The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-17

field that actor is wasting himself
artistically by playing such pieces as
Peer Gynt" No doubt it is a work of
high merit. from the literary standpoint,
but It is decidedly unsatisfactory as an
acting drama. It is too diffuse; it at
tempts to cover too much ground; the
human interest in it is not great, and,
above ALL il is aIlegorical. The fact that
Ibsen, in his maturer years, made no
further essays in that line shows that he
quickly discovered that his genius was
not adapted to that sort of work. His
successes were made with a very dis
similar order Of drama. The basis of
this was not in any sense romantic orI
poetic. but a distinctive form Of hard,
close-wove realism. The role Of Peer
Gynt. in the judgment Of students of
Mansfield. offers the actor slight oPpor-
tunity for the exercise of the talents
with which he is most literally en-
bowed, and the art which he has ac-
quired I'm such perfection-the art Of
celebrating with great nicely a well-de-
has strong fascination for very large
class of theater-goers, whose taste is
something Of a puzzle TO another class.
Only in two or three scenes of Peer
Gynt" are these Mansfield qualities and
requirements drawn on to any notable eX-
tent. In the earlier scenes Of the play
there is a forced, constrained tone to his
work that keeps it from taking hold of
those who are his most sympathetic audi
tors when he appears in his accustomed
line of characters. Perhaps Mr. Mans
field knows this himself. Perhaps he real
ly believes he has found in Peer a part
peculiarly fitted to him, as has been said
by some Of the Western reviewers who
have been 50 lavish ia their praise OF his
work I'm il. Il is not at all uncommon
for actors TO make "a mistake Of this kind
about themselves and their work Mr.,
Mansheld's many excursions into the
realms of the heroic drama, for which. I'm
the opinion OF very competent and friend
~ critics. he is peculiarly untitled temper
amentally and artistically, indicates that
he is speedily liable to these errors of
judgment. But that he should go on max
ms them, Notwithstanding the critics, is
not so surprising, after all, I'm view of the
very important fact that the public iocks
TO see him in whatever he undertakes.
It is said there is deep ethical signifi-
canoe in peer Gynt" This may be true.
Ii also may be true that there is ethical
significance in our old spectacular friend,
THE Black Crook" Not that it is sought
10 put the two works in the same literary
class. There is undoubtedly fine thought
POLITICALLY expressed in the Ibsen allegory.
Some of the earlier lines assigned TO Peer
are beautiful and lofty in imagery. But
the work as a whole is untitled for stage
presentation, not because il is an ale
CORY, though that is against il. but be-
cause the author did not have the gifts
necessary 10 invest the alegOry with
strong and easily developed human inter
est. Either his aliegOry is too deep or
too vague The latter is probably the
real trouble And for purposes of stage
presentation, the mingling OF the real
with the fanciful IS always a grave mis-
take. II is less open 90 objection and less
Injurious TO the dramatic interest in a
pure comedy than IL is in work essen
tally serious in import like Peer Gynt."
But in either order Of dramatic structure
1t is stin a mistake.
And whatever Mr.. Mansfield may think
about it. there is little doubt most of his
intelligent admirers will agree in the
opinion that the role Of Peer is one that
gives little play TO the qualities i'm which
he is strong ana throws into high relief
his faults Mr.. MausheId's play Of facial
expression is unusually limited. He has
very slight mobility Of feature. There is
little expression TO his eye Yet in all the
first part of Peer Gynt" he is supposed
to be a youth, a poet, "a dreamer. whose
facial expression should count for SO much
in revealing the moods of his soul Mr.
Mansfelds voice is strong and clear. but
it is rather hard. and his utterance is
mouotonous On the flexbility and ex-
pressiveness Of the voice much must also
depend in the Interpretation of such a
character as Ibseu has made Of Peer
Here, again, Mr.. Mansfield is at disad-
vantage he does not suffer in roles like
Beau BrUmmel or Baron CheyriaL
In two OF the scenes OF peer Gynt7
intended to be of the greatest dramatic
significance, Mr.. Mansfield is either not
seen at all OF only dimly seen. These are
the scenes after he leaves the cave Of
the trolls when the voice Of Boyg is
heard, and on the vessel in the North
Sea. In these the actor Is little more
than a voice TO the audience. and this
fact serves to bring home strinkingly the
peculiar monotony of his delivery In
the first scene mentioned, Peer is sup
posed to go through an acute attack Of a
sort Of psychic delirium tremens, his soul
tortured by an infRity Of nameless ter
rors. But in trying TO convey to the audi
ence the impression of these terrors. Mr..
Mansfield quite falls to impart any va
riety 20 his tone. The character Of Peer.
I'm the first part of the play, requires for
its embodiment and Interpretation the
fire. the VivaCity. the nimbleness. the
soaring and reckless buOyancy of youth.
These. of course. Mr.. Mansfield does not
possess, and his stimulation of them IS dis
tinctly ineffective Stimulation Of deep
emotion has always been lacking in his
work. Il is in characters that call for
slight display of emotion he has made
his successes. Therefore his admirers
have right to feel he is wasting
himself aTtisticaIIy IN Peer Gynt." But
the production seems to be a decided
popular success, so no doubt. the actor
viii feel fully justified IN continuing TO
play it.
Whatever may be the outcome Of the
legal proceedings begun in New York
against the so-called theatrical trust, it
IS certain the initiation Of the suit has
attracted widespread attention and evoked
much editorial comment from the press
OF the country. The general drift Of the
Utterances IS that the control now exer-
H. a.