Ludmilia
111
Cotton
Keunin
Vdier Retton
Oskar Bernhurdi
Lconard Sache
Professor Bernhardi Threham Solder
Dr. Kurt Felder
John Stobart
Professor Ebenaul
Siiton Dale
Protesser Tugend.Graveieg Edwards
Dr
Adler
Den Gemmell
Professor Cyprian
John Garside
Father Reder
Bernard Mercfield
Servant te Professor Bernhardi
David Duncan
Dr. Fenermann Peler Ashmore
Professor Filitz Noel Howlett
Dr. Lowenstein Mag Adrian
Dr. Flint
Ronald Adam
Dr. SchreimannReginald Jarman
Dr. Wenger.. Raf de la Torre
Professor Felder
harles Maunsell
Conncillor Winkler
Alan Wheatler
Attendant at the Ministr of
Education Philip Ashleyr
The plag produred br Heinrich
Schnitzler.
The play is a drama of official
Iife in Vienna, and ihe two lend¬
ing characters, whose conflict of
ideals provides the drama, are a
Jewish hospital director d a
Catholie priest. A girl in the hos¬
pital is dring, but is happilz un¬
nware of her condition. A pious
nurse, however, has summoned a
priest, who dulv arrives to ad¬
minister to the dring girl ihe con¬
solations of the Church. The hos¬
pital director, Professor Bern¬
hardi, prevents him Trom doing so.
saying in effect:
The girl is
qutte happr. The sighit of vour
reverence will onlv territe her. Lot
her die in peace. A few moments
later the girl dies, and the priest
withdraws.
A
mischiefemaking
evening newspaper publishes a
highiscolonred version of the inci¬
dent. and Vienns rings with the#
scandal. The anti-S. eite feeling
in the eitg forces the dismissal of
Bernhardi and his trial on a
charge of
religions obstruction.
He is found guiliy and sentenced
to two months’ imprisonment. In
the end, however, a libera lminded
Minister of Education sccmns to
promise his reinstatement.
Arthur Schnitzler. who died in
1931, was a great dramatist, and
he made a fine play of his story.
The broad humanity of the doctor
in conflict with the tremendous
metaphysical mission of the priest
offered an enthralling studv, and
Schnitzler seemns to have handled!
it with equal fairness and passion.
He also provided if with a back¬
ground of political and professional
pettiness and self-secking which is
as dramatie as the main storg. The
political place-hunter dare not be
sincere. Such appears to be the
moral of this phase of the plav.
Ouly political amsteurs blurt ont
their private opinions,?
remarks
oue of the cynies in thie story, and
even in London it all scems to ring
immensely truc.
While the play was in rehearsal
at Hampstead somcone discovered
that the anthor’s son, Heinrich
Schnitzler, was in England, and
he was immediately bronght in to
supervise the production. The re¬
sult was a performance which
seemed to do justice to the
anthor’s intentions. Ncedless to
say, Abraham Sofaer made Bern¬
hardi a figure of perfect realism.
The character literallg Dired beforc
us in every mood and moment.
Equallg interesting was the priest
of Beruard Mercfield. The fine
manners, the good motives, and
the intellectual subtletics of the
man were all brought out with a
really notable art. In the final
scenes Ronald Adam gave us some
enjovable glimpscs of a Minister
of Education who scemed to pos¬
sess not only much worldlg wis¬
dom but a good heart and a sense
of humour, and who scemed as
racy
Vienna as“ The Bluer
Danube.? Anne Cotton playedthe
small but important part of the
nurse with the required decision:
and most of the remainder of the
cast contrived to infuse an eflective
touch of personality into their
work.
Heinrich Schnitzler, who had
watched the performance from à
scat in the stalls, appearedf
upon the stage at the end of in
evening, and was introduced to the
andienee br Mr. Adam, and given
a great round of applause, Which
he briefly and thankfullg acknow¬
ledged.
Altogether, a very interesting
evening.
EXTRAOT FROM
CORK EXAMINER,
Cerk.
1 800N 1036
Data.—
LONDON THEATRE.
An Interesting Drama Of
Controversy.
London, Wednesday Night.—Most of us
have always thonght of Arthur Schnitzler as
assoclated solelv with the tender, melancholy
love sighs of Old Vienna. It is a very diffe¬
rent Arthur Schnitzler who confronts us at
the Embassg in* Professor Bernbardi.“ for
in prirate lite the dramafist was also a
deeter, and# #e this plar proves, a keen
controversialist.
Professor Bernhardi
starts with the supreme advantage of “being
abont something.
It is particularly inte¬
resting, it not necessarily agreeable. to
Catholics.
The argument. reduced to its simplest
terms, is as follows. Professor Bernhardi.
the Jewish director of a Viennese hospital,
refnses a priest admission to perform the
last rites for the dring on the ground that
the patient has no iden that sheris dying.
As a doctor, he argues, his duty is to secure
a happv death-bed for the patient. TThe
sight of the priest would make her realise
that herense is hopeless. And while the
argument is proceeiling the woman dies.
Then, bit hy bit, all Vienna, where politics
abound, is set in an uprour over the cnse.
From a small ineident conducted with
courtesg on both sides,
it
becomes an
Tobstruction of religion and leads all the
anti-Semitie forces to oppose the doctor.
He is brought to trial, imprisoned for two
months, and we leave him as he is releasedl.
The play. like life. has no final settlement.
It lilts the curtain for a moment to show
us a world of intrigue and then it drops the#
curtain and we go away convinced that ihe
intrigue will go on till the end of the
chapter.
Dr. Bernhardi“ is unlikely to stand a
chance of commercial success, but it js
nevertheless, easily the most interestirg play
that the Lmnbassy has produced for a long
wchile. It has a ring of truth, it is written
from the inside. and the characters are seen
in the ronnd. The stagecralt shows a master
hand. A play for the intelligent adult.
Happily Heinrich Schnitzler, the dram¬
atist’s son, was here to take charge of the
production, It is a fine one and he has got
the best outgof the company. Mr. Abraham
Sofaer is excellent as the Jewish doctor.
and he has mannged to subdne his tremen¬
dous volce, personality, and presence to
what one might call drawing-room pitch.
le never forces anvthing, he never plavs for
sympathy, he indulges in no heroies, Ile js
first class. There is a very long ease with
only oue woman. Many people should be
mentioned, and if Mr. Alan Wheatlev. Mr.
Ronald Adam, and Mr. John Garside secmed
to shine with partienlar brilliance, it may
have just been that ther had the best parts.
Every one was good.—A. E.
7
1
111
Cotton
Keunin
Vdier Retton
Oskar Bernhurdi
Lconard Sache
Professor Bernhardi Threham Solder
Dr. Kurt Felder
John Stobart
Professor Ebenaul
Siiton Dale
Protesser Tugend.Graveieg Edwards
Dr
Adler
Den Gemmell
Professor Cyprian
John Garside
Father Reder
Bernard Mercfield
Servant te Professor Bernhardi
David Duncan
Dr. Fenermann Peler Ashmore
Professor Filitz Noel Howlett
Dr. Lowenstein Mag Adrian
Dr. Flint
Ronald Adam
Dr. SchreimannReginald Jarman
Dr. Wenger.. Raf de la Torre
Professor Felder
harles Maunsell
Conncillor Winkler
Alan Wheatler
Attendant at the Ministr of
Education Philip Ashleyr
The plag produred br Heinrich
Schnitzler.
The play is a drama of official
Iife in Vienna, and ihe two lend¬
ing characters, whose conflict of
ideals provides the drama, are a
Jewish hospital director d a
Catholie priest. A girl in the hos¬
pital is dring, but is happilz un¬
nware of her condition. A pious
nurse, however, has summoned a
priest, who dulv arrives to ad¬
minister to the dring girl ihe con¬
solations of the Church. The hos¬
pital director, Professor Bern¬
hardi, prevents him Trom doing so.
saying in effect:
The girl is
qutte happr. The sighit of vour
reverence will onlv territe her. Lot
her die in peace. A few moments
later the girl dies, and the priest
withdraws.
A
mischiefemaking
evening newspaper publishes a
highiscolonred version of the inci¬
dent. and Vienns rings with the#
scandal. The anti-S. eite feeling
in the eitg forces the dismissal of
Bernhardi and his trial on a
charge of
religions obstruction.
He is found guiliy and sentenced
to two months’ imprisonment. In
the end, however, a libera lminded
Minister of Education sccmns to
promise his reinstatement.
Arthur Schnitzler. who died in
1931, was a great dramatist, and
he made a fine play of his story.
The broad humanity of the doctor
in conflict with the tremendous
metaphysical mission of the priest
offered an enthralling studv, and
Schnitzler seemns to have handled!
it with equal fairness and passion.
He also provided if with a back¬
ground of political and professional
pettiness and self-secking which is
as dramatie as the main storg. The
political place-hunter dare not be
sincere. Such appears to be the
moral of this phase of the plav.
Ouly political amsteurs blurt ont
their private opinions,?
remarks
oue of the cynies in thie story, and
even in London it all scems to ring
immensely truc.
While the play was in rehearsal
at Hampstead somcone discovered
that the anthor’s son, Heinrich
Schnitzler, was in England, and
he was immediately bronght in to
supervise the production. The re¬
sult was a performance which
seemed to do justice to the
anthor’s intentions. Ncedless to
say, Abraham Sofaer made Bern¬
hardi a figure of perfect realism.
The character literallg Dired beforc
us in every mood and moment.
Equallg interesting was the priest
of Beruard Mercfield. The fine
manners, the good motives, and
the intellectual subtletics of the
man were all brought out with a
really notable art. In the final
scenes Ronald Adam gave us some
enjovable glimpscs of a Minister
of Education who scemed to pos¬
sess not only much worldlg wis¬
dom but a good heart and a sense
of humour, and who scemed as
racy
Vienna as“ The Bluer
Danube.? Anne Cotton playedthe
small but important part of the
nurse with the required decision:
and most of the remainder of the
cast contrived to infuse an eflective
touch of personality into their
work.
Heinrich Schnitzler, who had
watched the performance from à
scat in the stalls, appearedf
upon the stage at the end of in
evening, and was introduced to the
andienee br Mr. Adam, and given
a great round of applause, Which
he briefly and thankfullg acknow¬
ledged.
Altogether, a very interesting
evening.
EXTRAOT FROM
CORK EXAMINER,
Cerk.
1 800N 1036
Data.—
LONDON THEATRE.
An Interesting Drama Of
Controversy.
London, Wednesday Night.—Most of us
have always thonght of Arthur Schnitzler as
assoclated solelv with the tender, melancholy
love sighs of Old Vienna. It is a very diffe¬
rent Arthur Schnitzler who confronts us at
the Embassg in* Professor Bernbardi.“ for
in prirate lite the dramafist was also a
deeter, and# #e this plar proves, a keen
controversialist.
Professor Bernhardi
starts with the supreme advantage of “being
abont something.
It is particularly inte¬
resting, it not necessarily agreeable. to
Catholics.
The argument. reduced to its simplest
terms, is as follows. Professor Bernhardi.
the Jewish director of a Viennese hospital,
refnses a priest admission to perform the
last rites for the dring on the ground that
the patient has no iden that sheris dying.
As a doctor, he argues, his duty is to secure
a happv death-bed for the patient. TThe
sight of the priest would make her realise
that herense is hopeless. And while the
argument is proceeiling the woman dies.
Then, bit hy bit, all Vienna, where politics
abound, is set in an uprour over the cnse.
From a small ineident conducted with
courtesg on both sides,
it
becomes an
Tobstruction of religion and leads all the
anti-Semitie forces to oppose the doctor.
He is brought to trial, imprisoned for two
months, and we leave him as he is releasedl.
The play. like life. has no final settlement.
It lilts the curtain for a moment to show
us a world of intrigue and then it drops the#
curtain and we go away convinced that ihe
intrigue will go on till the end of the
chapter.
Dr. Bernhardi“ is unlikely to stand a
chance of commercial success, but it js
nevertheless, easily the most interestirg play
that the Lmnbassy has produced for a long
wchile. It has a ring of truth, it is written
from the inside. and the characters are seen
in the ronnd. The stagecralt shows a master
hand. A play for the intelligent adult.
Happily Heinrich Schnitzler, the dram¬
atist’s son, was here to take charge of the
production, It is a fine one and he has got
the best outgof the company. Mr. Abraham
Sofaer is excellent as the Jewish doctor.
and he has mannged to subdne his tremen¬
dous volce, personality, and presence to
what one might call drawing-room pitch.
le never forces anvthing, he never plavs for
sympathy, he indulges in no heroies, Ile js
first class. There is a very long ease with
only oue woman. Many people should be
mentioned, and if Mr. Alan Wheatlev. Mr.
Ronald Adam, and Mr. John Garside secmed
to shine with partienlar brilliance, it may
have just been that ther had the best parts.
Every one was good.—A. E.
7
1