New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-06
THE DRAMA
MaeterIinck's MARY Magda'
Iene" at The New Theatre.

-,
30 footsteps of many who have sought
dramatic inspiration in the spiritual aWah-
ching of the woman of Bethany More par
-;,-,la~lv does he follow after Mr.. Paul
z4axse the German poet whose play was
done into beautiful English verse and
enacted by Mrs Ffske during the sea-
Ion of Ien2-a2. In fact one Won
,5ere,5 before reading Naeterlinck's play
-,v h. thought ii necessary to write
-,lsv upon this theme with such a poetic
@arerrlnner already on his bookshelf In
-he preface Of ais book Naeterlinc6 offers
an exrIana ton He says that he has Dor
7nve6 TWO situations from Mr. Heyse's
dramatic scene in which Christ stops the
,,s~securion Of the Magdalene by the words:
let him that is without sin among you
cs=r he first stone and the second the di-
Iennr7a il which Mary has 10 decide be
--reer saving her Lord and giving herself
~ 8 Roman officer. He says that he asked
TIE German poet for permission TO develop
these two scenes. which he states are mere
u sketched in Heyse's drama but his re
r-ec-ful request was answered with re-
<usaI none TOO courteous and almost
threatening.
From -hst moment ] was bound 10 con-
s7der.~ Naera-lincl continues. that the
words from The Gospel quoted above are
is one Of those which occur pretty
frequently N dramatic literature"
Whether Naeterlincks defence could be
sustained II court Is not matter for dra-
matte criticism. SUITES 81 70 say that, with
re NO situations borrowed from Heyse-
= hfcr. = must be confessed, are the KEY
stones Of his arches-Maeterlinck has i'm
proved upon Heyse and his English
edapre- More intensely dramatic is the
development CT his situations, more keen
l. analytical are his character studies, and
more daring and equally reverent IS his
treatment Of he Christ But e he has
p~cHred N content ne has lost in form when
RS prose Is compared with the beautiful
hank verse OF Heyse's drama However. At
times Maeterlincks neIaphoricaI phrases
-iss 70 rhe nobility and rhythm OF poetry
70 poet could have been inspired by loftier
continents than Maeterlinck's Masdalene,
end If her thoughts were not expressed in
verse. they leave the effect Of poetry he
hind them.
Maeterlinck's play cannot offend the
,-hristian-it Is too fine fer that. L repre-
senrs The Christ by Voice which. in the
1-lrte1 PLAY a. least is much more effec-
ri~e than putting His words into the
mouths u Others, # the detection of
'hrist-s follovers-those whom He had
cured Of their Ils-is more general than
7ze churchn1sn has been accustomed 10 be
1fe~e. r'7e effect viii be more than counter
balanced by the LOYALTY Of the devoted few.
Va one can see this play without being
te-ter for i. For saint and sinner u Is &
boon The redemption Of the Magdalene
from : life OF prof7igacy and ease 10 the
devoted, consistent and TRANSPORTED fol-
lower Of her Master Is q wonderful tribute
spirit
Perhaps tbs supreme thought Of this play
= the abiding presence Of God-the fact
that He l. here always. although one can
not always see Him II is the Blind Man
Of Jericho whom Christ ras healed who
reveals 70 Mary III the crisis Of her uncer
vanity the presence Of the Living God The
Blird Man II posted in window OF the
cottage Of Joseph of Arimathea, within
-yl7ich Mary is having the supreme conflict
ui-n Ter71s whether or she viii sur
render herself to him the price of saw
ing her Lord EeT1s. OF course does not
understand: he thinks that the Man of
Nazareth IS his rival for the affections OF
Mary May Is no longer tempted as she
was tempted before the Master came into
her life. Her only concern * whether she
would really save Him ny her surrender
70 YerUs.
7 should perhaps sin against ali that
F4e, loves 10 save what I love- she says TO
Eer11s But He gives too much strength
% love and suffer ] could save Him in
spite q Himself. but no longer in spite OF
myself. IF I bought this life al the price
which vou offer. all that He wished, all
thar He loved would be- dead; cannot
!Iunge the fame into the mire 70 save the
larrp. / cannot give him the only death
7aat could touch them. Were ! 70
z-iald bur Tor d moment under the weight
OF love. all that He le7s said. al that He
has done all that He has given would sink
lack into darkness. the earth would be
more deserted than Il He had not been
born. and Heaven would be closed TO man
kind forever ] should be destroy
az Him altogether. destroying more than
Himself. 10 gain for Him days which
would destroy everything
Bur cen after the expression OF such
almost sr1perhur1an foresight, Mary listens
70 me arguments Of Ne-us. She fails 70
- clearly Hush. 7 Desefch you she
-s-- 10 Eerris. Leave me aloTe IN Ills
11lence ami II His xii. 7 do not Yet love
I7iu ~ He woulG be loved. In vain raise
ny ev-- % His Heaven Of light; I see only
Ilis d4arh. His sorrows His suffering
Efs steadfast tace, His eyes that lit
N al He looked upon. His mouth that
SPOKE 5nceas ingly OF happiness Ills
faer which I have kissed. lifeiess and icy
oCld- Terus. Ferus, have pity! l
,a--o- 1ea- II. / cannot bear it L am
falling To with ne what YOU viii
Te--1s catches her in his arms and ex-
claims -AfaZdalene. Magdalene. I
kew"
But a. The moment OF his touch Mary
springs back NO. you did not know" she
says There Is something else. There Is
wall there defended by the angels I
cannot pass IL.
Size again pleads for Eerus's Intervention
with his uncle. Pontius Plate She offers
&c pc his slave forever provided ne would
give Christ-s life without destroying IN
ny soul and throughout the earth tha1
which is the very life Of our new HE
verls IS adarnant- He sees the hopeless
ness o. his love and he calls In the multi
s1oe Of Christ's timorous followers to tell
them THAT Mary has betrayed the Naza-
reue.
They believe They accuse her OF recelv-
fng uaorlev and call her all manner or we
1aues- Not even Mary and Martha under
stand. Her companions would doupliess
have done her harm had not the SOUNDS
Of riot IN the streets reached their ears IN