II, Theaterstücke 16, (Lebendige Stunden. Vier Einakter, 3), Die letzten Masken (Der sterbende Journalist), Seite 10

Ma¬
16.3. Die letztenken box 22/2
H 1, 1905.
sis a clever and humorous piece, which scems, audience, which laugbed consumediy and
however, better suited to a Celtic than a long. Acted as it is by Mr. Granville Barker
Saxon comprehension. Mr. Robert Patemanj and Miss Gertrude Kingston as the lovers,
plays with much drollery the tramp, who suc-and Mr. A. G. Poulton as the husband, ab
ceeds, metaphorically at least, if not literally,once exacting and complaisant, the whole
in drawing blood from a stone. Miss Amy breeds endless amusement and delight.
Lamborn is the miserly Sibby Coneely, and
Mr. George Tully John Coneely, her hus¬
band, who finds that the tramp is a gifted
man. We must take these personages as
belonging to the real Ireland it is the aim of
COURT THEATRE.
Mr. Yeats to show us. Anything less like the
stage Irishmen and women to whom we are
A. TRIPIE BLLL.
used cannot easily be conceived.
An interesting and varied programme wus
In the Hospital“ is a grimly and fiercely
gone through yesterday afternoou, at the
satirical piece, such as Teutonic breathiers of
Court Theatre, as one of the so-stvied
Scandinavian inspiration love to produce. In
Vedrenne-Barker matinées. It consisted of
a not particularly well-managed extra ward
The Pot of Broth,“ one of the most humor¬
cf the Vienna General Hospital the life is
ous of the works of Mr. W. B. Neats, printed
quietly sinking out of Karl Rademacher,
1as" Plays for an Irish Theatre“;" In the
whose useless and passably ignominous career
Hospital,“ a terrible actuality, translated by
as a critic is thus ending. With some diffi¬
Mr. Christepher Hörne from the German of
culty he induces the departing physician to
Arthur Schnitzler; and“ How he Lied to
bring to see him a popular and successful
her Husband,“ the latest literary impertin¬
poet, his former acquamtance. While pre¬
Lence of Mr. G. B. Shaw. The Pot of Broth“
tending to have a secret of the utmost im¬
is a rhoroughly Hibernian sketch, show¬
portance to confide to the anticipated visitor,
ing the ignorance, credulity, and greed of two
his real purpose is to insult him as an im¬
typical Irish peasants. During their brief
postor, and to tell him, horrible as is the con¬
absence from home, their cottage is invaded
ception of such a thing, that the wife with
by a tramn, who looks eagerly about for some¬
whom he is living has been at öne time his
thing with which to stay his appetite. Aless
hopeful quest could scarcely have been under¬
tormentor’s mistress. Quite in earnest is he
in this savage purpose, and he even, in a
taken, the house being empty, and the mis¬
tress. Sibby Coneely, being known as an old
powerful and repellent scene, rehearses the
slave-driver, that would starve the rats, and
coming situation with an actor who is in the
has“ no more pity in her heart than there’s
hospital with the acknowledged purpose of
a soul in a dog.“ By sheer force of im¬
studying character, and the unavowed and
pudence and blarney, however, he succeeds
unrecognised purpose of dying. When the
in passing off upon his host a stone that he
poor, pompous, and successful visitor arrives
has picked up as a protection from a dog as a
the enmity fades from Karl’s heart. How
fairy gift, and having made out of articles
can he cherish animosity against this poor
with which she has unconsciously supplied
invertebrate thing, who, for all his apparent
him a pot of broth carries away with him
success, is the victim of domestic wrongs and
the hen she has killed for the dinner of the
Isocial neglect. To the velleity to see an
priest, together with whatever eise is edible
old acquamtance he attributes having sum¬
in the house, and a bottle of poteen. This
moned the poet from his home, and, after
shaking hands with him, he turns his face
to the wall and dies. Satanically true are
some of the pictures presented. Whether
ithe world is the better for their exhibition is
the question that arises, a question we are
Idisposed to answer in the negative. Mr. J.
D. Beveridge played with customary breadth
of style as the moribund, his supporters in¬
cluding Mr. George Trollope and Mr. Rudge
Harding.
How He Lied to Her Husband“ is a
characteristic whimsicality of Mr. George
Bernard Shaw, intended to burlesque the
author’s own play of Candida.“ Humor¬
ous enough in conception and treatment, it is
supremely bitter and cynical in lesson. Not
the least disposed are we to censure Mr.
Shaw for being what he is, or writing what
7
he can write. The lesson that he now
preaches was taught virtually three hundred
years ago by the Shakespeare he affects to
despise.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere
folly.
Henry Apjohn and Aurora Bumpus corre¬
spond pretty closely with Eugene and Can¬
dida in Mr. Shaw’s Candida.“ He is apoet,
and has dedicated to her many passionate
stanzas with which, though she has not read
them, she is muich gratified. Unluckily, she
has allowed an offensive sister-in-law to pur¬
loin them, and they are now presumably in
the hands of ber husband whose immediate#