The Washington herald., 1910-05-29

The Academy-VaudeviIl
The CasInO-ContinuOus Vaudeville.
The Gayety-"The Jersey Lilies"
There was a curious circumstance re-
vealed last week in connection with The
Professors Love Story" played by the
Ben Greet players. Most Of us had seen
Z. s. Willard play Prof Goodwillie so
many times that we had come TO re-
gard his personality as the principal
feature of the performance. In short, IT
was Z. S. Willard that we saw. to the
observation OF Barrie, play and all Mr..
Greet's appearance IN the role showed US
that The Professors Love Story has
something TO 1t besides r. S. Willard
after all We realized how much we
owed to Barrie. In fact. the play is so
typically Barrie that it stands next TO
Peter Pan" in the Scotch play'wrights
works Even THE Little Minister must
give II precedence. Mr. Greet proved last
week that the play Is the thing, and that
a geod company Of players can always
make an audience forget the greatest OF
stars or the most ~evered traditions.
"a Pair OF SBectacles" viii be found
a delightful play, and one with which
many present-day theater-goers are not
familiar. John Hare played the Grundy
comedy here on two occasions, and the
mere announcement was enough for the
theater-goers OF that time II is play
which does the spectator a world OF good
and sends him on his way rejoicing. 1t
is essentially a comedy but there is
aote Of pathos. too.
The Aborn comedians have given way
10 the Aborn tragedians tomorrow night.
when grand opera will begin a short sea-
son OF three weeks, with 'Il Troratore,
tuneful and tragic The signs are por-
tentous for a good season. as grand
opera was never before so thoroughly
IN favor with all classes Of audiences.
"The Great Divide is undoubtedly
great representative American drama.
The intensity Of the theme. the general
bigness that IS gathered from the weav-
Ing OF the story. is further accentuated
by the wonderful setting for the second
act. when It seems that the vastness Of
America IS laid out for the eye To see.
while a world-old tragedy is being enact
ed-the tragedy of man and woman. mis-
mated, yet struggling for the light. Truly
The Great Divide" was an inspiration.
1t Is a pity that we have no Academy of
Immortals to which William Vaughn
Moody can be elected for life. That his
subsequent play was a failure seemed
almost inevitable. Like Mascagni when
ne conceived "Cavallerio Rusticana," his
first shaft hit the mark fairly and
squarely
In a single bound The Great Divide
became the standard by which the fu-
ture great American play must be
measured.
The New York Dramatic Mirror gives
prominence in its current issue 10 the fol-
lowing expression Of opinion:
William Winter has again taken his zen in hand
20 lead an attack on Ibsen and the Ihsen drama.
He finds a medium for bis diatribe in a recent
issue of Harrc's Weekly. but sets forth nothing
new I'm regard % the subiect-u0thing that has not
been said over and over again Ia the periunct0ry
reviews Of the daily press
IN nothing Mr. Winter has douc in his later days
has ne shown clearly his incapacity fcr con
sruCtiye criticism ia his discussion q the great
Norwegian. Long after the literary world has COZ
cedCd 20 Ibscn one Of the most euviable places in
the history Of the stage. Mr.. Winter continues 20
Play Don Quixote and 20 nde bis Rozinarte fun
tilt against a power too great 20 be Affected by
his frail lancc His III UroJt Of Ibsen il only
his private opinion. not wholly free from prejudice
md closely examined. peculiarly illogical. He says
tho writings Of lhscn are consTicIously deficient in
clarity, premise which he attempts 10 sustain by
.he statement that there is dissension as 10 lis
meaning among his most devoted followers
Mr.. Winter must b aware that in regard 10 no
writer IS there a wider disseTlsicn as 20 meaning
than In regard TO Shakespeare. The works OF his
commentators. srecllating 70 the significance Of
and meanings of passages IN the writings Of the
Bard Of Avon. would M the new library. And
N assuming that Ibsens plays do not appeal 70
the emotions and lack in the power Of creating
feeling. he IS clearly stating his own case anc
willfully ignoring the universal state Of facts.
Il used % be said that Wagner's music was moth
ing hut crashing cymbals and n medley Of dis
tOnances utterly lacking IN the power Of appeal 10
normal emotions The Paris critics declared in re-
gard 10 the first performance Of Carmen" that il
was absolutely deficient IN melodies.
Mr. Winter appears 10 be Of these belated
phenomena in his attitude toward the Creat icuno-
cast whose influence over the stage within the past
twenty years has been simply Irresistible. That
Ibsen Is one Of lie greatest dramatists Of all ages
has long been patent % ali save Mr.. Winter. Most
hloHcally he cites the freuzed scene in The city
as example Of the sort Of stuff calculated %
arouse feeling and emotion In audience. Must
we not infer that he IS turning traitor 70 his
own ideals IN making himself the champion Of the
ephepid style OF drama. while remaining inclably
deaf 20 the subtle analysis of character and motives
that underly human action IN Ibseng
The plain truth is that Mr.. Winter has always
lacked the judicial temperament Of a frSt-rate
critic. He has always suffered prejudice to usup
the function Of analysis and deduction.
The fact that Mr. Harrison Grey Fiske
is the proprietor Of the Mirror. Iad the
further coincidence that Mrs. Fiske is
4rrcN
may not have anything to do with this
in some measure justified outburst.
In order. however. that both Mr.. Win
ter and Mr.. Fiske may be heard in all
fairness by those who undertake to Judge
the merits Of the controversy. the fol-
lowing excerpts from MIR. Winters Har-
per's Weekly article may prove illumin-
atlng:
a tircsoms incident Of the season is the spns-
modic regurgitati0n Of Ibsenism Several do4es Of
the Ihscn drama have been administered and a
considerable audience has swallowed them The
influence Of that poDtidcal e1positor Of misery as
exercised through the medium Of his "socolocical
dramas" Is distinctly pcrnicious for the reason.
IN general terms. that those dramas arc with little
exception. morbid. tainted. unhealthful. and dis
tressingS diffusiVe Of dullness doubt, and gloom.
One great error Of dramatic 'rcformers" lies in the
great dramatist. and that his dramas ought to t.,
Far more often It IS recession. Achievement in the
future nay o1col achievement in the past II was
long ago said. by wise observer. that we know
not what day may bring forth" Let us hope
that the new day viii provide dramatic writer's Of
greater and finer sbhty than has ever been mani
Tested and that the art Of acting viii attain to
loftier height than y yet has reached. Enter
tainment Of that hone and eudeavor 20 realize /,
win not retard Advancement There arc many ad-
verse Influences. but. IN the strife between GOOD
and evil. good Is destined ultimately to prevail.
Great minds Will he born. and noble thought viii