New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-04
A HAUPTMANN PREMIERE
Quaint Old Village Of LAUGH
stedt, Where ''The Flight Of
SChiIIing" Was Played.

sticking point, Gerhart Hauptmann pro-
duced his play. 'The Flight Of Gabriel
Schjlling," in the little old Goethe Thea
ire. in I.auchStedt Ku-ort. near Berlin.
Iauptmann has q curious-in Germany
they call It a comical-reticence about
bringing his work for the first time be-
fore the keeniy critical public 10 when
alone his plays appeal. In 1903 The
Flight OF Schilnng'' was finished, hut the
playwright put IL away in mis- MANUSCRIPT
drawer fearing that It might need mel
lowing. OF that perhaps in some way u
cid not carry It's point.
When TIE production was finally an
uounced for a day last June the inner
circle" gathered from all parts of the
empire and invaded the little eighteenth
century village, which, for picturesque
reasons only, was chosen az the scene OF
the most important premiere Of the year.
IauptInann followers and those who dis
ike him but find pleasure in exercising
their dislike critics from all the leading
newspapers and periodicals and the intel
rectually elite in general formed the au-
dience before whom the celebrated play
wright. sitting In the royal box. with his
heart in his throat, saw his psychological
Some called It pathological--tVe-ac
drama produced. But Hauptmann de!ib-
lerately writes for these special audiences
and does not complain of their interest
Lauchstedt itself formed az pleasant q
setting as dramatst could well WISH
for the first view Of his play. II Is
Nttle bath on the IAucha, not far IRON
yhe town and university OF Halle-in turn
rot far from Berlin Goethe and Schiller
drank at its springs and took their rest IN
It's quaint little park.
10 reach Lauchstedt one must take
train from Berlin and pass through Haze
The tourney takes less than ar hour Inc
quiet little village IS set In lo"-iyihs
country. Even its main street Is unfre-
-ouented and it's marketplace, into winch
the main street leads. is as sleepy as tue
round church tower that blocks the view
At the end of the old square There IL
r.at a new building III sight All are Ola
and .xst4ea- all have been standing
there since long before Goethe and Schil-
Ie- used to walk past them arm in arm
u seems as though the eighteenth century
were permanent IN Iauchstedt
one turns left from the marketplace ana
comes upon A number OF little houses
which were, and are. the pavilons con-
rected with the baths. They are Gil az
they were IN the old days. stancing there
urder 4 thick, green roof Of trees. Not
"a. nail is changed I'm them, they still have
I'm original labels ana signs that de
ccrinea the use Of each. The Old lists OF
,s-oes Of visitors. still there, reveal the
f3c+ that the first families OF Germany
aven including Duke Karl August were
eab,.ual PATRONS of the baths during their
high season a promenade OF chestnut
and linden trees was MADE near by for
the exercise o. the patients, and one can
imagine aorso OF rooocc ladies and gem
.lernen trolling up and down there in
the TWILIGHT and in the rustung Of the
lleaves fars-' he hears the low tones OF
\ heir talking The old Brunnenhaus.
)yhere coffee used to De served, IS now
ycslltd the Kurhaus. Coffee is still served
\ sere-conee made after the Saxon fash
ion
IN front Of the KuThaus, on peboly
rad. runs the healing stream OF the
sprinR. Of the magic power OF which
Sottsched has said. Perhaps the quiet,
Derve-soothing place had and still has as
much 10 do with the cure as the waters"
Il was under one OF the very lindens
now standing on the promenade that
Schiller first declared his love for Lotte
Simple and unde:orated, like everything
IA. Lauchstedt, is the theatre that stands
on the rim OF the park not far from the
nathhonsea II was built without the
cunning of any one architects plan. II
vas put up Just &c It happened. Tho
auditorium seats at the most four hun.
dred, and long white garden benches
form the not too luxurious sccommoda-
/, IONS. A balcony, divided into boxes, runs
around the sides and back Of the theatre
hTps ceiling is frescoed, and on either side
% the drop are painted vases OF roses.
The only source of light ia the old days
was a six.forked chandelier hanging from
he centre Of the ceiling and fitted with
candles Now the house is electric light
I'd. The acoustics, a. often in old wooden
buildings, are wonderful The place has
lShs resonance OF an old violin, 30 clearly
does the spoken word come back from
che stage into the rounded auditorium.
In the early eighteenth century, when
The village was celebrated resort, the
$heatr1cal companies resident at Wetmsr
we're obliged to play guest season" at
lLauchstedt during the summer months.
and for this reason the theatre now stand
ing wac built Goethe was directly re-
sponeible for the erection of the theatre,
tie partly financed the enterprise and
conducted the artistic end of II later on.
Goeths's ideals about the theatre were
nigh, and he stimulated the Weimar actors
70 do better work under his direction at
the baths than they were able TO attain
during their regular season IN Weimer
Surrounded by strangers" he told
them, land playing TO new public--a
public all Of whom are mentally devel-
6ped to n high degree-you should make
"A leap ahead In artistic expression and
return TO Weimar refreshed and i'm.
proved"
In July. 1909. they played "The Bride
Of Messina" with real thunder "a ac-
compartment Schiller sat IN box and
barely survived the ovation ne received at
th6 end OF the play. When, later in the
night, he was In his room getting ready
to sleep, a horde OF students from the
University Of Halle, who had been at the
performance broke into his house. dressed
the poe1 and dragged him out to hall
near by, where, under his leadership. they
made speeches and sang songs till dawn.
Following tradition In this respect,