The San Francisco call., 1910-10-23
MARY MagdaIene"
A PLAY
By Maurice Mseterlinck. d.
New York. SI.20 net.

New York SI.20 net.
Maurice MaeterIinck had no plan Of
controversy with Eugene Walter when
he wrote his latest published play.
Probably he had never heard of The
Easiest Way when he constructed
Mary Magdalene." But Mary Mag
dalene" comes to US. in san Francisco.
as timely visitation. for the dis
putsnts over the Walters tenderloin
drama have not yet stined their ar
guments on the bromide issue of
whether or not the Walter heroine was
more sinned against than shining" a
point which Mary Nagdalene never
raised.
There is no sacriIege in comparing
Laura Murdock with Mary Magdalene,
and no literary solecism is committed
in balancing Walter against Maeter-
hnck. Both woman. the one fictitious.
the other historical have an obvious
relation. Both men are matists.
though the one is the realist Of the
Great White Way" and the other is
The Belgian Mystic At that they
are farther apart than their heroines.
The dramas. in their plan and place
ana development, are. of course, differ
ent Theater goers know the hopeless
end Of the Walter play. The trans
cendent glory Of Mary Nagdalene is a
phrase Her name is a common noun
for the repentant. About this tvpical
woman OF all literature Maeterlinck
mas written new play in a simple
form. The new play has just been
published and is bound uniformly with
Maeterlinck's other works. which is an
excellent plan most appreciated by
those who buy a Maeterlinck from time
TO time
In this play MaeterIinck is concise
swift eager. The play is in three acts,
and while there are a number Of char
acters, many Of whom are, like the
Magdalene, straight from the pages of
the gospels. there is but the single con-
nict between the redeemed Mary and
her lover. Nerus. a Roman tribune.
The decision of the woman is guided
by the supernal influence on her life
by Christ Maeterlinck has, in the first
act selected Mary Magdalene as the
woman found in adultery" She is
beautiful creature, the delight of the
young Roman officers. She is presented
first at the home Of Silanus, a friend
Of Nerus. the woman's lover. Silanss
IS an aged philosopher, and the sight
Of q young and beautiful woman. he
says. delights my eyes without en-
Cangering them The Magda lene has
had some rare Jewels stolen from her
house. She feels that the thieves
must be sought among that band Of
Migrants and prowleTs who have been
iDfesting the country for some time"
THE famous band of the Nazarene. .'
says Silanus
Even so" replies Mary. Their
leader i hear, is a sort Of unwashed
briGand who entices the crowds with
a rude kind Of sorcery and on the pre-
tense Of preaching some new law or
doctrine. lives by plunder and sur
rounds himself with fellows capable Of
everything. Besides" she continues. Il
have other causes to complain of them
Two days ago dozen wretches be
longing TO that band insulted me foulIy
and threatened me with stones"
Silanus, the old philosopher. has a
better opinion of the band. The de-
velopment shifts to other interests in
the drama but returns inevitably to
the movements Of the Nazarene. Sila-
nus relates that he has cured a leper,
Simon But" says the cautious Sila-
nus. II do not know that he was ever
sick. not having seen him before his
recovery"
Into the garden OF this splendid es-
tate Of the Roman philosophers come
ugly, ragged, diseased followers Of the
Nazarene. Then the voice is heard
over the hedge-"a wonderful voice
soft and all powerful. intoxicated with
ardor, light and love, distant and yet
near 10 every heart and present in
every soul" The voice begins:
Blessed are the poor in spirit. for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
The voice continues with the words
that we know as the beatitudes of the
sermon on the mount Mary Magda-
lene IS attracted by the mystery of the
voice She leaves her companions and
draws near the group about the Naza-
rene. who can be heard, not seen. She
leaves the garden. Suddenly the voice
IS interrupted by the loud shouts of fits
followers. Mary Magdalene is at
tackled. She rushes back through the
hedge, before flying stones. and the
voice is heard saying: He that is
without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her"
There ends the first act. In the play
we are brought in contact with Laza-
rus after he has been raised from
the dead, with Martha and Mary Gle
ophss and Mary Salome. We are
brought into a room with followers of
Christ on the night that he is to pass
through the streets on his way to Pom
thus Plate. The cruelty Of the world
has fallen upon Christ and his fol-
lowers Those sick and diseased who
establish their alibis. Outside the
window OF the room in which the re-
deemed AIagdalene stands surrounded
by the trembling followers of Christ,
the procession Of the divine passion
passes. Nerus. the Roman lover,
comes in. Mary Magdalene may save
Christ by a word. There is the height
Of the dramatic conflict
And TO return to where we started
there is the answer TO The Easiest
Way" however far apart the two
dramas may be in spirit, in environ
ment, in purpose. Probably it is not
fair 10 Walter. whose drama has
place as realism, TO call the Maeter-
linck play even an unconscious an
swer to the New York tenderloin
drama Mary Magdalene" is an anti
dote.
In itself it is a noble drama, won
derfui vitalization of those mystical
days when the pure influence of Chris
cfs. fr4tr