The San Francisco call., 1908-12-08
By Walter Anthony

It is dangerous, these days, to speak
your mind about Ibsen No wise man
does it. Wisdom sits at Ibsen's feet be-
cause he is a great technician and
writes wonderfully built plays; learn
ing meekly waits upon the terrible Nor
wegian and bows reyerently while he
spins gray rings from his Morse pipe.
Critics follow and say that Richard
Mansfeld's crowning triumph was his
portrayal of the role of Peer Gynt; that
he epitOmiZed in two hours and a half
the life and dreams of mankind; that
he was, in short, a sort of reincarnated
Balzac. who described all things and
depicted all men. If that be true, and
the consensus of opinion is that it is
mourn the death of one who breathed
life into the role of Beau Brummel; for
certainly Louis James, fine actor as he
is. does not make Peer Gynt real, and I
do not think any living actor can.
Kindly recalling the adage about
fools plunging in where angels fear to
tread read on. Peer Gynt" at the
Van Ness bored me. My neighbor fell
asleep and others envied his serenity
Perhaps a presentation of Peer
Gynt" is possible that would warm the
blood, that would stir the soul. that
would move the emotions or tug at
heartstrings. But 1t is doubtful, for
last nights presentation was all as
far away, remote, befogged and hazy
as fairy story or libretto made from
a myth. The play should never have
been staged. It doesn't belong to the
things of vision and fact; it concerns
the intangible elements of dreams, Of
ambitions unacknowledged and of
truths only half seen.
AN IMPOSSIBLE DRAMA
II v,oo,,,
not make d drama out of "The Raven"
1t is as though you would try to drama
tie Cervante's Don Quixote' or pull
Dante's Inferno" to the smoke of foot
lights. You might sit in your chair
with your feet spread on the tenders
and with pipe in mouth read Peer
Gynt' and understand. say you might.
But its staging is a gratuitous affront
TO your imagination; a labored unneces-
slty- Leastwise. 1 am bound to say, I
found it so.
Peer Gynt. sitting on the foot Of his
dying mothers bed, and playing horse
driving her to st. Peter's-is a fine
fancy, but hard to accept when YOU
see It Peer Gynt, coming back home
amorous and bent with age, to his wait
ing SolYeig, likewise emotional and
likewise bent is another fine fancy. but
hard to look at. Peer Gynt. riding on
scarlet lady in green, to the kingdom
OF the Trolls. is another difficult epi-
sode in the life Of a man to get upon
the stage. Peer Gynt, swooning in
sea of canvas, after being tossed by the
storm thrashed waves from a splendid
ly stationary stage, is another juxtapo-
sition Of fancy and circumstance which
squares as well as a nut in cigar box,
When the mast falls with crash to
the deck and discreetly folds itself up
and the sails untorn by the winds. dis
appear in excellent order and proper
time when the lightning stays nicely
in one spot instead Of zigzagging across
the canvas sky; when finally the deck
by staying where it is, sinks into the
sea-then pray for imagination, for
youll need it.
LOOKS LIKE MISTAKE
It is all q mistake to attempt such a
gigantic enterprise on the stage. Where
is imagination Where is fancy?
Where are poetry and fantasy? When
stage contrivances compass the gossa-
mer of a dream. then Peer Gynt" may
become a reality in a theater. But
I'll not buy q ticket; I'll read the play
instead.
Louis James. to give him credit as
May BoIey used to say. has brought
an expensive and an elaborate produc-
ton. He is splendidly capable actor
and makes Peer Gynt near human His
first act was fine In its roflicking youth
fulness. Into the phantasma goria of
the scene in the Trolls kingdom he
carried a nonchalant and impudent in