The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28
Reviewed by WILLIS STEEL.


Sons.
Reviewed by WILLIS STEEL.
When Richard Ordynski. who be-
came we'll known here as the stage
director for six years OF the Metro
politan Opera House but returned to
his native land at the end of the sea-
son 1920. paid a flying visit to New
York this summer he told OF the won
derful work done during the war by
the various theatrical organizations of
Poland. Actors to a man enlisted UNI
der the national colors and actresses
to a woman served in the hospitals
and. canteens. AS if a day in the
trenches or in hospital service was not
enough. the players used when night
came to put on their costumes and
paint and give in improvised play
houses entertainments for the SOL
diers. They began this work volun-
tarily and were never too weary from
war to carry It on; later it was or
ganized by the Government and the
players gave themselves as freely and
cheerfully
1t is pleasant to remember this
splendid thing in favor Of a group of
people who N a recently translated
presented with scarcely a redeeming
trait. Wladyslaw Reymont Is a recog-
nized favorite novelist in Poland: the
book which first appears in English
to extend to us his fame, called 1.-THE
Coincidence" had vogue there and
will interest readers here, but it's mar
row view of character as affected by
the footlights cannot fail to disap-
point. However. in the behalf of the
author it should be said that he wrote
1t long before the war and his view
now Of actors may be greatly softened.
"All women of the theatre" he says
in the mouth Of a philosophizing char
acter in his novel, "are hysterical, and
the men, whether great or small. are
Inconsistencies. Their tears, their an
gers and their hatreds are all momen-
tary and their loves last about a week.
at the longest. 1t Is the comedy OF
life of nervous individuals, acted a
hundred fold better than that which
they present on the stage. for it is
played instinctively."
Janina, the heroine Of the novel. In
a brief experience. lasting but one sea-
son In a summer theatre In a provin-
cial town, whittier she had fled to
escape from a dictatorial father (the
latter only a sketch but a living
sketch), found these harsh words Bit
terly true. With her ideals destroyed,
her ambitions thwarted, cheated even
Of her meagre salary. debased by con-
tact with immoral women and de-
graded men, she rings down the cur
tain on her short career as q come
dienne" by a draught of 1essence of
vinegar" 1t was a sad If short ex-
perience, one that runs contrary to
the needs of the movies and should
interest mothers who are In need of
arguments for quelling the enthusiasm
of stage struck daughters.
Unhappiy for the authors chance
to become another or second Sien-
kiewics." at least as widely read in
English. the story If specially true to
what he may have seen in the pro-
NlIlCldl tHtdtTc III EOidnQ Is HOl u
general truth. He has as great con-
tempt for playgoers. It would seem,
as for those who endeavor to amuse
them. Perhaps you think, madame,
that they come to hear and admire the
play? Oh, no! They come here to
display their new clothes. have supper
and kill time" With the passing of
the weeks Janina came to share this
view of actor and audience The pub
lie was Indifferent to the quality of
play and came to the theatre to
amuse itself and laugh; II hankered
FOR clownishness and the circus. The
stage now appeared to her as a real
arena for the feats of clowns and
trained monkeys. At last she was I'M
able to separate the unitarian aspect
of poetry, painting, music. literature
from their purely artistic one. "All
artists played. sang, and created only
to amuse that vast. brutal mob"
It is said that during the German
occupation OF Warsaw the officers of
that army were obliged to read a GER
tain number Of Reymont's books in
order to gain a notion Of the psy-
chology of the Poles. A modern reader
not In the army. would make a poor
selection of this author II he chose
for this purpose The Coincidence"
The book is written by a practised
hand. It shows genuine creative abil-
ity and even eloquence. 1t Is not mere
ly readable but fascinating. The fas-
cination. however, Is akin to that one
feels when looking at wriggling coil
Of snakes In a glass cage; it is what
we call "unholy." After reading the
book ore reverts mentally to Wilhelm
Meister" and "Capitaine Fracasse."
both classic tales OF theatrical life.