62
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2
1
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI.“
Play in four aets, by Arthur
Schnitzler (English Version bv Hetty
Landstone) presented in a character
reading of rhe Jewish Drama League
at the Little Theatre, on Sunday.
February 13.
Chorus Bernard Benoliel
Pointer Edgar Norfolk
Sister Ludmilla May Haysac
Dr. Oscar Bernhardi
Walter Schoffeld
Dr. Bernhardi. Frederic de Lara
Dr. Kurt Meadows Tristan Rawson
Dr. Forrest Gordon Bailey
Dr. Vedder.. Fewlass Lfewelly'n
Dr. Adler Prank Cochrane
Dr. Cyprian Arthur Vezin
Franz Reder George Relph
Dr. Filitz A. E. Raynor
Dr. Stein Ivan Berlyn
Professor Flint ... Alfred Harris
Dr. Schriemann Hector Abbas
Dr. Meadows John Marfarlane
Dr. Wenger. Leonard Calvert
In presenting a character reading
instead of a properly acted perform¬
ance, the Jewish Drama League is
following the lead of the British
Empire Shakespeare Societg'’s read¬
ings at the Haymarkei Theatre. The
Viennese plarwright. Arthur Schnitz
Ier’s play, Professor Bernhardi,“
which was first produced in Berlin in
*
1912, has never before been scen in
England although it is well known on
the Continent. Miss Hetty Land¬
stone’s translation strikes onc as being
a good onc and the reading on Sun¬
day night whetted ene’s appetite for
a regular stage performishee.
Professor Bernhardi“ makes
special appeal to a Jewish andience,
for i1
deals with che bitter anti¬
Semitic feelings in Central Europe.
All che characters, except oue, ure
men, and most of them are the
doctors and professors in a clinie in
Vienna. The elinic has been provided
by Dr. Bernbardi, a Jew ofthe highest
integrity. He is an idealist who
labours solelz for his fellow men. The
bitter opposition at thie start has been
overcome by the execlienee of tho
work done atthe elmicel institute,
but owing to a humanitarian act. Dr.
Bernbardi finds himselt up against the#
clerical party.
A
Foung girl is
dying, but she happily imagines that
she will get hetter and is waiting for
her lover to appear. The presencc of
a priest would spoil her last illusion.
and Dr. Bernhardi verv gentig reinses
to allon the last rites to be adminis¬
tered. For bis act he 1s sente to
prison for 4wo months' for snerilege,
and one is made to realise thet the
sentence is brought abont ##
politi¬
cal imrigue. The priest, indeed, did
bis best atthe trial to prevent the in¬
Justice and oue of the finest things
in che play is the beautifully written
scene at the end in which the two
ien, boch idealists serring their iden
of right. pome to an understanding!
and shake hands.
The aclors read so well that aster
the first few minntes oue hardly
realised that thiev bad their books in
#their hands. Every part was finely
characterised. Mr. Frederie de Lara;
expressed the fineness of the uncom¬
promtising Professor Bernhardi and ho
made oue feel the sterling goodness
of thie man whose ouli fauit was that
he was a Jew. Particnlarlg good.
1oo, was Mr. George Relph’s digui¬
Flied appearance as the priest. Varions
doctors vere cleverlv individnalised
by Mr. Feulass Llewellzn. Mr. Frank
Cochraue, Mr. Arthur Vezin, Mr.
Tvan Berlen and Mr. Hector Abbas.
Mr. Gordon Baileg did exceedingie
well as Dr. Bernhardi's assigtant and
bitterest opponent in dhe Instinte, and
tiever studies came Trom Mr. Jolin
Macfarlaue, Mr. Loouard Calvert,
Mr.
Edgar Norfolk, Mr. Walter.
Schofield and Mr. Alfred Harris.
The play was direcied hy Mr.
Frederie de Lara and Mr. Bernard
Hellolft“! gesin I.1 Norif..
His L.
Mr. Jeronn
und
Hodder an
COHTUSSO
likes“
shows g
rend4
a
1
S
JEwISII DRAMA LEAGUE
* PROFESSORBBRNTTARDT“
Bv ARTHIUR SCHNTTZLER
ENGLiSi VERSIoN Er HErrr LANDSTONE
wel
WurrmonE HUnruREys
Dr. Oskar Bernhardi
she.
01
ON
Professor Bernhardi
ABRAHAM SOFAK
flat
Dr. Kurt
LD BECKWITL
gift
Dr. Ebenwahl
P CARLT
Dr. Tugendvetter
S8 LLEWE
VN
Dr. Adler
H. M
Dr. Cyprian
LAS RONS
Franz Reder
N LAt
Dr. Filitz
FINLAP CURI
Dr. Loewenstein
CAS
Professor Flint.
HESKETI PEA
Councillor Winkler
01
Endan K. Bu
Ab
As well tr#to sumnnarize the Dreyfus affair
in a paragraph as attempt a succinet. account
of this play. Bernhardi is a kind of Drevfus,
he:
a Jewish doctor who. for strietle professional
renson, stamdls between a dying woman und
her briest. She believes, mistakenly, that she
1
has been cured, and Bernhardi will not let the
priest undeceive her. There follows a vigorous
01
exposure of the methods of the anti-Semitie
ple
Wi.
Clerieal party, which makes political capital
out of the ineident, and if we are not of that
pet
1
parte we teel inelined to cheer the authon.
Car
Al the last moment, however, he sud¬
pla
denlg betrags too eager partisans by pointing
hei
out that a man less arrogant than Bernhard
micht have avoided all bis troubles. The hero
p01
ol theaifair is dismissed as “ an arrogant ass.?
of
This linal twist turns the play into something
va
perilonsig like u joke anned at the Bern¬
pel
Chardians, but what a dull joke! The piece,
an¬
already crammed with religions, political, and
Ba
Pethieal arguments, is further weighed down
with the administrative detail of a medical
ihr
institute; and most of the verbal confliets are
hat
as hopeless dramatically as that in which a
pla
loyal Jew and a loyal Catholie priest attempt
III.
to reconeile their religions dilferences. Mr.
00
Soiner conveged something of the pig-headen
W
splemdlour of the truculent. Bernbardi, but ih
u
rest of the acting was on a lower plane.
801
alt
SLIUD WFSTWINSTERbe