S S
25. ProBernhandi
Se Ga#dolonwe
For —
DURRANTS PRESS CUTTINGS,
St. Andrew’s House, 32 to 34 Holborn Viaduct,
and 5 St. Andrew Street, Holborn Circus, E.C.l.
Telephone: CITV 4963.
Cutting from the
a Kag
—1927
Dated November
Address of Journal.—
DIE IN PEACE.“
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: (A Comedy in Five Acts): b)
Arthur Schnitzler. Translated by H. Landstone. Faber
and Gwyer, Ltd.: 6/.
This is more of a drama than a comedy, and we think such
a description to be a misnomer. The subject handled by Arthur
Schnitzler (whose“ Beatrice and Other Tales“ made such a wide
appeal, and whose skilful dissection of the human mind when
suffering from strong sexual and other emotions will be remem¬
bered) is a delicate oue.
Professor Bernhardi has under his care in the hospital a
young girl, who thinks she is getting better, and is completely
happv. The Professor knows she is doomed. He decides that
rather than let her realise her death is inevitable, as she would
if the priest came to visit her, he will forbid the priest admis
sion, and let her die in peace. His action causes deep feeling
amongst his colleagues, and the subject is fiercely discussed, and
sides taken. It is obvions that such a controversy is pregnant
with possibilities, possibilities which are not lost when Arthur
Schnitzler is the stage-manager. The verdict goes against Bern¬
hardi, but the priest admits to him privately, that, as à doctor, he
acted absolutely correctly, and also was not actnated by Jewish ani¬
mosity towards the Catholie Church.
As the publishers state,“a remarkable piece of work, but
we wish Arthur Schnitzler had written a beok on this subject
rather than this little playwhich however, grips, and has some
dramatie and möving episodes, as ehen the girl whispers“ Most
I really die?“
ANON.
box 31/4
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI.
Comedy in Five Acts. By
Arthur Schnitzler. (Faber and
Gwyer, London. 6s.)
With the exception of a character¬
reading given in February this year
at the Little Theatre by the Jewish
Drama League, this play has not yet
been acted in England, though it was
first produced in Berlin in 1912 and
has been played in most ofthe larger
towns of Germany and Austria.
The scene is laid in Vienna in the
year 1900, and the highly original
plot hinges on the action of Dr.
Bernhardi, the director of a hospital,
who refuses on one occasion to
allow a priest to give the Last Sac¬
raments to a dying girl. It is made
quite clear to the reader that the
motive for this refusal is not medical
caution, not religious prejudice—Dr.“
Bernhardi is a Jew—but a kind of
Humanitarianism.
The patient is certain to die in a
very short time, but she feels quite
well and happy, without the slightest
idea that death is imminent. The
doctor, imagining that the priest’s
visit will spoilthis happiness, refuses
him admission to the ward. There
is a discussion, in the course of
which the doctor places his hand on
the priest’s shoulder to detain him.
Almost at once another doctor an¬
nounces that all is over—and the
priest at once departs!
The remainder of the play deals
with the intrigues and machmations
of the Director’s enemies and rivals,
who, to gain their own private ends,
use this incident to bring about his
downfall. Anti-Semitism, political
intrigue, personal spite, ignorant
popular indignation, and a badly con¬
ducted trial cause the Director to
be imprisoned for“ Sacrilege, and,
incidentally, obscure the real issue
of the plav.
It must be admitted that the char¬
acter of Bernhardi is well-drawn, and
admirable, that the dialogue is clever
and convincing, that interest is well¬
maintained: but nothing can redeem
the enormous technical howler which
allows the priest to depart without
giving at least conditional Absolu¬
tion. And there are not wanting
little touches in the dialogue which
will offend Catholic ears; little signs
that a mild form of Jewish propa¬
ganda is being smuggled into the
plav.
The publisher’s “ puff“ on the
dust wrapper puts the problem thus:
whether it is better to die in peace
(in the ordinary sense) or at peace
(in the theological).* That, how¬
ever, is so far from being the prob¬
lem of the play that it is not a proh¬
lem at all, once you understand its
terms.
The translation (by Hetty Land¬
stone) is, so far as we can judge, ad¬
mirable.
One wonders, in conclusion, why
the Jewish Drama League alone
should have essayed to introduce this
play to the theatre-going public.
25. ProBernhandi
Se Ga#dolonwe
For —
DURRANTS PRESS CUTTINGS,
St. Andrew’s House, 32 to 34 Holborn Viaduct,
and 5 St. Andrew Street, Holborn Circus, E.C.l.
Telephone: CITV 4963.
Cutting from the
a Kag
—1927
Dated November
Address of Journal.—
DIE IN PEACE.“
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: (A Comedy in Five Acts): b)
Arthur Schnitzler. Translated by H. Landstone. Faber
and Gwyer, Ltd.: 6/.
This is more of a drama than a comedy, and we think such
a description to be a misnomer. The subject handled by Arthur
Schnitzler (whose“ Beatrice and Other Tales“ made such a wide
appeal, and whose skilful dissection of the human mind when
suffering from strong sexual and other emotions will be remem¬
bered) is a delicate oue.
Professor Bernhardi has under his care in the hospital a
young girl, who thinks she is getting better, and is completely
happv. The Professor knows she is doomed. He decides that
rather than let her realise her death is inevitable, as she would
if the priest came to visit her, he will forbid the priest admis
sion, and let her die in peace. His action causes deep feeling
amongst his colleagues, and the subject is fiercely discussed, and
sides taken. It is obvions that such a controversy is pregnant
with possibilities, possibilities which are not lost when Arthur
Schnitzler is the stage-manager. The verdict goes against Bern¬
hardi, but the priest admits to him privately, that, as à doctor, he
acted absolutely correctly, and also was not actnated by Jewish ani¬
mosity towards the Catholie Church.
As the publishers state,“a remarkable piece of work, but
we wish Arthur Schnitzler had written a beok on this subject
rather than this little playwhich however, grips, and has some
dramatie and möving episodes, as ehen the girl whispers“ Most
I really die?“
ANON.
box 31/4
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI.
Comedy in Five Acts. By
Arthur Schnitzler. (Faber and
Gwyer, London. 6s.)
With the exception of a character¬
reading given in February this year
at the Little Theatre by the Jewish
Drama League, this play has not yet
been acted in England, though it was
first produced in Berlin in 1912 and
has been played in most ofthe larger
towns of Germany and Austria.
The scene is laid in Vienna in the
year 1900, and the highly original
plot hinges on the action of Dr.
Bernhardi, the director of a hospital,
who refuses on one occasion to
allow a priest to give the Last Sac¬
raments to a dying girl. It is made
quite clear to the reader that the
motive for this refusal is not medical
caution, not religious prejudice—Dr.“
Bernhardi is a Jew—but a kind of
Humanitarianism.
The patient is certain to die in a
very short time, but she feels quite
well and happy, without the slightest
idea that death is imminent. The
doctor, imagining that the priest’s
visit will spoilthis happiness, refuses
him admission to the ward. There
is a discussion, in the course of
which the doctor places his hand on
the priest’s shoulder to detain him.
Almost at once another doctor an¬
nounces that all is over—and the
priest at once departs!
The remainder of the play deals
with the intrigues and machmations
of the Director’s enemies and rivals,
who, to gain their own private ends,
use this incident to bring about his
downfall. Anti-Semitism, political
intrigue, personal spite, ignorant
popular indignation, and a badly con¬
ducted trial cause the Director to
be imprisoned for“ Sacrilege, and,
incidentally, obscure the real issue
of the plav.
It must be admitted that the char¬
acter of Bernhardi is well-drawn, and
admirable, that the dialogue is clever
and convincing, that interest is well¬
maintained: but nothing can redeem
the enormous technical howler which
allows the priest to depart without
giving at least conditional Absolu¬
tion. And there are not wanting
little touches in the dialogue which
will offend Catholic ears; little signs
that a mild form of Jewish propa¬
ganda is being smuggled into the
plav.
The publisher’s “ puff“ on the
dust wrapper puts the problem thus:
whether it is better to die in peace
(in the ordinary sense) or at peace
(in the theological).* That, how¬
ever, is so far from being the prob¬
lem of the play that it is not a proh¬
lem at all, once you understand its
terms.
The translation (by Hetty Land¬
stone) is, so far as we can judge, ad¬
mirable.
One wonders, in conclusion, why
the Jewish Drama League alone
should have essayed to introduce this
play to the theatre-going public.