The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-07
NEW MOLNAR PLAY
SEEN AT BELASCO
Thc Phantom Rival" Adapted
by Leo Ditrichstcin and
Acted by Him.
DREAM FORM IS EMPLOYED
nREAM FORM IS EMPLOYED
"rhe Phantom Riyai'-At the Beia-co
Theatre.

Another play by Ferenc Molnar was
nsasco presented at his theatre The
p,,,,ou Rival" Leo Ditrichstein had
,isn.ei the play from The Legend Of
,,e Wo'g' and attention was called to tho
,,c, that the poruiar actor was appearing
a. A star IN the play. Playgoers who
,.nenAer his appearances In the past.
.o,sb,y IN The Concert" need not be
,,nluded OF MS Importance In any drama
I, which he appears. The audiences In
,ba past have always made a star out Of
~. ptrichsten. whatever his managers
may have done
He was last night both the star and
,,s adartor OF this new drama Of Mol
,ar, The play has been popular for sew
,-A years In the repertoire OF tine Hof-
h,,g ia Vienna and has been played In
o,h.r German cities. In It's free fantasy
,rd rs use OF a supernatural element the
ark Is highly Characteristic OF the dram
ATS, The play Is in the form of II
S-esm. although II loses no sense OF
yl,idness through this Characteristic. Its
form IL novel
Ito starting point Is the theory that a
woman always remembers with tender
hess her first love, whatever the adven-
,ures OF her heart may he later. A
tl,ous husband sees his wife bow to q
Stranger IN the cafe OF a hotel He Is an
GA friend Later he learns that this man
loved and desired TO marry her. although
tas took her accepted because she loved
in more In letter written TO her in
bis courtship he spoke OF his ambitions to
BE- one Of four men--a warrior. "A diplo-
nat, great singer or maybe valet.
The husband continues thoughtful OF the
nan his wife has met in the cafe and they
quarrel about him
The two are preparing for a soiree later.
The wife rests IN large chair before the
t-e II Is then that the scene changes
Suddenly ~ a ballroom Here appear be-
fore her the various lncarnations OF the
man who had declared his love for her
Best Quality Is Preserved.
NJ Dltrchsteln's expert transfer OF
the Hungarian play TO our stage had for
tindtely retained its finest quality and
that e the priceless gift of imaginat ton
TIE frst act, passing In the palm room OF
q hotel, enabled Nj. Belasco to reproduce
e he alone can one OF those photo
graphic scenes Of ordinary life which
furnished a background for episodes that
we're not always as interesting as they
might have been.
The discussion between an author and
IN actor as - the impression that the
trs love oi woman always leaves on
her life was sprightly. The jealousy OF
The husband when he entered the room
with his wife was rather overempha-
tlrel-especally In view of the later in
cdents which showed no necessity for H.
The opening of the second act revealed a
depressing return to this same theme
What had already been established firmly
IN the earlier episodes was repeated and
the jealousy motive promised to sound too
strongly for the good of the play. Bu,
with the beGnitng OF the dream, the
SPECTATORS forgot this eNaggeration and
lost Themselves In the exquisite fantasy
o. The episode that 1t revealed
TIE wife sat before the fire. Previ
eus.y she had heard n girl strummlnl
On the piano the opening bars OF the walt
Ny Hero from The Chocolate Soldier.
ms was taken up by a violin and theI
ty other instruments. so that It was ar
overwhelming flow OF Viennese rhythm
~ the time she had fallen into a dream
in the darkness that enveloped the stag
only her face was visible. When the llgh
cane agan she was in the centre OF
ballroom, Then followed the visualiza
Ton Of the letter which her former love
had sen, to her ana which she read t,
Ter jealous husband.