The Washington times., 1908-02-04
MRS. FISKE ACHIEVES TRIUMPH
IN A DIFFICULT iBSEN ROLE;
OTHER FORCEFUL PLAYS HERE
The Cast in ''ROsmershoIm."

Fuller Mellish
Uric Brendei............. George Arliss
Peter Mortensgard. editor Of the Beacon
Albert Bruning
Madame Helseth housekseper at Ros.lers-
Hoiil '''-.-..''-.......F1 Florence Montgomery
Mrs. Flske has reached the summit of
dramatic art in her delineation of the
leading role in Henrik Ibsen's "Ros-
mersholm." Her Characterization must
be recognized as one Of the few genuine
masterpieces in our American gallery
OF modern stage pOFtraituTe. In her
representation Of Rebecca West she
gave a physical bOdiment to the psyche
logical side Of a dual personality and
did IL with such di.ectness and force
that the playwrights own conception
or his character was transmitted TO
everyone in the sudiencef How do we
| known Because there was a deathlike
stiffness throughout the Belasco last
hight during all the big scenes in the
play and there was that siucerest form
Of appreciation, an awesCme silence for
few moments after the fall OF each
curtain.
Seldom indeed has there been seen in
Washington a more thoroughly Inn
/ pressed audience than that which fled
solemnly out OF the BelasCO after the
| shocking tragedy which occurred in the
mill race outside the Rosmer home In
| the last act The tragedy was real to
/ the audience, for from the opening lines
| IN the play when the servant declared
/ that the dead Of Rosmersholm held the
/ living there was built up with ever in
/ creasing force ana certainty the i'm
pending gloom Of the final moment
| when the same servant shTieked her
: terrible message Of the contamination
! AIRS. Fiske has never done anything
more fasclnatingly weird than her Re
! becca West and she has never before
/ handled so subjective a role with such
/ penetrating analysis and material eX-
/ preston as to make It Ineligible TO
/ the great body OF theatergoeTs. The
! actor or the actress who can portray
/ for us every mood and feeling OF a
/ stage character is capable. He or she
/ VINO can make US see the thought be-
/ mind the ection Of stage creature de-
| serves a higher need OF praise, but The
! real triumph OF dramatic art comes
! when the actor or actress bodies forth
/ III a visible form or transmits tele-
! pathiCally, one scarcely knows which is
/ the means employed. the combat or the
/ two personalities in the one man or
/ woman. Il is this that Mrs. FisEe has
| accomplished In the characterization Of
| RehcCCa West.
| In the first act Mrs Fiske evinced a
/ nervousness which while not out OF
! harmony with the character she poT-
! traEed was almost irritating in its ap-
/ parent uncontroi- her peculiar man
] ueTlsm or SluTrIug the opening WCTCS
/ OF her sentences was also marked Be
/ ginning with the second act. however,
/ the immensely Of her task seemed to de
/ OF the actress and the Objectionable
/ features Of her work were almost en-
I tiTely eliminated. There was an in
I CislVe diTeCtueEs IN her reading and q
/ able tor It's entire absence Of any sLg-
/ gestiOn Of theaTICism.
/ In the third act. in which Rebecca
! confesses her scheme or unseatihg the
reason OF EOSmeTs wife in order 10
! achieve her own ends, Mrs. Fiske &C
3 complished n bit of emotional acting
OF such dramatic rCnsity and force.
/ without resOruug to the ab1Ttive meth
DDS employed by some of our so-called
/ emotional actresses who tear a pas
/ sion to tltters, that her work was il
/ the nature OF q revelation So much
was expressed by such quiet methods
/ that the audience scarcely realized that
the big scene IN the play had como Lnul
II was over.
Perhaps the most difficult phase OF
the play comes in the last act In which
Rebecca endeavors to explain TO Ros-
mer why she confessed her crime. IL
IS here that We are made to under
stand iu a vague. mystical way the IN
IsCrutable processes OF. the human soul
The draEatiSt gives only q suggestion
OF what lies in the human heart. and
the actress adds to this suggestion that
vitalizinE quantity which QuiCkens tho
imag lnatiOl, but leaves to the auditor
the intellectual pleasure Of the sOlu-
ton.
Mrs. Fislle Is surrounded by a notable
cast. There are but six characters in
/ ''Rosmersholm." and each Of these has
erection and fine powers of d,lineation
Bruce NCRae plays ROsmer with digni-
ty. pOisc and admirable sci. control
His ease Of manner and thoughtful de-
meanOr add much 20 the effectiveness
Of the production ana IN the last act
there is note Of strong human appeal
IN his work.
The Rector KrcH OF Fuller MelIish
was dOgmatic, uncomprOmising and re-
pellent in its austeTity and blgOtry. II
was an admirable embodiment of Ib-
sens conception of the man who stands
for the old order OF things as opposed
10 the new era Of higher and broader
thought.
George ArIiss is always a genuine
delight. His role in Leah Kleschna
and his Englishman IN THE New York
Idea" stand out as cameo memories o.
/ unique stage characters. And now hC
> I completes a trinity with his UlriC
Brendel former tutor of Rosmer's
and queer aCmIXtuTe OF philosopher
| poet and illogical, visionary, irrespons
ibIe vagabond. He has JsIt a few mo
ments on the stage IN the first and las
acts, bat his work will be remembered
/ as a valuable addition to stage pic
! lures. There is n fascination about tn,
} lOng-haired. Quasi-ratiOnaI being Of Ib
sens creation that is most compelling
Albert Bruning as Peter MortensgarC
has even less to do than Mr.. Arliss. bu
he interprets the role Of tn editor o
the socialist organ. THE Beacon" witt
such flnesse and precision that he
! too, deserves a large share Of applause
| fer the uniform excellence of the per
I / Torrance Miss Florence Montgomery
! opportunity as Nine. Helseth, tht
, hOusekeeper, came only during the las
minute Of the play but her shrek o
: horror as she sees the man-ard woman
, throw themselves into the mill race il
( n spirit of self effacement and retribu
: ton, chilled ones blood and cause,
the audience to leave the theater will
! the thought that here. too. was a.
actress of no mean ability.
"ROsmershOln'' is staged with nue.
taste and elaborateness by Harrison
Grey Fiske.