of which IL is sometimes de-
scribed as the natural home but the glorious
cycle Of memorable events. from the founding
II ST Frideswide's uunnery 10 the visit Of the
Allied Sovereigns. The money required has been
subscribed, 2 corps n professors Of history an
cient and modern, has been surveying the
ground antiquaries are supplying details Of
costume and armor; and II me right stage man
ager ana drin master can be found. the pag-
esuts viii be a brilliant novelty during Com
nemoration Week next year. The oJdrirn.
tovn- gown riots viii not be re-enacred. IA
vorable though they might be for athletic dis
play by the football teams. but the warriors OF
King Alfred can he narshalled in brave arrav
and the battles Of the Civil War when the col
leges consecrated their plste 70 the Kings
fortunes can be fought anew
Old Chester is also striving 70 provide 2
unique entertainment IN The early summer This
IS the revival Of the mystery plays. which were
enacted periodically from the fourteenth 10 The
sixteenth century and strongly coIored the re
ligious life Of the town. The English Drama So
ciety has offered 10 produce them reverently
with medieval costumes and primitive stag
ing at Nhlsuntide. but there has been a di-
vision Of opinion in the cathedral cban-Ar ,be
bishop and the archdeacon favoring and +ba
dean violently opposing the project A trial
al ~ or Ts~ae