Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-16

Special Correspondence.
n EW YORK. Feb. l2,--Some FIVE
IN or six centuries ago the drama
OF the world was made up chiefly
or miracle plays, mysteries and
moralities. These We're narratives writ
ten for the most part, by priests. and
intended to convey abstract conceptions
theatricallv for purposes OF moral i'm
struction. II is possible that they did
convey something of the sort 10 the
medieval mind; the modern intellect.
used to having a spade called a spade.
founders hopelessy in the morass of
allegory | remember that when l saw
''Everyman," the morality revived
few years ago by Ben Greet, l thanked
the powers that permitted me to live in
an age of artistic ratlonalism. When
we of this blessed time see a young
man make love To young woman on
tho stage we know the author wishes
only to lmpart he idea that the young
man Is making love to the young wo-
man: we do not spend the time between
acts figuring out that the young man
was meant TO be the symbol of religion
wooiug perfect tranquility in the person
Of the young woman aforesaid.
our brains being more or less out of
training for this sort of guessing, the
mystery" in name becomes mystery
in fact. ana caviar to the general
public. Now and again an exquisite
symbolic poem. like Peter Pan or
The Sunken Bell gets a hearing, and
then the measure of its success depends
upon the measure IN which II is under
stood. Peter Pan is making money;
first, because 1t Is an interesting play,
even without its under-meaning; Sec
Ond, because anybody with an ounce of
mayonnaise dressing In his or her brain
pan can understand that under-mean-
ing and, third, because an erudlte
management was careful to elucida to
for the benefit of persons without the
mayonnalse dressing. The Sunken
Bell which Is quite as beautiful as
Peter Pan" has never been produced
prodtablY. II Is charming and mystic
when taken at its face value, but great
only when one Comprehends what the
author, GeThart Hauptmanu intended
TO express. This comprehension is not
easy. and the key printed on the pro-
grams = { the Lyric theater. where Julis
MGrlowe and Il. II. Sothern have re-
viyed the play for week, only COM
pllcates the characters and muddles the
mind. II rs rs though a layman asked
what makes a locomotive go, and were
told 'The exhaust from the small
cylinder fills a receiver, and the back
pressure, taking effect on the intercept
Ing valve and destroying its equili-
briun, II at once moves, while large
cylinder takes the steam properly for
compound working"
The story or the "Sunken Bell" re-
lated specifically, concerns Heinrich,
founder, who dreams of casting per-
feet hell, He makes one that he knows
is not perfect but which his fellow
villagers believe 20 be So and Is on his
way up the mountain with II. when
mischlevouS sprlte upsets the wagon.
ana the ben pluuges into the valley
lake Heinrich. seriously injured, strug-
giles 10 the crest OF the hill, where he
secs and is seen by Rautendelein, nm
en- who fails IN love with him, and with
whom he falls In love The villagers
carry Heinrich back 10 his wife and
children, but Rautendelein follows him
and bids him 90 into the hills with her.
Realizing that he can do his greatest
work under her influence, the founder
oheys the Ell, Who helps him set up
forge on ,he heights and finds for him
the precious metals from which 10 make
his master bell Hcnrich's work IN al
ways marred by the thought Of his de-
serted family in the valley. However,,
he tells The vicar, who comes 10 him
that he has buried the past and that Il
wonld take The tones OF the bell sunk
In the lake tu recall him. Al last, the
spirit OF the Wife, who has drowned
/ herself rings that very bell and Helm
rich. wakencd 10 a sense OF duty, OK
eeraieh his elhn companion. and leaves
her. The next day he tries to get back
to the heights but it Is too late. The
path II barred ana Rautendelen has
| Joined the spirit of he waters.
II Will b. seen that stripped OF It's
symbolism The Sunken Bel'' Is mere
lY a tender and simple fairy story. OF
the sort thar are best when made IN
Germany This fairy story becomes
Ingenious ana mastery, though. when
che grasps what II Is meant TO con-
Ney, Heinrich Is human ondeayor-psr-
haps genius struggling 10 accomplish
great work but held back by earthly
bonds, thoughts ana necessities, typl-
Ned by his family lie believes that
he can shake these on. ana tries 10 do