The evening world., 1911-08-22
Ihke New PlMM6
&K Uinspred Reading 2EN
M&N Of "Osdipus Rex" MEx
~Y\ In LDing Place. xS
~ CHARLES OARNTON.


6UST hat NmateI JOhn T. KeHerd 10 hT ophOcFs at us NJ o. a cIAr
August sky tn programme didn't say. What 1t did say was that this was
the hrst performance In Few York In English of "o~Apus Rex" . state.
msnt chiefly interesting for the fact that this strange event ook place 81 the
Irving Place Theatre. wheret things usually ire done In German.
Meanwhile Fourteenth street went Its neghborng ray. nosny, gaarnCy
and frskny. so blinded BY Its W electro blaze hat II apparently failed to see
the spirit Of Sophoces. reduced 10 English. lowering over IN snsdowy corner
fourteenth stree could hardly b expected to change ns lively gait
And anyway there was nothing to grow excited about. II a lew author had
BEEN dealing with Incest and family troubles of a peculiarly complicated nature
II would ~ been different II course.f For then TIT sensitive public WOULD have
felt in duty bound to become aroused. III sophocies Is aecepted-or forgotten
which Is muoh III same thing. A reverence FOR ancient things is not TO be
questioned. Like the hills. OF the priceless antique shop It endureL
was notaoe. nss n last of all, Tor 1t weird collection o. prs legs. Mr.
Kslerd. though completely encsssd, n a bit unsteady on mn as he stood on
he steps leading up to the extremely modest looking palace. lie chung to those
steps for dear life He detained from them, he stamped up he torered down.
or pitched about with his royal robe in full SAIL
Both beauty and dignity were thrown to the winds. Why. There are just
two courses POI to ar Intelligent producer OF a Greek taxdy-to give tho
play With stht adherence to all the traditions and conventions Of is own day,
or to convey It's spirit N animate tn whole with thu breath OF life by mod.
ernhAns he action and the acting. As Max Ranhardt hs lone, ! take Il. in
elaborate production o. "oedpus Rex" att The Manhattan opera-House.
II wa To- ito be expected. Of course. thai Mr. Kened would accomplish Spec
tseuiar wonders in his production. shn W. could lot be reconcusd to III alb
enc II diGnihed beauty. thu essential quality Of a Greek play. with n o COM
p0oatng sWftness of moveme to atone. for II.
Fol the nrst hour IN performance was like n uninsphed reading, m the
pain Of listening to two actors labelled Senators talking loudly ate ach other
narrowing . watching Mr. KenGds legwork on the sArs.
The factors had a advantage over us-they could nov aoout occasionally.
II sit for two ours or more without being stirred inwardy cramps one.s soul
aod body It's hard. dull work. BY "a Of relief lastn night tn tired spectator
could wonde why Oedipus wal pronounced with te Ions q or why % much
individuality was shown In the pronunciation Of Zeus
90 far A. volume of sound was concerned. Mr. enerdsv voice wasn't in 1t
with tho others Once DR. twice HI ovsrstraned It, leaving the impression that
no ~ It his best in queter moments 1t as evidently Miss Lillian Kinss'
bury, - Jooasta. who tempted Mr. Kensrd to let himseto out That tremendous
sosns in which oedipua by his W insstent questioning. learns the terrible
trth about himself car never wholly lose its souiscarrng horror. tut the
crude violence Of the acting OF this unnterestn occasion all but destroyed It's
wei Miss Kingsbury who suggested a smal-town society reader" display
ing hsr very bsstm manner. a quite impossible
Aubrey Roucicault a. the messenger who noun Jocastas suicide and
Osdpuss bloody mutlauon of himself vas very dr-r-ramanc. ~ he at least
stood GU - a actor who can sct He had little composition.