iene Kakadu
e
9. 3 nstenetene
box 15/3
1
CeeriG
RENS OR THB THEATRES
THE LFCEUM BECOMES ATEM¬
PORARY CHAMBER 0F.
HORRORS.
Between Schultzler’s The Green
Cockatoo“ and Hauptmann’s
Hannele,“ Mrs. Fiske Presente..
Deuble Bill of Unmitlgated Gloon—
As a 12-Fear-old Child the Great
Actress Lacks Convietion, and Though
Hannele's“ Production Is Most
Elaborate, Its Effeets Are Spollen
by Too High Lighting—A Performn¬
ance of the Hauptmann Play Which
Misses Every Appealing Note.
If you are looking fora fit ofthe horrors
this week, go tothe Lyceum Theatre, and
Mrs. Fiske and her company in The
Green Cockatoo“ and Hauptmann’s“ Hän¬
nele’ will supply yon with twofits forthe
one price of admission. For Mrs. Fiske
individually it was by no mannor of meang
anight of triumph, forthesystem of seif¬
effacement which she has adopted lately
kept her out of The Green Cockatoo“
altogether, and in the title röle of
Hannele the spectacle of seeing her
playing a 12-year-old child was al¬
most too severe a strain upon the
imagination. In the dim half light of
the beggar’s den, lying on the cot bed,
carefully draped with her rags and the
blanket, Mrs, Fiske’s volce carriedthe rôle
for a eingle scene, but oven here vocally
her performance was by no mears
childish. Later, when in the courée ofher
dreams she assumes the white celostial
robes of Hannele and prepares to ent
her golden coffin, and later, whien wi
calciums blazing full upon her sb
pares to mount the golden stair
reminded you only of a partion
buxom and precocious little Fva, who
was not by any mears so littlo at that.
a step from
After all, it is only
the sublime to the Uncle Tom’s Cabin
point of view and last night the light
effects were in nearly every instance
pointed so high that all illusion was lest.
Never from an electrical and mechanical
point of view has Hannole' beon 80
elaborately monnted, but never before
have we seen a performance of it which
carried so little conviction. Forthis, it i8
true, the overlighting was partlytoblame,
but at the same time Mrs. Fiske's own
portrayal was most serionsly at fault.
Throughout there was an overelaboration
which seriously hurt the play.
As a matter of fact, Hannele“ ie a
play to be read rather than acted. It
deals with such sacred and celestial things
that no stage inanagement in the world
can present it littingly; besides, the pres¬
ence of the figure of the Saviour on the
stage in the full glare of the lime¬
light is just as objectionable to many
thousands of theatregoers as it was
when first shown here sixteen years ago.
It’s all very well to say that thie figure is
merely Hannele’s friend, Dr. Gottwaid,
glorified by thechild’s fervid imagination,
but the intent and the result is to present
an actunl flgure of the Christ. Gottwald
is, of churse, the most important röle
in“ Hannele,“ and here again there was a
disappointment in Mr. Holbrook Blinn's
Interpretation of it. That wonderful
speech in the second scene he rendered
in a monotonous way, which had no real
trace of tenderness. Miss Allee John
played the nun beautifully, and Wilfred
Buckland’s makeup as the Tall Dark
Angel was singularly impressive. But
for all that there was not one moment
when the play really caught and heid
e
9. 3 nstenetene
box 15/3
1
CeeriG
RENS OR THB THEATRES
THE LFCEUM BECOMES ATEM¬
PORARY CHAMBER 0F.
HORRORS.
Between Schultzler’s The Green
Cockatoo“ and Hauptmann’s
Hannele,“ Mrs. Fiske Presente..
Deuble Bill of Unmitlgated Gloon—
As a 12-Fear-old Child the Great
Actress Lacks Convietion, and Though
Hannele's“ Production Is Most
Elaborate, Its Effeets Are Spollen
by Too High Lighting—A Performn¬
ance of the Hauptmann Play Which
Misses Every Appealing Note.
If you are looking fora fit ofthe horrors
this week, go tothe Lyceum Theatre, and
Mrs. Fiske and her company in The
Green Cockatoo“ and Hauptmann’s“ Hän¬
nele’ will supply yon with twofits forthe
one price of admission. For Mrs. Fiske
individually it was by no mannor of meang
anight of triumph, forthesystem of seif¬
effacement which she has adopted lately
kept her out of The Green Cockatoo“
altogether, and in the title röle of
Hannele the spectacle of seeing her
playing a 12-year-old child was al¬
most too severe a strain upon the
imagination. In the dim half light of
the beggar’s den, lying on the cot bed,
carefully draped with her rags and the
blanket, Mrs, Fiske’s volce carriedthe rôle
for a eingle scene, but oven here vocally
her performance was by no mears
childish. Later, when in the courée ofher
dreams she assumes the white celostial
robes of Hannele and prepares to ent
her golden coffin, and later, whien wi
calciums blazing full upon her sb
pares to mount the golden stair
reminded you only of a partion
buxom and precocious little Fva, who
was not by any mears so littlo at that.
a step from
After all, it is only
the sublime to the Uncle Tom’s Cabin
point of view and last night the light
effects were in nearly every instance
pointed so high that all illusion was lest.
Never from an electrical and mechanical
point of view has Hannole' beon 80
elaborately monnted, but never before
have we seen a performance of it which
carried so little conviction. Forthis, it i8
true, the overlighting was partlytoblame,
but at the same time Mrs. Fiske's own
portrayal was most serionsly at fault.
Throughout there was an overelaboration
which seriously hurt the play.
As a matter of fact, Hannele“ ie a
play to be read rather than acted. It
deals with such sacred and celestial things
that no stage inanagement in the world
can present it littingly; besides, the pres¬
ence of the figure of the Saviour on the
stage in the full glare of the lime¬
light is just as objectionable to many
thousands of theatregoers as it was
when first shown here sixteen years ago.
It’s all very well to say that thie figure is
merely Hannele’s friend, Dr. Gottwaid,
glorified by thechild’s fervid imagination,
but the intent and the result is to present
an actunl flgure of the Christ. Gottwald
is, of churse, the most important röle
in“ Hannele,“ and here again there was a
disappointment in Mr. Holbrook Blinn's
Interpretation of it. That wonderful
speech in the second scene he rendered
in a monotonous way, which had no real
trace of tenderness. Miss Allee John
played the nun beautifully, and Wilfred
Buckland’s makeup as the Tall Dark
Angel was singularly impressive. But
for all that there was not one moment
when the play really caught and heid