II, Theaterstücke 25, Professor Bernhardi. Komödie in fünf Akten (Ärztestück, Junggesellenstück), Seite 212

e enenenseenhanngmna

That she trinoplm in the long run be her vern
Ho represents, no decht, a certain trend schich bad ite
Iinitations, and that family ties attach the temporarily
beginning in Ibsen, as tine direction taken Da-II. Enlenberg
faithless, is a connnon experienee. But in the current
was perhaps infiuerred 7y D’Annungio. The Mele
welter of New Moralities these truisms are apt to be over¬
Schidnke mnust not be taken too serionslg, nor do chey
looked. Beyerlein does a service to that section of tho
represent the best that Eilenberg enn do, A lunnourist,
pülblie to whom his work appeals in presenting the truth,
for example, would scareely have chosen t# title for tese
though not perhaps the whiole truth, of a triangular situn¬
little one-net pieces. The best of the four is Die Oesch¬
tion. Hemakes areal effort to get to the heurtof the matter,
wister, in wbich Paul and Paula beving madle a füli mutual
t0 go as deep as he can, or as deeplas his public can follow
confession, as each supposes, of former frailtie-, pre Sud¬
him. To unjesting Tolstoi asking“ What is Art?'' onc
denly confronted, sile with a# Jetle? Faul, and he
might replg. Art is for each man just so much as he can
with a“ little? Paula, out of their respective pasts. Die
understand of universal design. In that sense Prauen is
a work of art.
Welt mit betrogen werden refers to the world of art,
and a faked“ Reinbrandt.“ The farces are in rhyined
On a considerably higher level is Der Munn im Saupfeur¬
couplets of varying length according to the moodl sug¬
kasten, wllich also seeins to mark a reaction in favour of
gested. They are pleasant to read, und prove how rich
wholesomeness. Thie man in tie prompt-box is a stage¬
in divers tones is the instrument upon which Eulenberg
struck youth who gives rise to legends of a ghost, by' lis
80 skilfully performs.
habit of walking the boards and comnposing plays afterthe
The vigorous talent of H. H. Ewers is independent of
closing of the theatre for thenight. He is discovered bjethe
style. His works run into double-figured editions, and
leading lady with the inevitable sequel. He has his
are translated into many langnages, though probably not
succes d’estome, tlience develops into popularity, aspiros
more than a few dozen English readers are acquainted
to the hand of Corelli, who has ouly been the director.
with lis name. He belongs to tho “echt Deutschen,?
wife in name, and all ends happily with marriage bells.
for whom the grotesque has a peculiar appeal. Das
There is a delicate and delicions flavour about this coinedy.
Uundermädchen von Berlin, the second of two published
It is neither farce nor burlesque, nor ang otlier substitute
plays, of which the first, Delphi, appeared in 1906, presents
#forchagennine artiele. Frau Wieselin, mother of
acherseter in shieh ing'stie elements morge into the sensual.
Heinrich, whose one desire in life is at last to feel that
Luise Braun, the miracle worker, the Grüfin ida Hahn¬
she 7e his mother; Angiolina, whose“ noble profile'' is
Hahn, and others are historical personages, and though
eclipsed by the youthful charms of Corelli, and whose
Ewers disclauns any attempt at historical pedantry, his
carcer is marred by devotion to her child; the fat, jollz¬
rendering of the atmosphero of 1848 is admirable. IIe has
director llimself, man of thie world and man of business,
hardly perhaps succeeded in the central figure, whiose
get with a very human side; all these and others are
Jekyll-and-Hyde reality was surely stranger than any
true comedy figures. In a word, Rittner, too, is ovidently
fietion. Luise’s developinent from a Wundermädchen to
one of those who love mankind. It is humanity again,
a light o'love ends on a melodramatie note, wllich is hardly
above all, that hias given to both Schnitzler and Gerhard
in keeping with therestraint of the carlier scenes. But tho
Hauptinann their assured niche in the temple of drama.
teclmical excellence of a dramatist who ranks pre-eminently
The peculiar gentloness characteristic of these writers is
as a novel writer is reinarkable.
displayed in the Festspiel and in Projessor Bernhardt.
Hauptmann’s attempt to place the German nation as pro¬
Space serves mnerely to mention the amusing Ver¬
tagonist upon the stage, compared with any of our pageants,
tauschte Seelen of W. v. Scholz; a successful“ big bow¬
in wllich class of drama it naturally falls, is, of course, as
wow? by Sudermann, Der Beiller von Syrakus; some
pleasant diminutive dramas, something in the vein of Mr.
wine unto water. Many things are said wittily, many
beautifully; and the crowd mofir, always attractive to
Maurice Baring, Der spielende Eros by W. Schmidtbonn;
A. v. Kalllenberg’s ambitious and partially censured social
Hauptmann, is skilfully used. Ho divides his stage into
drama, Der Kaiser: Schönherr’s effective and popular Eyde;
three parts, one above another. Below stands the director,
wlio takes out of his box one puppet after another, with
and, lastly, as in dramatie duty bound, the strange queer
satirical commment upon each, as they are about to appear
Franziske of Wedekind, half eriminal, half Madonna, a7
Wundermädehen indeed.
in large upon the second stage. The third and highest
compartment represents tho temple of Eros, to which
the whole nation in union is bidden to aspire by Athene
Deutschland. Without entering into the controversy
to which thie Festspiel has given rise, one may place it at onco
asliterature amlong Hauptmann’s second best. His imagina¬
tion was perhaps applied more earnestly to the form than
the substance. Technically it is interesting, and the dis-t
satisfaction felt in some quarters with his treatmnent of the###
great theine may have been due in part to his unconscions
aversion from an imposed task.
Tlie new Schnitzler,' on the other hand, has evidentli¬
St
been composed con amore. The doctor type is onc of hisg.
notes, und in Projessor Bernhurdi we have no fewer thanife
fifteen nnedical men, all nicely differentiated, from Bernhardi# #
himself, pure man of science, or the assistant Wenger,g#
whose acunien is independent of a bedsidlo manner, to theife
verririste, Flint, who has used thie profession as a stepping¬ v
stone to the higher things of an Unterrichtsminister. Inthelos
latter capacity he has the deciding influence upon thel'
a#ere Bernhardi, but ambition carries tho day overige
friendship. Bernhardi’s rejection of the priest Frank
Reder from a dying girl’s bedside has offended ih
tho powers that be, and Flint has undergonej sc
the subtle change that alters judgment in theiwi
official mind. Though one of the powers, he is h1
impotent on behalf of an unpopular cause. Ssveralj pi
of the doctors, including Bernhardi himself, are also Jews,
of
and elerieal opinion is further affected by anti-Semitie
st
prejudice. Sister Ludmilla, the nurse, a minor character,
G
represents the whole female interest in this astonishing
01
play. It has certain points in conunon with Mr. Gals¬
86
worthy’s Sirce, particularly the crumbling up of theig
problein in thie conclusion.“ What will be the end of! R
this ?“ said a character in an old play; and anotheri#
answered,*Tewill be no end.%
b.
To pass fron writers who are becoming classies, thefee
theatre has niso a supreme attraction for C. Sternheim, Ii.
whio has already somne half-dozen plays to his credit, andr.
is feeling his way to further developments. Bürger Schippel p.