New-York tribune., 1907-02-26
THE DRAMA
RICHARD MANSFIELD AS PEER GYNT
New Amsterdam Theatre.

rbeatre to its extreme limits made his re-entrance
IN the capital last night, acting the chief part in
huge dense. mysterious coloquy. by the late
Mr Ibsen. entitled Peer Gynt." The presence OF
This admirable reGreshes the anguid interest
of the dramatic season and Teinforces public sym
nathy with theatrical pro eedings; but the effect
OF this remarkable Ibsen product is that of general
nystihcatiOn. in part melancholy and in part comic
II IS possible that the crazy. formless fabric of
Peer Gynt' possesses some valuable meaning and
x y. ssible that Mr.. Mansfield comprehends It:
on JFe other hand, it IS certain that its meaning
does not lie upon the surface. and that the actor
Il possessed Of its secret. does not reveal st.
Viewed work of executive art, Mr.. Mansflelds
representation of the preposterous vagabond whom
he calls Peer> Gynt Is found to possess the attr-
butes Of consistency, sustained energy. and abun-
dant artificial emotion: 1t IS iEpersonation
because of what Mr.. Mansfield puts into the char
acter, not because of anything he finds in n that
amply exhibits alike The resources of the actor and
his expert facility I'm the use Of them but viewed
either as an image of anything natural among
mankind or as the presentment OF a valuable
conception Of anything ideal in poetic imag-
ination. 1t Is always grotesque and often
absurd eccentric!ty. The actors revelation OF
hinself-his moods, his vaEaries his unconvention-
atty his egotism. his cyncism. his gentleness. his
beneyolonce, his capricious sympathy with extreme
views and mental delusons combined with his
common sense and his wide knowledge of human
nature-ls exceedingly interesting: but the subject
that he has undertaken TO illustrate IS about
suitable for treatment IN dramatic form the
BinomiaI Theorem would be. the DreTential
Calculus, Bakers Gail. Fearne On Contingent
Re.nairders. Peer Gynt' may please the seekers
after freaks, whim-whams. and nOvations Were
I IN England now" says Trnculo; and had but
this fish painted, not holiday fool there but
would give a piece Of silver When they viii
not give a doit relieve lame beggar, they VIII
iay ont TO q dead Indian Judgment and
taste in dramatic literature and art, on the other
hand, VIII only be Tearied by IT,
Enthusiasts Of the writings Of the Norwegian
pundit have kindly intimated that Peer Gynt'
IS not a Play but a Dramatic Poem; that ii IS not
intended picture Of actual life. but as an al
Iegory: that il IS. first satire the provincial
character of the people Of Norway. and, secondly.
= hoInily on the paltry, contemplate httleness OF
human nature and the egregious folly OF individual
ogolisrn: that Gynt is an Emblem Of Concrete
Man considered a thing that never was worthy
If having been made saved; and, accordingly,
that everything is nothing and all Is gas and
CATERS" That view Of the subject being accepted,
The fabric is found appertaln to the sgHrbolcGt
order Of fiction (such The Pilgrims Progress"
or The Tale Of a Tub TO both Of which II is
-astlv Inferior. form that IS useful enough in
literature, but that IS foreign 10 al the SEN
FibIe purposes Of the stage Upon the arid, mis-
anthrouicaI impairment !tself,-the freight that
is contained in the allegory.-it would be idle TO
waste p rassinS thought Cor Il does not even
possess the slender value OF being fresh Goethe
created his Aephistophees in order 10 voice l. tand
70 show its falsehoodJ, Ions before NJ l5sfn
emerged: Shakespeare caused IRE haunted da-
suairinE brain Of Hamlet - formulate and ute:
g. in one sentence. long Hefore Goethe was born;
and Lucretius IN the desolate grandeur o his
wonderful verse. said it, with Incompatible CO.
tencv. ages before them all. There Is, PROBABLY,
10 thinking Tnau.-uo man really capaoie ot TIE
laborious process of thought,-to whom. q, sorne
time Of profound selfdisgIst. It has not occurred
tnat I'm enc colossal. interninabie, inCo.coivable
sum Of things n the Universa. -, Unit, &c
infinitely petty and uninportant object, and that
f{le 1otner he makes about MS personality his sal
7atoa ard his immortal existence Is. 70 the last
degree. ridiculous No person. however, whether
thoughtful needless. has ever yet found com
fort OF hcln i'm an arraiEament of creation or an
Indictment Of human nature; and the author who
would make The condition Of despair authentic and
tie habit Of surrender customary must possess a
genius and = control II the literary art that are
nothing short of magical. 40 such genius Or con-
troll Is perCertIbIa IN any # the writings OF the
g71lesv dissatisfied Nr Ibsen: least Of al in his
chaotic. crotchettv. visionary Peer GYM. It
was wisely said by shat ane thinker and delicate
roet Henry Taylor in his thoughtful nret2ce 70
..Fr5-iD Van ArreveIGc >. that the ZuoTleoge OF
human nature which IS exclusive Of what Is good
in il IS L. say the least. shallow and imperfect
IS that which IS exclusive ot what IS eVit; tlere
is no such thing as philosophical mtsantnropy.
I gcr the Symbolism Of this production there IS
10 need To IiuEer. The local public, doubtless. WlIi
10 edited with much illustrative de-iverance on
that theme, within the next three weeks'-duflhg
which time the piece Will be continuously current
Meanwhile the plays the thng'-or II ought 70
be. and il is Is n play that Peer Gyut' has been
presented. Mr. Mansfield having cut and carved it
80 Is 20 make Il seryIceable for fine scenic pag-
eantrv. and. To some extent practicable as a
vehicle Tor dra matte action. Gynt as inperson-
aral .v Mr. Mansfield IS first. dissolute youth.
and al .ast "a wretched CID man In the interval
between youth and age. Le acts fl a selfish, fool
ier. vicious. reckless. weak. and wicked manner.
IaduIg.nE A-s mental caplices and physical appe-
ties without restraint. and passing through much
experience Of K pleasant; some Of II pain
fuI. some II it, shown; some Of it only mentioned.
in tho beginning he is merry lOafer and d men
6acious hraggart not however, destitute of at
fractiye Qualities among which are nimble fancy
fzuu-lke sympathy with nature, and great
strength His first characteristic action Is 10 place
his ioqEacious mother Case. upon the top Of her
w9od-sacd, and leave her there, because she has
f-0lGed him for missing a chance Of getting mar
sied 70 rich farmer Haegstad's pretty daughter,
I1sr6- His next conspicuous proceeding is TO in
1rlde upon q wedding festival at Haegstad's abode
where ire!.d Is about be forced into marriage
with another peasant. and TO carry off the bride TO
IN inaccessible retreat in the ncighbOring hills.
le Then repudiates Iugrld,-haVing apparently.
meanwhile, iU her case, pursued the system OF
"frcrous UOteUiality prescribed by the ilustTious
Professor Moody. in his celebrated wade necum
q love" called The Great Divide. and piunges
into wild course Of debauchery with a Green
hench- the daughter OF Tro-l-Kiug, with whom
and her tribe. Tor a while. be inhabts a mountain
cavern Soon he wcarics Of that association and
irires 70 get expelled from it: but he finds himself
AanDered and impeded by Invisible something,
circuIlaIlblent. UeIyasivc and smy, that calls
itself The Great BOyg. .'-supposedy a Troll
~ sturendous dimensions: theoretically a Symbol.
lie escapes, however, presently ne encounters
girl named Solvelg whom he had seen. and
fanciod, al the Haegstad festival. and who proves
% be ID love with him. lie builds a hut in the
woods, ana determines to dwell In II, with that