New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-15
THE DRAMA
,Eoefcrlinck and Ibscn at The
Nee Theatre.


,re other has changed the -four peat "le"S
~ Ibsen's brand into blank verse,
,-.-,o,s +rars,atioas Of Maeterlinck' HSTetto
the himself has said, My little play
=. -.sr, a !5retto'l have heea made Tor
I-,,-,;eh readers. and perhaps as good
80 - 6rv was that OF Bernard Mall. done
-. oars ago IN blank verse. a form let
to- 6,t.nC the poetic and dreamlike theme
~ tbe original. II may be supposed IMAM
- -rose which Mr.. Edward hnohlauch
u.s employed for The New Theatre YER
sion The playsoer is not tod why Mld'l
attractive Interpretation was not used last
night and SO he must be content II coll
tent at ali, with the new prose dressing
Which the author OF The Cottage IN the
ar" has provided
Thc staging OF this remarkable plaE--ioF
:-slarkabIe it Is. whether IN prose or po-
edo form land Il must be acknowledge
mat Ar Knoblauchs prose version IS
.o-,r1e5 With poetic feelingD-Involves
serious risk. Tie delicate ground OF re
-t.ious susceptjbility must, In the theatre,
no ,.e,ze5 upon with the lightest tread.
-r,..,s has bee,i 10 fear that The New Thea
.ra vo,,,d touch that ground with anything
les than 4 reverent spirit. There was no
-,1Iinc short in that respect last night II
,e no easy matter TO unveii before an audi
Ance the exalted religious sentiment OF such
a play. TO disclose before the public gaze
= representation of holy miraCies-as. when
m IMAGE os the Virgin Mary bTeathes and
sg,4ks. and then IN living form Gescencs
or. the pedestal IN a convent niche 20
distribute aims. perform the humble offices
ur thc siSterhood. and take the place Of a
l-n who has fed into the world with a
royal lover; as when the Holy Mother
mistaken FOR the sister herself, is accused
j sacrIiege. Of robbing her own altar. and
:hereupon delivered 70 the whips OF
U,ind righteousness; as when the chapel
aa1e IS revealed alight with holy flames
and The strange splendors Of blossoms
which leap to lie from the Yaulted roof,
nd surge in pillows over the stone pave
newt. and multiply in the hands Of &c
y.atic nuns who are bewiidered by the sud
4,. revelation Of the grace Of God; as
. en the delir:ous Aleluias" Of an an
reic chorus fill the perfumed air; when
er..ues kneel. and me knouts of the hagel-
ants break into waving palms. But it was
al lore terderv. reverently, last night.
Tie action IS at a convent near Louvain.
f- The thirteenth century. Sister Beatrice
caves the convent in the gray OF the morn
..r. Wien the lily white clouds get up early
nd aeep over the wall. Her lover, Prince
Re-li6or has come for her You hear his
horses a the door. Sister Beatrice kneels
r=fore The image Of the Virgin and prays
.a- a sign Shall she go Or stay?
TEL. tell. o ten ne: Fer l am not lost
K you but make sign;
Mother. ! gaze and gaze, wait:
The quotation is from Mall as Knob
lauch's version IS not accessible in printD
Eut the statue gives no sign. The nun
ce.as with Prince Bellidor. You hear their
p~ses galloping as the mathis ring.
The curtain falls. instantly to rise again,
&. other versions. but al The New Theatre
lie first and second acts are united. This
IS an Improvement, beyond doubt Instead
II he descending curtain YOU behold the
massive doors of the convent slowly closing
= bv miraculous touch and, IN a strange
darkness, the sacred lamp above the sacred
image flashes thrice. The statue Of the
Virgin comes 10 life. Mary descends from
,ae pedestal and. over her rich robes and
glorious hair, places the veil and mantle
-1a- Beatrice has LEFT behind. Softly she
..nes. She points 10 the altar candles
..l7irl7 naacically light themselves; then fol-
-op- the giving Of aims and the discovery
--- The sisterhood, who, thinking she IS
Festrice. derounce her for sacrilese, and
= The command of a priest hurry her away
tor punishment. Then the miraculous in
,e-venrion. the miraculous storm OF flow
or. the revelation Of divinity in Beatrice.
Tor Beatrice still the sisterhood believe this
.ovelv. radiant Woman 10 be. They cry:
'Reatrics IS holy! It is we who have
snned.'
n the next act Beatrice returns.
quarter Of q century has passed. Haggard
crasgled and gray, the once beautiful nun,
soon deserted b. her lover and fallen 10
enc dross Of life has come 10 the convent
90 die Through all these years the Virgin
aI-ry had taken her place in the sisterhood
;e-for1led hey duties worn her -eil and
mantle and her name. Through al these
EARS the pedestal had been vacant of its
&c. and though ne sisters n2aTyelIed,
e. - remembered the miracles. and they
fought the Virgin had returned 10 heaven,
since they had a living saint among them
r-t now the image IS In its place again,
zr6 Beatrice, donning once more her own
81 and mantle. which she finds where the
gin had left them before the pedestal,
T. re- bitter story 10 the amazed nuns.
learns o. the oleseed substitution that has
faeu MADE, marreIs that quoting Mall
aga.at,
-r pardon here WLrr here 7 lived,
,'--er days al folk ignored distress
a-aer days they cursed oil those that
Fur rea al rar-or. ana - seen. TO know
--a. slrroJn-sd bv the I1neeling sisters,
-~-ses perteUt ana refreshed from this life
me life beyond
j. may Of course. ne said that Beatrice
-1rsi.en b. I-e Mother Abbess and the
r- because they 10 not believe her story
e STA. because they believe that she is now
5er some haHIcina lion and has never
eft tus co1-eut B1t this thought need
'at 20 TOO closely followed. o. the poetic
purpose II tho play win come 10 naught.
l:y cceaJ good fortune the parts OF Sis
o. Beatrice aud of tho living Virgin
&ary have been given 10 Miss Edith
'ynoe Mat'aspn, an actress Of 30 rare
sha sweet quality Jaat she is . living
rrEl- To Miss Natthisgn. rather than 10
-"- aia pf stage device. was due all the
,rar-l .: tie presentation OF this play
-l- "as So lar teyond ana above all her
..llpauouS o. me stage that they seemed
.,ejGrc5 trivial indeed, with the excep-
'-G OILY OI Ben Jo.Eson's priest. The
LIDS " ere :Dc few in number, too Iirnid il
eAAressing their fears, too su1ducd in their
taftuT.s. but these defects. Il defects they
~e'e. M-7s .iatlA.son made almost every
on ioiEet- Hrg appearance. her speech.
n Slieices, neT movements, were il them
music ard .. e,l-t,a,, -gt.