New-York tribune., 1911-12-31

MAN REINHHhDl Dl'
land or on the European Continent. "hoiIS
new because there is only one Reinhardt.
His style is exclusively his own and he IS
still too recent to have imitators
What is Reinhardt's art? 1t is not that
of the playwright nor has he founded any
new school of acting. He, literally, pro
duces" PLAYS and il is in his method OF
production that his art and his genius lie
A plav that you have seen a dozen times
AS set by stage managers hitherto will be
an entirely different play as set by this
man. He conceves a drama or tragedy
not as a thing that should truthfully re-
nect the details of the daily life but as
something that should gather up a distinct
impression or harmony of impressions
which the scenery, costuming and acting
should create for the spectator. The idea
and impression are more vital than the
wording. "Sumur0n," for instance, is
wordless and unlike a pantomime in this
you do not miss the words. Music some
times accompanies the action throughout.
Hollander's music courses through Sum
ur0n' like hot desire. Humperdinck's pure,
elemental tones accompany the enormous
twelfth century religious spectacle The
Miracle" which Reinhardt has just oro-
duced at Olympia. London.
For his revolt from all stage conventions
and precedents Reinhardt is called Sc
cessionist Yet there is another and as
good a reason for this description Of him
fn that his stage settings tend to be strik-
ingly like secessionist architectural kind
of architecture which, as Reinhardt has
rightly OWNED. belongs on the stage and
not in the streets.
To give an example of his kind Of imag-
ining a vivid description of the opening
scenes of Sophocles's "Edipus." as pro-
duced by Reinhsrdt in the Circus at Ber-
lin a year ago. may be quoted from an
article written for THE Theatre Msga-
zine" by Eva vom Baur, young American
writer who was present at the opening
performance of this remarkable work. One
end of the great covered arena, In which
there was no stage IN the ordinary sense
nor footlights, was occupied by large
simple Greek palace, the broad steps of
which led down into the ring. The audi
ence banked high. surrounded the arena
on three sides. There was no curtain. THE
first surprise OF the performance" says
Miss vom Baur, was to find ones self in
Egyptian darkness out of which rang, clear
and loud, a clarion trumpet call. Then
four 1.-the youths, clad in the altogether and
bearing their torches on HIGH ran out from
the centre entrance opposite the stage, up
the vast steps, to kindle the calcium lights.
resembling ancient altar fires, that stand
at either side OF the palace. Where and
how these youths then disappear one
doesn't notice as the attention is dis
tracted by a rumbling that is neither thun-
der nor the rolling of ninepins-a rum
bling that has too many tones too many
dissonances, TO be mechanical. Louder 1t
grows, nearer It comes and with It a jost-
Ing, seething gray mass OF human beings
that pours into the arena through thee
entrances. Their inarticuiate cries and
walls grow more intense. pierced here and
there by the sh~ieks of a woman or the
groan of a mans voice; they finally
concentrate into insistent demands for
OEdipus. 1t is the plague-ridden people OF
Thebes, come to beg for succor at the pal
ace OF the King. Their voices penetrate
the heavy palace walls. Gdipus himself
comes out TO answer them. Hand over
eyes. he steps out upon the platform before
his door and gazes into the darkness OF
the pit in search OF the author of his sum-
mons. Thus they discourse. the King and
his people, he in his majesty towering
above them, they in their misery standing
below. He promises them aid; they turn
and leave him, murmuring encouragement
and hope, the one and the other: the strong
carrying the weak the less afflicted sup
porting the dying"
From the text of the classic play this
scene may be imagined. But no one ever
put IL on the stage before. 1t is always
acted according 10 the classic model. SAL
vinis son. who last spring gave this play
in the ruins of the fine old Roman smphi-
theatre at Ftesole. near Florence. made Of
this scene merely a dialogue spoken be-
90 the steps of the palace. the conventional
creek chorus occasionally interpolstins
sheir chant
Reinhardt's point is that in order 10 give
his modern audience an impression similar
10 the one Greek audiences got from the
classic method of presentation he must in
terpret the play by different means The
modern playgoer, he feels. is more quickly
appealed 10 by broad pictorial effect and
by simple impressionistic art than by
wordy expos!tions or arguments. And in
cidentally-js this part Of his ambition
his plays by virtue OF their expressiveness,
independent OF the wording. become inter-
national You do not have to understand
much of the language in which they are
given in order TO gain the impression they
are intended TO convey.
Max Reinhardt. though he has originated