The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-12

strindberG's PIaSs.
Very representative Of the whole
tendency OF the modern drama Is the
fourtln series o. Plays. by AuGusr
SrRiNHBEEo t~Scribner's). Like Shaw.
Strindberg might easily have labelled
his plays pleasant and Unpleasant -
in which case this last volume would
belong TO the series pleasant" II
contains The Bridal Crown" a rustic
idyl of sweden; The Spook Sonata
one of the chamber plays originally
published in 1907. an intimate study
Of character and daily life. suggesting
Strindberg only in the las: scene be.
tween the young lady and the stu.
dent. where not only much of the
beauty and poetry OF S;rindberg APP
pears. as In the discussion of the
flowers and their symbolism. but some
Of the strangest Of his ~vagaries. such
AZ the cook who takes all the nourish-
ment out Of the food before her mas
tiers get Il. and the housemaid who
every day covers the penholdcr and
the inkstand with ink. To one who
has not studied the whole Of Str!nd-
berg this strange scene "a almost in
comprehensive: indeed one only un-
dcrstands II when II knows that
careless servants were partly account
able for the intermittent attacks Of
insanity from which Strindberg suf.
fercd.
The First Warning" is a one act
comedy, frankly photographed. saws
the translator. Edwin Bjoerkman. in
,hn t,y.fnNr In stisn ~ strisfAr nm
dertone ii is distinctly n comedy and
practically the only short. thing in
lighter vein written by StrindberG.
The fourth play contained is Gus
tavus Nasa." an elaborate historic
drama Of King Gustavus I. OF Sweden.
who has been Rightly called the father
OF his country and the builder OF
modern sweden. The translator says:
The king as We find him In this drama
IL a wonderfully vivid and faithful re.
construction OF a grea, man that has writ
him>cl; in large letters on the map OF
hts country. Hut he Is also a symboiiza-
sion 81 - type that will always remain
one OF tho mos; fascinating OF all that
pcopi. the earth: that OF the ruler who Is
price that mus, be paid for its fulhlment.
The problem OF StrindberG's play might
be said 10 be this: granted such q mission
how msch has a man the right to pay
FOR its proper fulnlnent- His
ambiguous Vet tremendously significant
answer seems to he: Such II man has the
right to do whatever his mission demands.
even though IL may 20 agaIns; his grain
"a an individual. bat he must be humid.
about, 4: and not confuse himself with
Providence" Gus;avus is humbi,d and
mad, to snnNy moi, ba,Yusa Of fhis ~ chat
act hut because OF an inclination to COM
slider his own mission the only ono In
sight.
This last play has drawn grudginy
approval even from ~Strindberg's worst
enemies among his Countrymen, and
the play has repeatedly been revived.
particularly in connection with the au-
thor's siNtieth and sixty-third birth
day anniversaries in 1909 and 1912. The
play il said 10 have been performed
over a hundred times in Stockholm
alone n to have been given a num-
Der Of times in German theatres with
striking success.
lbsen has said. "A man shares the
responsibility and the guilt Of the So
ciety to which he belongS.' This
idea il the motif Of so much OF the
modern drama that one must take IL
we'll into account in reading Str!nd-
'erg. No II can understand the real
dramatic work Of this age. the work
of such men as lbsen. IIauptmann.
Strindberg. Maeterlinck. Brieux, Shaw.
Gorky, Galsworthy. Sudermann and
Barker. without taking into account
that they have al. locke upon the
stage az an educatiye force, Socic,v
il the tyrant OF the world ana the
dramatists Of the day. have looked
upon their function as that of being
educators OF society. Tols,oy said:
However differently in form ,eor,. h.
longing to our Chrlstian world MAY de.
fine the destiny OF man: whether they see
4; In human progress In whatever sense
OF me "ord'' In the union OF all men in a
''a''.e rea'm or IN the establishment
49, o. 81. ""s'nsr .nss look f"r'
,nin,,c. 80 an. Nm,,r.a, "n" u"aer ,he
Grafton Of the world: however ysr,ons
In form their definitions OF III. des,,na,,on
OF human life may be. all men in our
i!n'es already ADM: tina: the highest well
ee'ns a,.a'naole by man i't - be reached
% Inc Union win one another
II was Henrik 1bsen who as early
n" 1850 pointed out that 1t val an
established fnct that dramatic art 10 the
m oat !mportan. factor In the education
of tho people. on obvious explanation
OF which fact 10 10 DO found in the
arnrnaIs Intimate n direct relation
Nh IN nIiA -v>- IT,