New-York tribune., 1910-02-15
THE DRAM 4
~TEe Hitch" Produced at The
Nee Theatre.

-. have heard Of her Her face, how
80 must be unfamiliar TO them. for
49, did not lift 8 hand when they dis
,o--e-e6 her in the opening scene But
.,e, New York audiences are not accus-
-,,ed 70 see an actress Of Nine. halich s
,,e-inction and powers on the scene when
-. &C. cr,-rain rises. It does not accord
u;.h their custom. for all their provincial
a., IS not departed They viii ap-
I'D the scenery. as they did. but they
.v,.-- The first moments Of a play 20 he
.-fes II with siper1ur1eraries and other
snail fry.
- .T--e KaI;ch made deep impress
-. :, the new play And for the first
-. -ris season IN any theatre which the
-. writer has visited. the illusion
.ra rsf7ultf1aate act was not ruined
= 80 c7s-1ors Of the crowd After a
.-z.,l scene the curtain descended upon
- ,ri-s act with complimentary but mild
--,,se re sort OF coumendstion that
.--s-s = good theatre IN Germany.
-. --e audiences are sophisticated and
- ~o- s-,oii their ov-n pleasure by shout
- -be v-onC Places. AT the conclu-
:. -r,e 7sst act Of The Witch the
.--rs,,se ras generous enough Whether
- --5s appropriate distribution of
-,z,5i+s zzs due 20 the presence of many
fellow coun1--r-en Of Mr1e- Bertha kalich
- 5oee not know, but the rTo incidents
Inst mentioned are V-orth noting among
- cu-iosi1ies Of q New York season
The Performance OF Nine halich was re-
mark hle. ard the Play vas Interesting II
is -cr play that could VII the favor OF
t--r nm because lis passion and gloom are
5ah-en45 only for Z moment OF twc. II
-.o-,ls not y attractive on Broadway; but
@--r71eF need
r--- = considered I fits veu into the Pur-
-.rs.s u re management L IS j Piay well
ao--hv -he efforts which have been put
MON r. = Is interesting. earnest. con-
ztrct-E-a pay which VIII he supported by
---se Who take serious interest II drama
zrE --ho care for something moro than
mere amusement
Professor Hasedo--. of Harvard. has
turned tke play into English He has also.
=r1 reedlessly i would seem, transferred
= Ecspe from the Old World 70 New Eng
and n doing this Il Ias oo-ious hat he
a-elld choose Salem for The place Of the
--zrspo-ted s-o-v- I is useless 70 ask why
: r-ayv-right should 90 10 Scandinavia for
: =-o-~ q Salem zrttchc-afT, because no
ro6v I'll answer the question On pre-
--9-s occasion The Eev Theatre vent TO
C4-ear Britain for Z. pay which Il presumed
80 present IS Z story % Ohio To-Day no
cne outside The management Of The house
-zn even guess Tilv. But Professor Hage-
dorm. M translator and sdap-er, and H
7ia-z-Jenssel, the author OF The Wltch-
z-e -ot called upon % bear the burdens OF
NJ EalSTor-hy and his edaPter: their o7T1
srsi-s are Sufficient for The hour
Tn= s-nr-. then. Is o. Salem II 1Ss-. and
- cen ge- = name resembling Hawthorne
-Iz-e Is AhSzl1-7l
Eatro-ne an elderly Puritan preacher.
hunter OF witches and there * : reverend
colleague % ms, : prosecutor Il I'll per
-auz against whom he has holy CtsEkes-
There Is Absa1o-s young wife Joan, =
-o~et- -51 y Portuguese pa1entage. and
p-rE 70 P---l-arisn IN he- makeup, =
passionate creature quite ou- O. place II
.-z- narrow P--t1z1 world There =
Preacher AbsaIcrn's son nv an earlier mar
-sEe Gsr-tel Ea-hcrne, VINO loves Joan
srd whom Joan loves. So that here
---1led Nth The pedantic ignorance Of that
me -cu have -he primary elements Of the
-@7 drama Joan * the witch. hut witch
~rzt- in her. Ike greatness IT others, IS
---1s- Upon her-
a bag sccused of v1-chcraft. and pursued
o- The tovnsmer. appeals . Joan for
=zte-v- Joan. knowing her husbands zeal
F-lIf-E L--E-l-L-sr -L-S o-4l+T-L4-
---e -ha shelter Tor which she pleads The
4-z-v witch takes % tilres- s-eninE. and she
-7--it7es Joan with the declaration that the
-s-fs mother Tss IN lsague with Satan,
aac escsued hanging only by the incerces-
-#o1 of The Reverend Absalon. Ello saved
r-- because q his love for her daughter
Joan. C;oodv TE-Iit.ock. the nag, having
c-7-eeI-1 herself II AbsaIom's dwelling, is
slceLil- hauled forth ana hanged But in
icy aresrhi-c spaces she has consigned the
.--eI-- Joan 70 z-itcterv high and low
WIT every third person Goes nowadays,
-e7 BOYS are expert operators OF the
-'--i-eIess-. when almost every che has
da15ls6 II srlrt-isr1, and most have for
AIKEN - when hrpnctiSn Is p-actIsed by
-ra -nTs-y and every kind gf new
-Hpuzh-- and mental science" is followed
is tens OF thousands: and the u2Ester-
.a-5 powers q -he human viii begin d-nniy
-o - uude~stood-That every third person
cars Quite openly nowadays would have
CONSUMED tie believers. or - any rate tI7e
"a --f-ionr-s 70 death by rope or water in
--.e time or our horored o-c not afTectionate
rz-re-s cf the Ne-- England shore. The
s-e-u Absalorl. pressed hv his fellow
--e1rherz. svows 70 nls son and wife that
~ I'D known Jcau's mother 70 ne gifted
~-i-z on ot hands. size could call distant
PERSONS 70 her presence by the exercise OF
-e- vii Joan bearing these revelations.
Is --g~h stirred. Tor she has powers. TOO,
I'D fes-s -ear she herself ma become 2
-5--r. %ere~--eless- she is curious enough
% --- n experiment. and that night she
-=us r7a- her lover. Gabriel shall come
Q nc rot.ec He comes. Sow the girl
.=z.rz 20 believe n no- own .'Eitchcraft''
s15 its cesdliness-
Summer passes, winter comes Joan gives
-e-sef 70 Gabriel IN his presence she
-t-~-z -le 7isn that AbsaIom. her husband.
---e 5eaG 50 that she might he free 70
--s-r- her lover Absalonl. returning
home sars tha- he has had prenonition
- cezrh. lie begs his young T-ife's pardon
to- having ms Tred her yoUrg life by join
N - rc his age. she turns upon him and
t1r-olsIv tzt1nts him with having robbed
ae- q happiness she recklessly fings at
h.- he facts about her liaison With his son,
or1e@ out a passionate wish for her hEs-
bands death. and the old mans weakened
nfar- gives Wav. Absa ION falls anG dies
r ne gray Of the morning the towns
fox hasten TO the preachers dwelling.
l-Ge1 by the aged mother Of the dead man,
and there they discover loan and Gabriel,
who have kept vigil by the bedside Of the
cc-pse. Joan is accused q having ~illed
he- husbauds death She is commanded 70
prove her innocence or guilt by the test
- GE.r --e tcS-- -psFS-ee