Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-24
GREAT COMEDIAN
IN POEM-DRAMA
IBSEN'S "PEER GYNT" PROVES
ACTABLE PLAY
APHIE JAMES WINS AUDIENCE AS
SOLVEIG
Staging of Imaginative Norwegian
Drama Is Marvel of Scenic Effec-
tiveness-James Supreme
in Delicate Humor

Z OUIS JAMES ,,ppeared in Peer
Gynt" at the Mason last night.
IA The audience was awed. Peer
Gynt' is a play that you may not see
without feeling that you have almost
been given a glimpse behind the veil
of the absolute. You have looked upon
the ultimate in human things.
Ibsen declares that in Peer Gynt' he
wrote only a poem. Ibsen should
know, no doubt, if anyone does, anG
yet a poem may reach out to the gates
of eternity and it may search the
depths of life.
Louis James is perhaps the only actor
in America upon whom the mantle OF
Mansfield could have fallen. No man
without the intellectual and emotional
power to grasp the fantastic subtleties
of this poem-drama possibly could have
taken the role. There is a Peer who
is a selfish visionary young peasant;
there is a man of the world, conscience
less and still selfish, with only the ideal
of self-realiza tion-"to be emperor OF
himself" There is the broken down
wanderer returning to the home of his
youth, disillusioned. Mr.. James meets
all these requirements. He is as con-
vincing as Peer at Is as he is when the
old man returns to the scene of his
early adventures. Through it all he
unfolds the ethical as well as the
artistic theme. 1t is an epitome OF
life.
Series of Tableaux
The play is given in two parts, in
a series of short tableauX The first
part is confined to the scenes in the
mountains. The scenic effects are per-
haps better than of the kind ever at
tempted in the city. In the second
part Peer is shown on the coast of
fri lot shin hOq rH and fn1ilV
among the mountains again.
1t undoubtedly is true that the real
thesis of Peer Gynt has been clouded
by much critical pedantry and much
symbolism" has been read into the
drama which never was intended to be
there. There is ample opportunity for
enjoyment in following the more OBJ
vious revelations of the piece, and yet
one cannot be moved by the deeper
motif. involved in Peers continual aim
at self realization, and the coming of
the button molder, who demands
witness for the self. and his final refuge
in the arms of the woman he loves.
He achieves a self realization, indeed,
but not the kind that win save him
from the button molder.
Scarcely ever has play presenting
more difficulties of acting been pre-
pared for popular presentation. The
subtly elusive character of the plot,
the poetic appeal. depending largely
upon sympathetic powers of vizualiz-
ing and understanding on the part of
the audience, and above all fantastic
and grotesque Norwegian imagery
make the piece almost unaetable.
Mr. James is supported by an eX-
tremely good cast. Aphie James as
solvieg' and Laura Frankenheld as Ase
showed a depth of understanding of
their parts and intelligent and adequate
Interpretation.
Peer Gynt is an imaginative, rois-
tering, selfish youth. He invents
stories of his adventures in the woods
and gains a reputation as a dare
devil. His will is to him a final and
pre-eminent force which nothing can
overcome. His illusions are seen to
be necessary in thus building up the
pseudo supremacy of his will The
stories of his hunting exploits are
grotesdue and wonderful. They not
only serve their purpose in the artistic
motive of the drama, but they give
the poet the opportunity of creating
a series of marvellous poems of folk
lore.
The peasantry ridicule Peer on ac-
count of his fantastic imaginings and