The San Francisco call., 1908-03-02
BY Walter Anthony

Iolsloerallon OF Such play becomes
a threefOld investigation into which
the elements of dramaturgy, politics
and religion enter. That is. II it is
play.
Ibsens Ghosts" because il is So
rialistic and antichurch. thus invites
triple consideration. where I humbly
think il is entitled TO but one. Incl
oentally il was produced last night at
the Van Ness theater by an extremely
competent company headed by Miss
Mary Shaw. who with her associates
gave lbsen the very best of it.
AS a play Ghosts" is without eX-
euse. As medical lecture-and I have
heard some-it is quite possible 1t
enly lacks cadaver and some chloride
of lime TO complete its effectiveness.
II you like 10 hear man suggest TO
ms own (supposed) daughter that she
enter life OF sin for the wages there
of; IL you enjoy the spectacle Of a dis
sased youth making love to his own
half sister; II il is pleasing TO contem-
plate a priest (Lutheran) forcing a wife
who might have been, but is not, his
own wife, back into the arms of a
ieprous husband-which duty. as Ibsen
sees II, is purely a consequence OF re-
hglon-if carnal things. suggested of
stage" and the sight Of a mother ad-
minlsterlng poison TO her son-damned
from birth-are diverting, then you will
enjoy Ghosts" Otherwise. it is likely
you VIII not You Will say il needs
sanitation. 4 little breeze Of reality,
little touch OF humanity
The fact that a thing is true does not
make n competent matter for stage
presentation 1t must be agreed that
there is some place at which a line
should be drawn around the theater.
We would not willingly, for instance.
witness dramatization Of the unthink-
able Thaw. II there is an Oswald to
be met i'm days walk he should be in
The cell next 10 Thaw's: not imperson-
ated al the Van Ness theater
Did il remain for Ibsen TO discover
the truth that the sins OF the fathers
are visited upon the children unto the
third and fourth generations2 Many
have heard that truth before. and finely
expounded by members Of the cloth.
whose shoestrings Pastor Manders
would be quite unworthy 10 tie. For
q triple coated imbecile, commend Pas
tor Msnders and tell him 70 stay in
Norway. There was not an auditor last
night al the Van Ness who did not
see straight through the hypocrisy OF
Jacob Engstrand without having the
advantage Of any information TO which
Pastor AIanders did not have access
IN other words. Pastor Manders was
the only fool in the house-a fiattering
suggestion which the facts might not
warrant
Ghosts is an old story. though. like
bad health il has been enjoyed" here
but seldom. Tt was played in San
Francisco three seasons ago, and not
since.
STORY LOATHSOME
The story is something worse than
his:
Mrs. Helen Alving has a son, whose
father. at the rising Of the curtain. is
dead Oswald. the son. has been abroad
from bOyhoOd. because his mother
wanted him kept from the evil influ-
ences Of her dissolute and diseased llus-
band. whom she would have deserted
but for the persuasion Of Pastor Man
ders many years before the play opens
The pastor is permitted TO believe
through the long years that have
elapsed that his friend. Captain Alving
had reformed. The latter's wife kept
his indiscretions quiet by getting
drunk with him and keeping him home
nights. Captain Alving thus is per
mitted TO run riot about the house for
many years before death takes him
elsewhere. Meantime a servant girl is
involved ia this diseased plot and is
married hastily TO d gardener. who
accepts her for $500. That's the very
sum. Thus the subsequent birth of a
girl gives Oswald. quite unconsciously
10 him a half sister, and the girl is
reared in the Alving home and calls
the gardener papa When she grows
Up, and after the captain has died.
oswald comes home from Paris, where
he has studied art. a wreck.
What he thinks about his own con-
iitiOn is not exactly ft for print, but
IL is in the play and some books Fin
ally his mother tells him his malady is
ais fathers fault ana discloses TO him
ais halfsister, TO whom. meantime, he
has made violent love of stage" quite
as his father had done before HIM.
Anyway both girl and boy are upset at
She disclosure. and the girl, a design
Ing creature. announces her intention
Df following in her mothers footsteps,
while the boy has real brain storm.
inviting his mother 10 give him poison
when he shows evidence of the fmbe-
cility which his Paris doctor told him
ae could reasonably expect as a
posthumous gift from her father. He
5egs for the sun. while seated in an
arm chair in the last act, and his
mother gives him the poison.
LAYERS ARE GOOD
AS TO the plays politics and religion
but this is a dramatic column. Social
site announcements and expressions in
favor o. free love from the lips OF the
eperous boy, who knew what he was
talking about were vigorously ap-
plauded. mostly from the gallery,
which is not necessarily an aspersion
against the lines.
AS to tho players Miss Shaw was
splendid. She walked through her role
with high Intelligence and apparent
conviction Nothing dauntcd her. Ia
some OF her quietly emotional scenes
with the clergyman and with the son
she was really superb. All she needed
Nas another role.
oswald was assumed by Percival
Arimer who did all he could TO justify
tie pathological part II is anomalous
but fru.- TO say that in the scene where
DE drools IN an armchair. inpatient
sunken eyed. NacuQus and baby again
De- looked and acted the part His mad
scene was wrought up to 2 fine simili-
tude OF what may be seen for the price
OF a car ride TO the detention ward OF
the central emergency hospital.