San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14
By KENNETH MCGOWAN.

Copyright. 1898. by Tho San Antonio Light.
New York, Jan. 13.-The Russian in
vasiOn of New York advanced 10 its
final objective this week. After the
chauve-sOuris had laid down its fourth
barrage, broadway capitulated before
the concerted assault of the Moscow Art
Theater.
Concerted is exactly the word. The
Moscow Art Theater has not won its
reputation as the foremost playhouse
and acting company in the world be-
cause of any Bernhard or Duse in its
ranks. Through % years of indie
fatigible effort it has reached its
unique eminence by building up n com
pany that gives an almost perfect per-
Torrance in every part from the largest
to the smallest. 1t has created a great
acting machine. Theatrical people call
this an ensemble, but it becomes clear
err TO the average American if he thinks
of il in terms of the German war ma
chine or the Harvard football team at
its best.
The Percy Haughton Of this machine
is a gigantic Russian named Constantin
Standislavsky. twenty-five years ago
be was an amateur actor with group
of students and a "little theater" on
his hands. Another smateur-we may
as well call him another "highbrow,"
and be done with it-Ncmirovitch Dant-
chenko, who taught dramatic art-Join-
ed Stanislavsky in opening the Moscow
Art Theater in 1898 with an historical
tragedy by Leo TOlstois cousin, Alexel,
"Tsar FOyodor Ivanovitch." After. a
quarter of a century this same play in
PRODUCES the company TO a new audi
ence and a new world.
Gives Lesser Players Chance.
One single fact shows the character
and ideals that have won the Moscow
Art Theater its reputation. On the
first performance in New York neither
Stanislavsky nor the second most inn
portant actor, KatchalOff, was IN the
caste. Meeting the test Of the Broad
way death watch" this organization
used its second string men. They were
so good and every actor in the support
was so good that Stanislavsky went
blithely ahead TO show America how a
company of players could not only give
a repertory of scores of dramas, but
could give the lesser plays a chance
at the big parts and still show a mag
nificent ensemble.
The third night Katchaloff quietly re-
placed the actor, Mosykin, who had
played the tragically weak Tsar and
Stanislavsky himself took Luzhsky, s
place in the secondary part Of Russia's
great military hero, Prince Ivan Shon-
isky., The fact that each gave a some
what better performance than his
predecessor isn't at all important. The
important fact is an ideal of organi-
baton, an ideal team work, absolutely
alien to- the American theater-
tragically alien in fact.
The play itself is alien, but not so
admirable, To us it seems shadowy and
confused, just as Shakespeare's Rich
ard II" would be to Russians. The riot
Of Russian colors in the half-barbarian
costumes, Of the sixteenth century, the
Muskovite backgrounds, the pageantry OF
the scores Of players-each one a vivid,
individual figure-all this is brilliant
and exciting and full of the racial fas-
cination which has made such furore
in the performances Of the Russian
super-cabaret, the Chauve- Souris.
The heart of the production, however,
Is the performance given BY the sixteen