The Washington times., 1915-09-12
TWinkling Stars and a
Satellite or TzvO
By GARDNER MACK.

The turning Of the narrow. unstable
beam OF the spotlight of public atten'
ton to some other fair figure that Is
more saudy flesh than poetic inspira.
ton will serve to prove the eternal
freshness of the spirit OF the acting ART
which Sarah Bernhardt has maintained
more than half century.
The conventions of language which
differ 80 materially they would make
neighborinE peoples as strangers, are
transcribed only by the poetry OF
melody. of color or of the spirit of the
drama as acted by such artists as this
woman whose physical infirmities, Paris
dispatches declare. have at last cut
short her activity. Bernhardt could
have read her lines in Hottentot or
Hindustanee. che could have recited
the merest drivel of sound. but her
mastery Of human emotion translated
to action would have still made her
work understood as that of one of the
y greatest figures Of the world.
Bernhardt's art Is not the kind OF art
Of constant iteration to quicken it to a
I've thought. 1t was life itself. Like
Shakespeare. Goethe. Euripedes. Gar
rick. Macready. Irving, Siddons, Jeffer-
son-her name will occur to anyone
anywhere anytime when mention is
ence between fame and Immortality.
The penetrating power of an idea,
that Is threaded with persistence upon
the human mind Is given an apt illus
tratton In the person Of one Richard
Ordynski, the Polish gentleman whose
features can distinctly be seen by the
discerning few in the garish colors of
Gertrude Hoffman's production Of "Su-
,xnurun"-or the original Max Rcinhardt
production Of the same play.
ordynski is by way Of being news
paper man-to begin with. That is. he
began with it. He developed an in
Dowering when 1t came to matters of
the drama. For several years ne wrote
dramatic reviews-essays he calls them
for the Cracow newspapers. Then he
made trip to Germany and in Munich
came In contact with Max Reinhardt.
z topic Of general conversation among
the artistically inclined in Germany.
The foundations Of Reinhardt fame.
by the way. were laid in a cabaret. The
manager and several friendly artists,
actors. and musicians were accustomed
theater ideals. These were sometimes
shows in the cafe The proprietor Of
the place agreed once or twice to allow
his guests to try out their. ideas on
the other guests and gradually the
little trial shows developed into regu-
lar nightly performances.
Going back to Ordynski-in Munich
the Polish dramatic editor met and
learned to know and to like Reinhardt
-, l,ka t.,
iBorlin and was invited to attend re-
hearsal of a Reinhrdt production. Their
ideas were SO closely allied that they
became associated in production work
In Berlin. and the first production they
worked out fully and collaborated on
'ssrs orsynsSi nsSi' and Re,nhardt produced .
number Of other plays after the Ordyn.
ski-Reinhardt fashion, and then, trans trans
Srought IN af S:
country and produced 1t. He returned
to Poland after the production here
and remained there busily producing
Then he came to his eountryHsnt
last winter Gertrude Hoffman suggest
ed to him the production of Sunni
run In vaudeville. Ordynski was moi
inclined TO try it at first. but he, was
glad he lelented. The production he
made for Miss Hoffman, he states, II
much nearer the original Berlin pro
uction than the one originally made
here in 1912.
There is no book for "sumurun" The
whole thing must be taught the actors
by tho director. Ordynski undertook
the task, and according to critics. ha!
made q big success Of it. He is much
,ance in the part of the slave of Fata,
Enchantment" He plays the par. OF
the hunchback clown himself. A yourt
man, with big. original ideas, and the
daring to put them to public test. Or
dynski Is even now planning further
Ind more bizarre productions in -his
country when the vogue of "sumurun'
10 passed.
Speaking Of people who have original ina
country to carry them out. the person
ality OF Sylvester z. Poll is naturally
brought to mind. And attention ID
particularly called to, Mr., Poll by the
from Italy 20 the effect that the ktn4
IL about to confer on him the decora'
tion that will make him a Chevaliel
Of the ROYAL Crown!
lea who are Sc thoroughly American
in spirit or any Americans here who
are more patriotically Italian without
losing any of their .Americanism thar
Mr.. Poll. Mr.. Poll came to America
like many of his fellow countrymer
have come. as an immigrant seeking
his fortune. Also like many of his fel
low countrymen he embarked in the
business OF selling plaster. casts ol
sculptural art famous in his native
land and in Greece.
He became connected with a theatel
in a small way, and gradually worked
his way to the top of the amusement
business. At the present time he con
trolls the business of twentyone thea