New-York tribune., 1910-04-12
lYCEUM THEATRE
Harrison Grey Fiske Presents
Hannele" and THE Green
.Cockatoo.

German parentage-Gerhardt Hauptmann
"Iianneles Himmefahrt" (called in English
Hannele'0 and Arthur Schnitzler's The
Green Cockatoo." Schnitzlers one-act
'grotesquerie'' served as a curtain raiser.
ano Hauptmann's beautiful and etherealized
alleEory ended the evenings record Of solid
achievement. A word later of the Vienna
dramatist's little picture Of the contrasts
In Paris life on the eve Of the fall OF the
Bastile. "Hannele." being more important,
is entitled, TO prior consideration. To turn
venture in the pure upper air poetry like
Hauptmann's play into another language
invites many misiudgments. The diction
must suffer and Hauptmann's lyrics. and
even some Of his prose passages. seemed
last night 20 have lost good deal in the
translation. Poetry is volatile in essence
and style resists the most conscientious ef-
forts at translation. a competent perform
anCe Of "Hannele," such as was given last
winter at the uptown German Theatre
must therefore always be more satisfactory
as a whole than the best intentiOued Eng
lish production. Yet Hauptmanns dream
poem Is exceedingly simple in structure
and puts no severe test on a company Of
actors. The main thing is TO preserve the
extraordinarily direct and almost childike
formance OF Mrs. Fiske's company deserves
generous commendation. In details IL could
he made more literal, more Silesian and
more Hauptmannesque. But the dramatic
idea is conveyed adequately and wiki A
good deal OF its native power and SINGER
ity. The entire fitness of the play for pres
entation. absurdly misjudged sixteen years
ago, was happily vindicated and public
reparation was thus made by the New
York stage to a much misused author.
"Hannee' has been called "Haupt-
mann's masterpiece" a grandiloquent way
Of expressing the opinion that this dream
poem" is the best OF the celebrated Ger
hardt's works. II is not unknown TO New
York playgoers who can remember what
occurred sixteen years ago. It made some
stir here in 1894, quite as much stir out
side the theatre as within. Mr. Gerry and
others objected because a girl Of fifteen
wears had been selected for the part or
Hannele The directors thought the pres
entation Of the play would be an "impious
performance" and that the health and
morals Of the child actress would suffer
injury. Mayor Gilroy, at a public hearing
in April. 1894. declared the piece "sacri-
legious" and forbade the appearance Of
Miss Alice Pierce. the child above referred
20. But, except for giving the play
great gratuitous advertisement which must
have pleased the promoters OF the produc-
ton. the opposition was without effect.
The play was produced az the Fifth Ave-
nue. Theatre on the 1st Of May, and an
actress whose years did not call for the
interference Of societies for the protection
OF minors Miss Ada Blanche, appeared a.
the child. Hannele Miss Maude Banks
was the Deaconess and the Apparition Ot
Hanneles Mother:' Miss Alice Butler was
the Sister Martha and Mr Charles Rich
man was Gottwold the Schoclmaster and
The Stranger whom Mayor Gilroy and
others persisted in calling Christ.
Mr Gerhardt Hauptmann, who was IN
New York at the time for the purpose OF
witnessing the first performance IN
English OF his play. thought II necessary
to deny that The Stranger was intended a.
representation Of Christ The Mayor
unable 10 prove that Mr.. Hauptmann was
in error contented himself with 0bifq dict1
on "sacriIege" and on an age not in SYM
pathy with miracle plays" but he did
not further interfere with the arrange
ments. OF course the theatre was crowded
from stage TO stairways.
Those times Of much ado are now re-
=
public. the official and the semi-officiaI
mind of 1910. Nobody dreamed Of beseech-
ing Mayor Mcclellan TO preserve the city
from sacrilege when Mt. Charles Ram
Kenuedy's play. The Servant in the
House was produced by Mr.. Henry
Miller. Nobody felt called upon to prevent
the appearance Of Mr. Forbes Robertson
in The Passing Of the Third Floor Back,
although his Stranger or Passerby is quite
as ,iruDiotls'' for three hours HaupJ-
u7aun's is for fifteen minutes. No society
has considered it necessary TO guard the
morals CT the juvenile actor who played
that fond and skilful cracksman. Jimmy
Valentine. at Wallack's the other day, no
city fathers. reverend fathers, officers or
citizens forbade Mr.. Ben Greet to produce
Or Faustus'' at the Garden Theatre. al
though in that drama. Is in "Hannele.
sacred names are used with much fire.
-,,a-,-,.- and there are visions which
even a Mayor might be unable 20 dis-
tinsuish from real occurrences. and no
enemy of The New Theatre was conscious
OF an inner call 20 suppress sister
Beatrice" as ''biasphemous attempt TO
represent sacred things and feelings on
+ba stage - II Will be observed That there
is some sensible movement in the world
.'F4anneIe" is written and acted i'm rs
reveren- a spirit as sister Beatrice. II
is NOT throughout so beautiful spectacle
a. MaeterIinck's play. because in the latter
the action never departs from the Convent
Of Our Lady at Louvain. There the spec
tator is always in the presence Of the sister
hood and before the shrine. In 'Hanneie
the scene is q bare and riCkety room in
almshouse. and the spectator s.
introduced TO a ragged, dirty lot Of odious
paupars some of whom are thieves and
some worse than thieves. To this repui-
sive refuge. on a winter night, Gottwoid
rhe Schoolnaster brings Hannele Mattern.
a girl OF fourteen. whom Seidel the Wood
cutter mas saved from drowning over
weighted with misery. the child has sought
relief in death. Her mother is dead Her
reputed father is a soJ VINO beats the child
and sends her out 70 beg. Berger a POM
pous and hvpocritical magistrate. is really
the chfld's father. and OF course, he IS
bound to invoke the law against child
suicide and the drunkenness OF such good
for nothlnEs as Mattern the Mason. Mat
tern. by the wav. married Hanne,es mother
after Berger's desertion.
While the law and medicine, the munlc-
lpality and the Church are debating over
the course To pursue with the unfortunate
child HanneIe falls into an Illness, has de-
lirious moments ana sees visions. She
sees the Angel Of Death, she sees ner own
mother. who must have been, she is quite
sure. the sweetest end best of women. She
sees the ruin soaked Mattern who is always