The San Francisco call., 1908-03-08

IL across the footIights was
what bothered me- Miss
Mary shaw vas saying Ny
style il those days was romantic
7 had been Shakespeare player,
though. even then-thst was in 1888
~ was something of hereto II
seemed IS though an impossible task
had been given 70 ne Imagine it, I
had 70 sit around for two hours and 9
hslt and Just talk Where was the sd-
vsntsge Of ali my stage lore2 what
vas 70 become OF those dear tricks
those conventional bits Of business2 In
short, what was q romantic actress 70
90 with the fearful role Of Mrs Al
ving2~
What was the need OF playing it AZ
alp I interrupted. while Miss Shaw
kept right on with her work Of prose
iyting and paid no heed 70 frivolous in
terrogstions-
7 felt as though there was world
Of truth wrapped up IN that role; but
how 70 get Il out how 70 make il plain.
ho= 70 project the character OF q
woman zho had suffered silently for 20
vesrs before the curtain discIoses her
II the midst Of that terrible tragedy
briefly. how 70 play real woman was
the problem which had been thrust
upon ne We were 70 appear AZ one
nztinee-z special event-zt Carnegie
hall in New York il 1893. and I had
been chosen for the part OF Mrs Al
wing I finally said the task was 100
enormous and refused 70 go on with
the work Of preparation About thss
tine Herr Reicher arrived in New
York He had staged the original pro-
duction of Ghosts under the direct
supervision OF Ibsen II Berlin. and he
said he would help ne Unfortunately
he could not speak English and could
not speak German He consented 70 as
sist Us. nevertheless. Just for the good
Of the cause. and SO we hired an in
terpreter- That interpreter was funny
You cannot imagine how comiczI it was
70 hear him iaboriouzly un-avel 4Ierr
Rsicher's voIuble and excitabie Ger
man gathered more from the Ger
mans infectious enthusizsm-disclosing
itself in extrsvagant gestures and high
pitched yoice-thaa did from the cum
bersome transIatiOns Of the assistant.
who caught only the words. words.
words
That batch OF raw ronanticists was
nerve trying No doubt We nearly killed
the Ibsen enthusiast from Berlin. who
worked with the zeal OF prophet and
the tireIessness Of slave We were a
crowd OF old school players sailing
into the great unknown But we had a
hns pilot in Reicher. who had learned
Al the feet OF Ibsen himself
Tie male members Of the cast
John Blair was the original Oswald
we're none too reverent about Ibsen.
but Regina and I behaved better. AT
least We were curious TO find out what
would happen in this strange new ad-
venture
You must reuember that there are
20 years OF agony behind Mrs Aiving.
years Of silent sufferings 20
years OF misery. during which her
mother love has been crying for the boy
she has sent away For the mother
note is dominant IN Ghosts
Let me tell you an experience OF
that first production II IS in the first
act. I an telling Pastor Nanders OF
the reason for my silence: am telling
him why ] have kept my son estranged
from ne all the years I was shielding
bis father from the scandal his vicious
ness invited You remember say.
after explaining ali this No one VIII
ever know what It has meant for ne
There Is no hysteria, after the fashion
or the old school; no tearing Of hair;
no loud voiced lament II is the CRY.
quiet and suppressed, Of a broken.
bleeding. mother heart I waited