New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-13
PLAY 1.-THE DEATH
OF TINTACILES"
Empire Students Try Mae
terIinck fo~ Their
Final Matinee.
BY ARTHUR RUIIL.

BY Arthur HI Ill.
Another interesting performance was
given Yesterday afternoon at the Empire
Theatre by the students OF the American
Academy Of Dramatic Art, whose matt
nees of late have come not FAR from full
filling the functions Of an intellectual
theatre.
Yesterdays was the final matinee OF the
year, and Maeterlincks The Death OF
Tintagiles" was chosen-its- first perform
ance in this country. according to the
programme, although, as q matter of fact,
It was played earlier in the winter at the
Fine Arts Theatre. in Chicago.
Even more than some of the better
known of Maeterlnck's plays, this creepy
ale CORY of the human fear and shrinking
from death-especally when il comes 10
take the youngest away-carries the spec
tator into Maeterlincks misty twilt
world of almost incorporeal spirits. The
drama is not that OF literal human beings.
who have lived at any definite time in any
definite place, but drama wholly spiritual.
Ygraine and Bellangere are but mother
love and siSter-love embodied in the
shapes of two medieval maidens in bro
caded dresses and long Maeterlinckian
hair. Tintagles is the child ruthlessly
cut off ere life has been scarce begun
the child Of oil bafed, unreconciled.
heartbroken mothers. And the dreadful
Queen, in the dark tower, whom the au-
dicnco feel all the time. yet never see,
IS Death. approaching silently. inevitably,
with a step nothing can stay.
bare hill overlooking the dreaded castle;
an apartment in the castle, whence the
Queens gray handmadens take the sleep
ing Tintagiles away from his sisters,
though they have put him between them
10 protect him, and his fingers are
clutched in their hair; and the top of the
dark tower itself. where Ygraine. trying
10 rescue Tintagiles. throws herself hope
lessly ct last on a closed door through
which she hears family the voice of
Tintagiles-a door without locks, and
smooth like the surface of a tomb.
While less adapted TO the theatre than
others OF Maeterlincks better known
plays. In the sense that il is almost with
out visual action. THE Death of Tiuta
giles is not calculated TO leave any spec
tator Indifferent, and it happens TO be
rather unusually well fitted TO such acting
as student players arc prepared to give 1T.
Given AN appropriate atmosphere such
as was eXcellently supplied at the Empire
yesterday. it is elocution that it demands
principally. the clear, melodious intoning,
SO 10 speak, of the curious. creepy poetry
that achieves its effect almost without
l 4 .I.,r
cTs. The voices and enuncations OF
young actors like these have been care
fully trained and have not yet had time
to be corrupted by the Indifferent stand
ards of the everyday stage. Their acting,
too, Is based on sound coaching. and its
weaknesses arc likely to be the under-ac-
cent Of the amateur rather than the over
/ accent and manlerisn5 OF the profess
sional. In short, they were qualified to
interpret such II work In manner more
satisfactory than might at first be eX-
pected. and. indeed. they did 80 present it.
and as TO violence when IL was called for.
the scream Of Ngrainc when she first
heard the faint Voice of Tintagies behind
the closed door, stabbed to the very mar
row of ones bones.
a rather novel entertainment was Of
fered by Miss Vida Sutton at the Little
Theatre yesterday afternoon in tho form
Of series of monoIogues. in which the
feminist movement was viewed from
various angles. Miss Sutton's scheme was
to give little preliminary talk on the
general social conditions OF different en-
vironmcnts and then TO drift from thih
into the conversation of an individual
supposed to be typical Of that neighbor-
hood An English factory girl. Paris
midinctte, a Bavarian woman cabbage
grower were some Of the types which
Miss sutton presented with appropriate
dialect and manner
Viewed merely as an impersonator
compared with other professionals. Miss
Sutton has plenty to learn. but her per
sonality Is both vigorous and ingratiatlns
and the chance thus offered TO talk, 80
to speak. with an agreeable and intcli-
cont Young woman on so many dinercnt
angles Of much discussed questions Of the
moment well worth taking.