The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-17
More About Mansfield's
Production of "Peer Gynt"

The event of the past week-the only
real event theatrically-was the Mans
field engag cement. And to most of us.
think the much heralded Peer Gynt'
was distinct disappointment, not TO
say a bore. Personally, l should have
been very sorry to have missed it. but it
tired me to the verge Of exhaustion. And
more than one usually enthusiastic sup
porter of 1.-THE higher forms of the
drayma" owned to having been caught
on the edge of nodding But L will
say that l liked it much better Tuesday
morning than 1 did Monday night.
Appreciation was all in the retrospect
Mr. Mansfeld's own mastery work grew
upon me. The splendidly developed
character remains a delightful memory,
and viii remain when the tedium Of the
performance is forgotten. And Miss
Dunn deserves almost as much praise
as Mr.. Mansfield. except for the fact,
OF course, that she had nothing like so
much TO do. Certainly what she had To
do she did at least as well. The little,
old. ugly mother" was quite as thor
oughly realized as the big Swapping son.
Within its scope, Ase was as impressive
y lifelike an impersonaiOn as Peer.
But. of course. the burden of the per-
Torrance falls upon Mansfield, and he
bears 1t nobly. He pervades ana dom
mates all the important scenes, and al
ways with his old masterful authority.
His Peer Gynt IS an impersonaton. a
series OF representations, in fact, which
strikes many notes, and each in turn
with astonishing firmness and ciearness.
The easy grace and confidence Of his
Peer. reckless In the insOlencc of youth.
is a thing TO wonder at. And its smooth
transition to the complacent odiousness
Of the middIe-ased man; and. finally. to
trembling. shriveled senility, are equally
10 be admired. Mansfields genius In the
study and portrayal of character has
never been better shown.
But, after all, the first duty of the
drama Is TO be dramatic-and Peer
Gynt' is rot. The Mansfield acting YER
sion-or. rather. the Mansfield acted YER
siou--has been cut from the thirty-slX
scenes in which Ihsen wrote it 10 twelve
scenes, making up five acts, but it is
still diffuse. loosely constructed. in
coherent at times. No one who has read
the lines-and they are fine. vigorous
lines. swelling sonorous verse. fun of
potent imagery-wil for moment ques-
ton that il Peer Gynt'' Ibsen hasI
made one OF the rarest of the contribu-
lions Of genius to literature. No one
who has seen the play will, / think
claim that IL is an important contribu-
ton 10 the drama.
But if one is TO accept 1t as drama
at all, why call e a comcdy-exccpt
from the cynical viewpoint that sneers
at all life a. comedy? 1t is an infinitely
sad tragedy OF the might have been.
Peer strikes the keynote Of his life
scheme when standing by his dying
mothers bedside. bantering and Caiol-
ing her. bidding her 10 the last TO put
away the realities Of life. he begs her
Forget what's awry and crooked.
And all that's sharp and sore.
His mother strikes it yet earlier in
the first sentence Of the play-"Peer.
you're lying Lying. he was from
FIRST TO last; deceiving himself even more
than any one else. Was there ever a
more perfect revelation Of character
than his despalring. peremptory bias
phemOus cry, III the fourth act TO his
conception Of God:
DO but hear me. OH Lord,
1t is l, Peer Gynti
Hear me; Let other folks business lie
i
time,
And again few minutes later when
his prayer has apparently been heard:
He takes a fatherly thought for my
personal veal:
Put economicaI-no, that he isn't
It is chidlike in it's sincerity. that
speech. and exquisite I'm its bIasphemy.
infinite in its unconscious selnshncss.
And yet even then the tragedy Of Peer
pcnanCe and his doom has begun
But one might go on for columns. dis
cussing Peer Gynt." and at the end
have reached no conclusion other than
the original one. that il is a literary
masterpiece rather than a great drama
During the past week I have had one
or two heartfelt appeals from frcnzicd
thcatcrgoers. who seem to think that
Il is within my power 10 reform the
theater-plays. audiences. management
the whole thing. one man asks mourn
fully. why does not the curtain go
up at the time advertised" And he
points out the indisputable fact that
while Mr. Mansfield. during the past
week advertised the performance to be
gin at 7:i5. il did not once begin before
o'clock. Mr.. Mansfield was wise in his
generation, however. He actually got
his audience seatCd-most of it, any
hOw-bcfore the curtain was rung up.
and WAS not in consequence seriously
disturbed by late Corners. The fact that
the audience will not assemble at the
time Observation-Disclosures that time
may be-is really a far more crying evil
than the failure OF the management TO
begin sharp on time.
Then. again. here is a letter which
is reprinted in full, in the hope that the
offenders may see it and mend their
manners:
To the Washington Times.
The press Of our city has done so
much to reform theater manners that l
desire to bring to notice an incident OF
which I was an eyewitness on Satur-
day. II interested me because l han
pened 10 know by sight and reputation
one of the persons concerned. and be-
cause il was a fragrant instance of con
duct which is TO put it mildly. not so
- l.. 4