New-York tribune., 1912-03-12
THE TYPHO0N'
Play from the Hungarian at the
Fulton Theatre.

| the fulton Theatre for the frst uIIie III
New York, play that has passed tnroush
the capitals OF Europe and trailed comment
in its wake everywhere Written oy MeHS
hert Lengyel, Hungarian usually known
| as Melchior Lengyel bot the first rendering
of the name is correct Hungariar), Inc
| Typhoon" has been translated and adapted
| into French. German and English' III
| Berlin and Paris II has attracted the most
attention, especially. perhaps, In PARIS
where II was produced last OCTOBER AT the
| Theatre Sarah Bernhardt, with NJ. de Max
| in the role of Tokeramo. the secret ennis
sary of Japan The Irrins lace Thsat;e
| In Now York offered "Taifun" last De-
| cember i'm Germa... and both before ana
since then several translators and adapters
| have claimed the English speaking rights
of the play for production in America, for
| the reason that until recently, there have
been no international copyright arrange
ments between this country and Hungary
| BY priority of right, perhaps. or by ar
rangement of some kind. Walker Whiteslde
| managed to bring his acting version to the
stage in Chicago. and for several weeks
its coming to New York has been awaited
with interest
The version offered last night is the work
Of Emil Nyitray who translated it from
the Hungarian. and Byron Ongley who
adapted it for this stage. Mr.. Ongley is
known both as producer and collaborating
dramatist. lie was a co-author with Win
chell Smith in the writing of "Brewster's
| Millions" II will be a surprise TO play
goers i'm this city 10 learn that the adapting
of a European play to the American stage
has not involved the changing of the Ger
tain features that are usually moderated
or dropped altogether when II is produced
| here II is played to New York as it was
to Paris in its essentials and its spirit, al
though for various reasons changes have
| been made.
The scene of the piece is laid in Berlin
in the study OF Tokeramo. a japanese
statesman. sent to Europe on secret gov
ernment business. His associates live near
him and are under his direction. Tokeramo
his fallen in love with a German adventu-
ress, described by one Of the Japanese as
"A European Geisha girl" His Compatriots
| find this out, and one Of them warns him
to send her away. His duty to his state
| is paramount. He must have no other In
terest More availing than this warning.
however, with Tokeramo is the discovery
! that 1lona has deceived him. A scene
follows in which he makes an effort to
send her away, but fails to hold out till
she is gone. He calls her back and sinks
under her power. She disllusoned and
| scornfu Of him when she sees him weak
taunts him both with his loss OF control
! and with his race. In a sudden fury he
kills her.
His fellow Japanese. answering at once
! his telephone call for aid. come TO him,
listen to his confession and appoint one OF
themselves to take the punishment for his
| crime The youngest one Of them begs for
the honor OF serving his country in this
way. and the privilege is granted. Toke-
| ramo is on a great mission Japan cannot
| spare him till il is accomplished
The Oriental. Injured though he is 70
| self -repressio revolts at this sacrifice
but has 10 submit Nothing for self
| everything for country. is the law Of
| Japan He completes his work. but actual
| love for the girl whom he has murdered
| and remorse for his crime kill him as soon
| as the last stroke Of his pen has been
made and his government report Is ready
to send
In the present adaptation there are three
] dtlS. All OF WHICH lHhf Ild'f III wv sdil'V
scene-Jokeramo' study IN his Berlin suite.
! In the original there are four acts, the
| third being laid in the Imperial Assize
| Court I'm Berlin during the trial Of the
| young japanese. who has taken the crime
! Of Tokeramo on himself. This scene has a
meaning in the Hungarian which II could
hardly have here. Hungarians arc. as a
nation, hostile 10 Germany, and delight IN
poking fun at them The proceedings IN
| the Assize Court arc meant 10 show the
stupidity OF German legal procedure. They
also bring in a deal Of badinage about lllona
Kerner. the murdered woman. which. serl-
| ing 10 particular dramatic ends, would he
very likely TO offend audiences here.
| The information brought out in the third
act OF the original is revealed at the end
Of the second in Mr. Whiteside's version.
! This condenscs the play without detractng
either from the meaning Of the work as a
whole or from it's spirit
| What the playGoer takes away from his
| evening with The TyphOon' IS an i'm
preston that the Japanese code OF honor
| is a more selless unhuman ono than that
of the European. but far truer TO its Ideals
! This impression he gets, and parallel TO II.
| in the picture Of Tokeramos fall, there Is
| the realization that the japanese is as hu-
man as any one else where hts feelings are
aroused.
! There are some new aspects Of the ''ycl-
! low peril" revealed in this play, and from
what is, to this stage. \ new point OF view
! A Hungarian has unusual chances Of study
ing the Oriental sent on European mis-
sions in Budapest. as there is hardly a
| "a bigb has .laDanpgp
! colony. Moreover. Hungarians themselves
are nearer akin in feeling and spirit and 1t
sometimes seems I'm understanding. to the
| Oriental peoples
| Mr. Whiteside gave vivid picture in his
playing Of Tokeramo The aspect and even
| the small manners OF the Oriental, such as
| the expression and use of the hands. We're
very realistically reproduced. while the
| everything calm Of manner, with Its tense
| undercurrent Of feeling. was finely done.
| Florence Reed as the adventures had an
entirely different part from the one she
| delighted this city with in Seven Days"
| She was finely gowned for one thing-that
is. her costume was clever and descriptive.
Her acting was unusually moderate, but
with complete Illusion. She does very
genuine piece of character work as Illona.
| The others in the cast were fair.
CAST OF THE TYPHOoN"
| Tokeramo. o...............,..... Walker Whitcside
! Joshikawa. .................... Henry bergman
| Kobayashl hl....................Ric Richard Sherman
| UironarI Observation-Disclosures. Harold De Becker
Oma 81. ... Joseph Woodruff
| Yotomo mo.....................C Christopher Iosch
| KitamartI. ............... Kenneth :. Davidson
UattorI ..................... Carl II. Vose
ysmoshi .......... stephen Wright
/ uonotario Observation-Disclosures. Harry Bennett
| hmsmari. ............ .............. Andrew Buckley
| ,ti,.aLo Observation-Disclosures. Frank Nelson