New-York tribune., 1921-03-06
By Katharine Wright


An amusing operate ola podrtdra will
Be presented to an American audience
at the Metro politan Opera House next
Wednesday evening when a German
opera by a Czech composer, based on
French play in an Alsatian setting,
turning on the murder ef Feiish jew,
will be sung in English, the leading
part being in the hands of South
American Indian.
"Ths Polish Jew" has III interesting
history. Ths melodrama "Le Juif
Poionais," based ON Erekman- Chat
rian's novel. was first played at the
Theatre Ciuny, Paris. in 1853 next at
the Gazette and the Porte Saint artin
shsaters. Finally it reached the Come
die Francaise. where Got made much
Of the principal character
An English version, "The Bells"
made by Leopold Lewis, was first acted
by the late Sir Henry Irving at the
Royal Lyceum Theater, London, No
vembsr 25. 1871, and ran for l5l con-
secutive night In his "Reminiscences
Of Henry Irving Bran Ssoker has this
to say about the London productions;
"No successful play, perhaps, had
sver had SO little done for it as The
Bells on its production. Ceisnei Bate
nan did not believe in it. and it was
eRiy the coacatenasioH Of circum-
stances OF his own desperate hnaRcia-
condition and Irving's rrofound belief
IN the piece that induced him to try it
at all. The occasion was In effect
somewhat analogous to Edmund Kean's
first appearance at Drury Lane; the
actor came to the front and top of his
profession per saltum. The production
vas meagsri Of this | can bear GER
tain witness myself When Irving
took eve-she management Of the Ly-
scum into his own hands the equipment
Of The Bells was enc of the assets
csming to MIN When he did play it he
used the old dresses, scenery and prop
arsiaa. and their use WAS continued as
american tour of 1888 's4 fifty-hvs per
9ormances m all constituted the entire
wear and tear.
"0n our hra. expedition to America
everything was packed In a very cum
orous manner; tho amount of timber.
nails and screws used was extraordi
nary. There were hundredweights of
extracted screws on the stage Of the
Star Theater of New York while the
unpacking was in progress. When
came down to the theater on the first
morning after the unloading Of the
ssun Arnott, who was in charge Of the
mechanics Of the stage, came to me
and said.
Would you mind coming here a
moment, sir. l would like you to see
somethins.' He brought me to the
osck OF this stage and pointed out 8
long heap Of rubbish some four feet
a'gn' 1t was just such as you would
ass tn che waste heap Of house
wrscker's yard.
What on earth is that?' asked
That is the sink and rise Of the
vision In THE Bells" In effecting a
VISION on the stage tho old method used
% to draw the back scene from
.o0ss or take It down through long
nap on the stage. The latter was the
method adopted by tho scene painter
Of THE Bells"
Did it meet with an secidentr I
asked.
Ma. sir. It simply shook to bits
'sss - you see it 1t was packed up
surs and screwed tight like the rest
examined It carefully. The whole
.s'u wac simply rotten with age and
r' as thoroughly worn out as the
seon's wonderful one-horse shay In
onssr Wendell Holiness poem. The
s' had been almost held together
sas overlay Of paint, and a. for the
.s0a It was cut and hacked and pieced
sssth; full Of old screw holes and
~ Aslss. No part Of It had been Of
sex or canvas when 'Th~ Bells