New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-22
THE DRAMA.
a TRAGEDY AT THE LYRIC.
aSannho and Phaon."

,s,, in blank verse. called "Sappho and
,.on " written by Percy Mackaye. son Of the
- remembered actor and manager James Steele
We" was produced last night at the Lyric
@-t-. and Nine Bertha Kalich appeared in it,
g. heroine Mr.. Nackaye has not been either
,.io,,s or tasteful in either his choice of sub
- his treatment of it. The story of Sappho
F...t of a diseased wanton and infamous degen-
ts who lived in the island Of Lesbos about
,o,trrfes before the Christian era, and who
"a n have possessed an extraordinary genius
p tba expression Of erotomania in verse. The
.porities Of antiquity designate her "tribas'
"a several OF them descant on her proceedings
language that cannot be quoted. She appears to
,~e been q woman OF medium height; not par
a.farlv handsome; Of dark complexion; and
assessed OF very brilliant eyes. She had long
,san 4 widow and miscellaneous wanton when
=. bec5ue euamoured of youth named PhaoR
bo either repulsed or discarded her. and her
-, evnloit was 10 east herself headlong from d
O., nrecipice into the sea, where she persisted
So Of her compositions have been lost. but
f.or,euts of them exist, and her Hymn to
--.r,,s' is accessible She must have been great
rrere~ 4 NEST unfortunate and piJiable being;
;. such a character with such a story might
,isely have been left 10 the comparative oblivion
~ ancient history. Such themes, however, seem
"a have possessed always considerable attraction.
&c well for readers as for authors. Mr.. MaCkaye
a. by no means the first writer who has treated
- sapplo story. Lilly the Euphuist. wrote 4
hundred years ago, and Queen Elizabeth, not
tssidous woman. saw a performance Of it There
g indeed. a considerable body OF Sapphc ntera-
tue
some Of the Greek dramatists, and. later some
ottbe dramatists of modern Europe, have provided
,ts stage with abundant illustration OF the agonles
n individuals who infamed with terrific pas
SIMS and driven TO the commission Of horrible
c-mes-sometines against nature. The Greek poets
animated that they were expounding the opera
ions Of Fate-a power that seems, from their eX-
voations. 10 have acted on many occasions. with
censpicUous disregard for decency! 1t is notable
f,t Mr. SIackaye's deliverance concerning Sappho
end Pbaon is called Greek Such it may be. to
-srsons ignorant of the ancient literature of that
couutry-a literature which. if sometimes vile and
,srrowing in theme, is nearly always simple ana
.tstslv I'm form and eloquent and pathetic in eA-
pssson. Mr.. AIackaye. in recountng the mourn
I'll tale Of Sappho's infatuation and suicide, has
made q tumble of incidents obscure as hardiy
70 be susceptible Of analysis ana so tedious in IT'S
rrolixity as TO be welnigh insufferable. Phaon Is
rsnreseuted as a slave and Mr.. Henry holker. q
PARTICULARLY dull and heavy actor, acted him as a
out Pnaou has a concubine and two chll-
dren Sappho beholds him; covets him; allures
him; contrives dixie Tisbe} 10 obtain from his
master key that viii lberate him: accomplishes
ber wanton purpose: and. when the wretched
phaon made a victim by her charms, has, by the
CUSTOMARY lated mistake, killed his own SON
and then, in q deiirium. repudiated his seductive
paramour sic precpitates herself into space ana
falls 10 her death Looking at the bones Of the TAB
Il, the observer sees set Of incidents trite as to
bs ,nsip!d A husband IS led astray BY a Cyprlan'
and he becomes an adulterer and homicide ana
VIXEN afterward he hates his mistress because or Ms
SIN remorse, and misery, the Cyprian goes INTO q
frenzy and kills herself. The stage has been many
tines provided with that topic, sometimes IN tights
sud tunics sometimes in slken square-cuts and
knee-breeches. sometimes IN swallow-tais ana
rantaloons A Grecian investiture and ten syllable
Ines rnasquerading as poetry do not fTesnen IL
Melancholy and depIorable doubt II IS, that such
things should be: there is agony like that OF
-szpiaced love; but nobody is benefited by the
ca.sn1plation Of feminine depravlty OF recipro-
afincontinence.
The play requires only one scene, but that IS
fine one, and IT has been well set. Nine kalich
exerted all her force (Which is not greaD as
sappho. The exhibition Of a woman tortured
with passion Is not edifying. Ristori who had a
grand manner. could sustain such characters Us
Phadra and Myrrha. and could make the spectator
forget the v1leness Of the subject. IN poignant
svp,uatly with :he suffering Of the woman. Nine.
Kalich does not possess grand manner. Her
limitations are distinct She acts as a woman OF
,o-dev end size makes the heroine Of parGKysm
Rove upon the plane Of common life. There Is no
poetic quality IN either her aspect. her demeanor
or her voice She s., however, an actress OF e1-
perience ard she is moderately effective IN emo
tionol situations. The language that she 'ia7
70 speak is fustian and her delivery or II IS
bank verse nor does anybody else associated Win
Der in the cast Much OF her talk is unintelhgl-
be all Of It ls uttered in a siEg-sonS cadence
Her vocalism is void Of sympathy, and there was
the least gimIneI Of tenderness IN any feel
ing that she undertook TO express. Her chief pur-
pose appeared to be TO mount pedestal ana
scream. The lovers. while preciPtate in design
we're 10 that degree impeded by Grafton process
sions. excursions alarums, and other miscellaneous
obstacles that presently they became utterly dis
gusted and rolled down bank together. Mr..
Percy Mackaye would do well TO follow the wise
counsel Of the old oxford professor: read your
Manuscript and when you come on passage that
you think is particularly fine, strike 1t out. He
has overloaded this piece with reams OF nonsense.
There is a Greek girl who wanders around talk
ing about 'bonny BARNS" The costumes are fine.
There d numerous audience and plenty Of ap-
plause " ".
THE CAST.
'AlS4'LS
1913 req ETC
.ss.ldcls AS1cius ttenas!syil
80. 900
.-.- . -
LEI ina fA'ail-Il
-iazel Aia-Lse
Jessie 4. tIeHIetilhS
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