The New York herald., 1922-05-03
Mem Strindberg
Battle of Sexes
in Creditors
All the Peculiarities of Swed-
ish Dramatists' Work Seen
in Latest Offering.

August Strindberg's Creditors" after
some delay reached the stage of the
Gpeenwich Village Theater last night.
s~rhe delay in reaching the metropolis
was somewhat greater since the drama
IS dated 1889 and the representation last
night is said 10 have been the first here.
A1 the pecuiarities of the Swedish
playwright which his previous works
have revealed are to be found In
Creditors" which like Miss Julia"
"Pariah'' and The Stronger" also
specimens of the Strindberg theater
seen here are attributed. by his disciples
to the naturalistic period of the drama
tist,
z The scene Of "Creditors'' is a small
summer resort on the seashore, although
this scene was not suggested last night.
There are but three characters,
painter who has resolved to exchange
his medium of expression for sculpture,
a teacher OF dead languages and
woman who writes novels. 1t is alto
Gether conceivable that any emotional
crisis might make itself felt in such
an exotic menage. For the woman has
been the wife of both men, Her first
husband was stronger than she. so
saved himself The painter allowed
himself to be swallowed up in her pre-
ponderating selfishness and was lost
to the world. He literally died when
The play was at its END.
OF course the piece plays, but anothe:
variation on the ceaseiess battle of the
sexes which Strindberg read into all re
latlons between man and women. The
is the devouring angel who uses man
Tor her own purposes and then throws
him aside to seek further satisfaction of
her personal aims.
The dramatist sees woman in her rela-
tion to man just as Max Nordau claimed
that Richard Wagner did. She is the
overwhelming, preponderating evil in
fluence who will inevitably crush all
life out of those who love II they once
cease the struggle against her. In The
Dance of Death" which the Theater
Guild acted two years ago, there was
an elaboration Of Strindberg's theory of
marriage. 1t was not, however. so one
sided. The man was strong enough to
struggle.
In Creditors" they are two husbands
to whom she owes so much--the teacher
who has been away from her for years
finds his successor alone in the little
resort. He impresses on him among
other things the degree to which his
wife Is making him the object of her
WILL The incredibly penetrating OBJ
servations of this stranger help to con-
vince the sick man of the extent to
which the wife has sacrificed him. He
tells her this when she comes back to
him fro mthe city in speech that he
admits is five minutes long. 1t seemed
much longer 70 the audience.
But as a matter OF fact Creditors
seemed infinitely longer than it really
was which is popularity OF most OF
the Strindberg works that have been
seen here. That is a trait moreover OF
most plays in which there IS such a
rreponderance Of words over deeds
whether they be in one act or four.
Last night Creditors" was played In
three divisions 1t seemed as il Back
~ Methuselah' might have been given
in the time they occupied.
Maurice Browne and Miss Ellen Van
Nolkenburg are mere or less accom-
pliShed elocutionists who revealed no
! AauseC of impersonation from the begin
ming of the play to the end. Reginald
Pole. who played the husband of the
heroine. did succeed in imparting some
sense of character to his role. OF all
, playwrights that are occasionally
brought here from abroad Strindberg
would seem to demand expert playing
Yet the plays usually fall into the hands
OF the incompetent.
"The Constant Lover" by ST. John
Hankins, with Charles Webster and
Janet Young. opened tho performance.