New-York tribune., 1907-09-24
THE DRAMA.
MORE IBSEN At THE BIJ0U.
Nine. Nazimova.

.s-rbe Master Builder" one Of the dreary fabrics
= .,a morbid Ibsen Muse which was displayed last
,c,. AZ the Bijou Theatre.-Ane. ALA NaZimova
snpearing in the freak character of Hilda That
a-,nosition is shallow psychological study, not
,lav ard psychological studies. whether shallow or
-ofo1nd ought be restricted to the library, not
xnosed upon the stage. The reader Of The Mas
,o- Rufider" If endowed with patience. might de-
- from the perusal Of it a certain soporifc edi
e,.+;o,: The spectator Of 1t is only conscious OF
,e,r wearied beyond endurance by the puTng
-s-rIe Of a group of nonentities and invalids. The
,-etbod Of the author. in that work, has been
,,zs,ad 10 that Of Hawthorne: but Hawthorne had
.,,a and in his Scarlet Letter and House Of
80 seven Gables. which his great representa-
.,-s pgorks-he revealed ina gination. and he pro-
.sea feeling, atmosphere incident. and interesting
ho-scter: moreover he did not write for the stage.
,,s ne explicitly stated that he did not consider
"a. writings suitable for dramatic Interpretation.
~ Tbsen's method IS more like that of Haw
,bo-ne than the flow Of sawdust out of a bunghole
e like the drift of stormcouds in autumn sky.
:, the Ibsen fabric Mr.. Solness a skilful and
.,,coessful architect, and likewise he eyre
nus egotist. He possessed the artistic temperament,
and as frequently has happened in such cases. there
was II him strong vein of sensuaty Il know you
have known good many women, in your time.
ssys his medical acquaintance. DR.. Herdal: ''oh'
yes. don't deny it, replies Mr.. solness. He was
married 10 good woman, whom he had ceased
10 love- who a patient sufferer and nervous
invalid, and with respect TO whom he cherished a
rernOrse1Gl feellnE.-1aGCyingN Nthat ne nau CaOSSN
her 10 be unhappy by wishing, or hypnoucaIiy
..wflling" that other women should love him. or
BY allowing either mis- artistic ambition or his de-
sire for personal aggraEdi4ennent 10 prevail over
his domestic affections and eNtinguish them Such
stare Of mind is vague and it cannot be clearly
designated Goodness knows" eNclaims Dr. Her
daI after listening to Mr. Solness's tale oT dis
ouietu6e. Il don't understand at all No wonder
The fact, apparently, that the popular archl-
tect was an ungratifed sensualist, corroded with
~ss,z,r SNrfrral
as TO be free from self-reproach ana Indifferent to
the ordainnent of rectitude. In actual life such
man would be.-as in this Ibsen talking-natch he
certainly is.-an unnitigated. insufferabie bore
Morhidly selfish egotisn1. forever brooding on us
sensations, presents about the sorriest spectacle
that human nature can show. There are persons
completely wrapped up in themselves that they
even believe that the divine Creator OF the uni
bestows personal attention upon all their pro-
oeedings. Only q little while ago, for example. a
clergyman. OF some local prominence, came into
print with the statement that he smokes tobacco
and leaves the question Of the propriety OF that
proceeding 10 God. There is no limit TO human
vanity Sheridan right when he named II one
of the passions. II Mr. Ibsen, in portraying Mr.
solness. intended 10 depict colossal repre-
sentative bore, he unquestionably has succeeded
IN his purpose: but it was not worth while
The story of the piece, in so far as there Is any
story. relates that Mr. Solness having completed
the building OF church tower. mounted 10 the Top
OF that structure and. amid festal decoration and
the acclaim Of joyous multitude placed horaa
wreath upon it--much delighting by that "steepie-
sack'' performance, precocious\ maiden named
HiiGa Wetgef, whom, subsequently, after he had
become vinously exhnarated at a banquet given in
his honor he fervently embraced, bending her head
backward and kissing her many times; that ten
years later when Miss Nangel had grown to ripe
wonanhood she sought and entered his abode and
Installed herself there, oGger-not much to the
satisfaction OF the observant but meek and sick
Mrs. Solness; that she routed Mr.. Solness's book
keeper, young woman named Kafa Fosi. who
was in love with hirn.-nourishing a passion which
he mesrnericauy encouraged but did practically
reciprocate,-and swept her from the house; that.
ultimately. after frequent conversations with Mr..
Goness concerning his domestic experience and his
discontent with everything (unless perhaps the
memory OF certain rapturous osculations), she
managed, by way Of showing her power him
and preparing the way for a final conquest TO COM
pei him 20 repeat his aerial exploit Of earlier days:
sro that. after crowniag the pinnacle Of habita-
ton which he had built for his own abode. Mr..
Solness became dizzy, lost his balance and fell
10 his death upon stone quarry-the exuberant
Miss wangel. meantime, wildly shouting. Il heard
hsrps il the air.
There is supposed to be occult meaning in all
this-whicl the reader is recommended deduce.
On the stage il has meaning whatever. The
persons implicated are, practically, uninelligible.
They wander in and out. but they DO nothing. They
utter many words. but they say nothing The
piece provides no opportunities acting. but only
Mr.. solness is continually in state Of fretful
easiness, exhibiting sometimes solicitude
times peevish discomfort. sometimes Querulous Ill
temper The auxiliar parts. associated with Mr.
solness and Miss wangel. mere feeders to their
colocuy. The presence Of Doctor Herdal, who has
nothing TO do with the theme, but only leaks in
ard OF the conversation at intervals is chiefly
suggestive Of regret that. being doctor and. pre-
eunably. acquainted with the salutary uses OF
colOcynth and calorcel. he does not employ those
remedies TO regulate the liver Of Mr. Soness and
put an end his egotistical loquacty. The actual
purpose Of Miss Wangel does not become apparent
Until toward the end Of the piece. and even then it
IS but vaguely indicated Her ultimate design ap-
pears be sensual. She seems TO intend to sub
due this ster-buder. this victorious and dis
raguished person, and TO enslave him The postu
late. in Ibsen's mind, appears to have been that
handsome. daring. buoyant. unscrupulous young
woman can. rule do anything that she phases
to do. with almost any whom she chooses 20
select tie victim OF her fascination There is
nothing particularly novel or striking in that an
nouncement History and biography abound with
examples conclusvely expressive Of fits truth. Plu-
tarch truly said that the soul Of lover lives In
one else's body: one OF the most expressive
ane pathetic touches in his splendid life of An
tony is the simple record that when that cheftain,
following Cleopetra's ignominious fight, abandoned
the battle and boarded her galley, he forward,
without seeing her. and in the PROV. silent.
covering his face with his hands: and remained
for three days Complete surrender and enslave-
ment TO woman, with the consciousness of the
weakness thus implied. strikingly revealed in
that ahlect figure Of desolation- II the Norwegian
bard desired TO glance at that posture of expert
ence and to declare tnat the finer the nature the
greater is its peril, he might have accomplished
lis object With much fewer words and in manner
fa- more direct and effective than he has used in
his Master Builder If he had such design
Le might wisely have concluded his Opaque deliv
ersnce with Don Quixotes summary exclamation,
Heaven knows my meaningi III say no more
he OF translafion.-Yuade Edmund