New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-22
"Only Because He Demanded Healthy Souls
OF Them Did Shlndberg Attack Erotc,
Unbalanced WOmen'-Mn1e Shindberg
Not Sinister Minded, buta
Lofty, Ascetic Soul, Was
Her Husband Reminds
CenceS of His Life and
Work.

more 70 the ideals upheld in TIL. coun-
try"
Nine. Strindberg is leaving for Chi
cago to take part in the celebration of
her husbands anniversary. January o.
THE Swedish colony OF Chicago, head
ed by Mr. Axel Josephson. who was my
husbands truest friend and who is now
the greatest authority on Strindberg,
are celebrating his anniversary By a
performance Of one Of his plays, The
Pelican / have been asked TO rccitc
from some of his dramas
When she returns 20 New York Nine.
Stfndberg expects to present, a. the
Little Theatre, excerpts from Strind-
berg's plays. She has ssked Lou-Tel-
legen. whom she calls IAN old friend" TO
assist her in these Sunday night per-
formsnces, subject TO the consent OF his
managers, the Shuberts.
"Strindberg was the originator Of the
little theatre idea" she explained. "As
far back as 1885 he sct forth his idea 90
such theatre in the preface 70 his
play Lady Julie and the Strindberg
Theatre, in Stockholm. was built ac-
cordinS 70 the demands of this new art.
The Arts Theatre, in Moscow. resulted
from this idea, as did Reinhardts KAN
merspiele.' | was amazed TO find the
little theatre idea had taken such
strong hold here. The architecture and
the acoustics % New York's Little The
atre are perfect, and Mr.. Tellegen and
are going to make good use of our
chance"
In spite of her versatility Nine.
Strlndberg is worry modest in regard to
her powers and bi. self depreciative.
u am Niennese, and all that We
know how TO do is TO love and 70 sing.
yes, and u cook. Please don't think Of
me as pedagogic or learned" and she
shrugged her shoulders slightly, very
slightly. and smiled
81 have felt as if could do such
wonderful things since | came here.
however" she burst out suddenly. "All
America pulsates with life and activity.
and feel as if just wanted to let
myself go and pulse with it, I am
just trying to keep pace with the coun-
try, and ! find il wonderfully eXhilarat-
ing. ! am planning so many things TO
do while | am here"
The most important OF these plans,
as she explained. was to present Strind-
berg in true light. Gle lived twenty
years ahead of his time" she said of
her husband. "Men are just beginning
to find out things he had worked out
years ago. When he talked of putting
plants to sleep people thought he was
crazy. and when he had written out a
careful study Of the nervous system of
plants they were sure OF it. But to-
day you will find some one else is work
ing on the same subject.
"0f course il is true that his mind
was impaired toward the end of his
life. But IL is no wonder when you
think of the pain and the privations
he endured, and OF the amount of work
he persisted in doing. He would work
steadily twenty hours out OF the
twentyfour, and day after day. The
strain was more than any human being
could bear"
When Nine. Strindberg was asked If
the great man had found mental COM
panionship in any of the three women
who bore his name, she smiled and
shrugged her shoulders again.
II ne tADtNLtu " lAiiu ~ iiC Noo -
disappointed in the first two that he
had given up expecting anything un-
usual by the time he married me-"
"But don't think he didn't appreciate
women" she added quickly. "He did;
but he felt that their minds were diff
ferent from masculine minds and that
their development lay in their being
distinctly feminine. He hated above
all things the woman who tried 10 be
like a man. To him it meant retrogres-
sion. not progress.
Here, where the mental balance OF
women has never been shaken by their
efforts TO gain recognition, the way to 1
Strindberg's conclusions will be shorter
and less painful. Mrs. Charlotte Per-
kins Gilman, Ida Tarbell and Mrs. Bel .
mont are some of the women have
met here who represent his ideal OF .
women. He demanded first healthy /
souls and that is what characterlzes
the big women have met in this coun-
try"