S 8
25 PrBernhandi
EXTRACT FROM
KILBURN TIMES,
4, Cambridge Avenue, Kilburn, N. W. 6.
19 JUNE 128
Da“¬
—
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI“
ATTHE EMBASSY
A wonderful translation of the Austrian
play,“ Professor Bernhardi,“ is attracting
large and interested audiences to the Em¬
bassy Theatre at Swiss Cottage this week.
Ir presents an intriguing problem which
commands attention, despite the fact that
the piay has little action, and is based on
discussion of the right of a doctor to deny
admittance of a priest to a dying patient,
on the ground that his visit will prevent
her dying in happy oblivion of her ap¬
proaching end.
Although the doctor’s motive is not actu¬
ated by any religious feeling, the fact that
he is a Jew arouses racial and political
quarrels ithat have far reaching conse¬
quences.
The play finds no solution for bridging
the abyss that has been widened by the
passing years, but it provides some strong
scones and gives a new outlook on a ques¬
tion that is never long in the background.
The very fine acting of the clever cast
makes the play one that can not readily be
forgotten and the production will live in
the memory of those who are privileged to
#ee it.
EXTRÄCT FROM
SPORTING LIFE,
222 - 225, Strand, M.C. 2
19 MiE 1999
Da
PROFESSOR AND PRIEST
1 English version of Arthur Schnitz¬
1
A ler's“ Professor Bernhardi,“ by Louis
Borell and Ronald Adam, was given at the
Embassy Theatre on Monday. In it the
action is advanced through a series of
character sketches.
A priest, summoned to a Viennese hos¬
pital to a patient who is dying, is rerused
access to her by the professor because sho¬
is happy, and does not know she is dying.
The appearance of the priest he considers
would be a rude awakening as to her
condition.
From this position complications and
arguments arise, the political issues being
the least interesting. Abraham Sofaer, in
the name part, was magnificent, and he
was well supported by Ronald Adam, John
Garside, and Graveley Edwards.
box 31/5
EXTRAOT FROM
GOLDERS GREEN GAZEITE SERIES
Golders Green Gazette
Edgware Gazette
Mill Hill Gazette
Burnt Oak Gazette
Hendon Gazette
Hampstead Gazette
Date —1 #.-HNE 1936
Doctor and Priest
MOVING ACTING IN SCHNITZLER
PLATF AT THE EMBASST
Once again, after an unusually long
flapse for the Embassy, Mr. Ronald
Adam has launched a new production
jwhich deserves a long and brilliant
isuccess. It is up to the standard of
Isome of the best of the productions
iseen at the Embassy—and that is a
3
very high standard indeed.
It is a revival of one of Arthur
Schnitzler’s greatest plays. Profes¬
sor Bernhardi' and, at this time, it
has a tragie appropriateness, for it
concerns the subjection of a Jewish
doctor to the violence of anti-Semitic
feeling, the hysterical working up for
political motives of a trivial, domestic
incident into a national scandal. The
scene opens in the ante-room to a
ward at the Elizabeth Institute in
Vienna. In the ward lies a dying girl.
exnerienclag the only few happy
hours of her life, for she is certain
that she is about to recover. But the
I
priest has been called to administer
the last sacrament, and the dector,
determined that the girl shall not be
disillusioned, refuses him admission to
the ward.
He is a doctor, concerned with the
welfare of his patients, but the in¬
cident becomes a cause célebre, in
which a Jew is guilty of ‘religious
obstruction.“ It is on that charge,
following the resignation of the board
of trustees and his own suspension
from the Institate, that Benhardi is
sentenced to two months’ imprison¬
ment. On his release, the controversy
is still raging, the participants being
violent supporters of the doctor’s
action, hypocritical politicians, profes¬
sional rivals, an anti-Semitic Party in¬
tent on embarrassing the Government.
This theme is convincingly and
faithfully discussed by the author,
though the ending is somewhat incon¬
clusive; but it is a theme of great in¬
terest and strong dramatic nossibili¬
ties, which are fearlesslv realised.
A moving portrayal of Bernhardi is
given by Mr. Abraham Sofaer, but it
is not a faultless portraval. It is
obviously a very thoughtful piece of
acting, and displays admirably the
character's integrity, absolute candour
(sometimes to the point of indisere¬
Ition), and bitterness. At the same
time, there is, if anything, too much
freserve, too great a restraint in the#
(painting of a character who certainly
did not regard himself as a figure of
great nobility, but was looked upon as
such by his supporters. In avoiding
ja ranting, tub-thumping performance,
lwhich would have been insupportable,
Mr. Sofaer has inclined too much to#
ithe other extreme.
The acting of the large cast in gen¬ L
eral maintains a refreshinglv high
P Ae
ne
00
25 PrBernhandi
EXTRACT FROM
KILBURN TIMES,
4, Cambridge Avenue, Kilburn, N. W. 6.
19 JUNE 128
Da“¬
—
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI“
ATTHE EMBASSY
A wonderful translation of the Austrian
play,“ Professor Bernhardi,“ is attracting
large and interested audiences to the Em¬
bassy Theatre at Swiss Cottage this week.
Ir presents an intriguing problem which
commands attention, despite the fact that
the piay has little action, and is based on
discussion of the right of a doctor to deny
admittance of a priest to a dying patient,
on the ground that his visit will prevent
her dying in happy oblivion of her ap¬
proaching end.
Although the doctor’s motive is not actu¬
ated by any religious feeling, the fact that
he is a Jew arouses racial and political
quarrels ithat have far reaching conse¬
quences.
The play finds no solution for bridging
the abyss that has been widened by the
passing years, but it provides some strong
scones and gives a new outlook on a ques¬
tion that is never long in the background.
The very fine acting of the clever cast
makes the play one that can not readily be
forgotten and the production will live in
the memory of those who are privileged to
#ee it.
EXTRÄCT FROM
SPORTING LIFE,
222 - 225, Strand, M.C. 2
19 MiE 1999
Da
PROFESSOR AND PRIEST
1 English version of Arthur Schnitz¬
1
A ler's“ Professor Bernhardi,“ by Louis
Borell and Ronald Adam, was given at the
Embassy Theatre on Monday. In it the
action is advanced through a series of
character sketches.
A priest, summoned to a Viennese hos¬
pital to a patient who is dying, is rerused
access to her by the professor because sho¬
is happy, and does not know she is dying.
The appearance of the priest he considers
would be a rude awakening as to her
condition.
From this position complications and
arguments arise, the political issues being
the least interesting. Abraham Sofaer, in
the name part, was magnificent, and he
was well supported by Ronald Adam, John
Garside, and Graveley Edwards.
box 31/5
EXTRAOT FROM
GOLDERS GREEN GAZEITE SERIES
Golders Green Gazette
Edgware Gazette
Mill Hill Gazette
Burnt Oak Gazette
Hendon Gazette
Hampstead Gazette
Date —1 #.-HNE 1936
Doctor and Priest
MOVING ACTING IN SCHNITZLER
PLATF AT THE EMBASST
Once again, after an unusually long
flapse for the Embassy, Mr. Ronald
Adam has launched a new production
jwhich deserves a long and brilliant
isuccess. It is up to the standard of
Isome of the best of the productions
iseen at the Embassy—and that is a
3
very high standard indeed.
It is a revival of one of Arthur
Schnitzler’s greatest plays. Profes¬
sor Bernhardi' and, at this time, it
has a tragie appropriateness, for it
concerns the subjection of a Jewish
doctor to the violence of anti-Semitic
feeling, the hysterical working up for
political motives of a trivial, domestic
incident into a national scandal. The
scene opens in the ante-room to a
ward at the Elizabeth Institute in
Vienna. In the ward lies a dying girl.
exnerienclag the only few happy
hours of her life, for she is certain
that she is about to recover. But the
I
priest has been called to administer
the last sacrament, and the dector,
determined that the girl shall not be
disillusioned, refuses him admission to
the ward.
He is a doctor, concerned with the
welfare of his patients, but the in¬
cident becomes a cause célebre, in
which a Jew is guilty of ‘religious
obstruction.“ It is on that charge,
following the resignation of the board
of trustees and his own suspension
from the Institate, that Benhardi is
sentenced to two months’ imprison¬
ment. On his release, the controversy
is still raging, the participants being
violent supporters of the doctor’s
action, hypocritical politicians, profes¬
sional rivals, an anti-Semitic Party in¬
tent on embarrassing the Government.
This theme is convincingly and
faithfully discussed by the author,
though the ending is somewhat incon¬
clusive; but it is a theme of great in¬
terest and strong dramatic nossibili¬
ties, which are fearlesslv realised.
A moving portrayal of Bernhardi is
given by Mr. Abraham Sofaer, but it
is not a faultless portraval. It is
obviously a very thoughtful piece of
acting, and displays admirably the
character's integrity, absolute candour
(sometimes to the point of indisere¬
Ition), and bitterness. At the same
time, there is, if anything, too much
freserve, too great a restraint in the#
(painting of a character who certainly
did not regard himself as a figure of
great nobility, but was looked upon as
such by his supporters. In avoiding
ja ranting, tub-thumping performance,
lwhich would have been insupportable,
Mr. Sofaer has inclined too much to#
ithe other extreme.
The acting of the large cast in gen¬ L
eral maintains a refreshinglv high
P Ae
ne
00