II, Theaterstücke 9, (Der grüne Kakadu. Drei Einakter, 3), Der grüne Kakadu. Groteske in einem Akt, Seite 242

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Joan Pereira was amusing as a verv outspoken
in dhe wine cellar of the Green Cockatco
rural Freuch maid. The old Scotch mother of
the antics of a band of unemployed actors ape¬
Miss Elspeth Dudgeon seemed to have stepped
ing erime, apeing revolution for the delecta¬
out of the frame of a familv portrait. She was
tion of the noblesse. Even the actors them¬
a splendid specimen of fossilised humanity. For
selves did not know how far the fun meant
the rest, there were errors of casting and the
serious bueiness.
When Henri, the pet
huddled stage-management which destrovs
tragedian, newly wedded to Leccadie, and
stage-pictures. Mme. Yavorska should be
deadlv jealous, feigned the murder of his rival
better advised and better employed. All
the Duc, he hardly realised that, in a few
around her seems awry.
minutes, he would hear that what he had
mimicked was the truth. The truth which im¬
pelled real murder When sthe Duke came to
(2) COURT: “ The Shadow.“
the cellar to join his companions, who ap¬
By Eden Phillpotts. Monday, October 20.
plauded when he fell at his effort in acting.
Nor would they believe the maniac when he
Dartmoor is Phillpotts’s land. The very
stormed in and told them incoherently that
breath of upland breezes is in his books, hie
thhe Bastille had fallen. Had not the people
people are redolent of heath and heather, and
without uttered murderous cries they wouid
their characteristics those of rugged soil. His
have gone on carousing with their folk
play,“ The Shadow, is germane to this
enemies. Now they Leat a hasty retreat. Let
nature.
themtgo, said the companions, their time will
A rich farmer and landowner has been killed
came eure enough. I: was weird and wonder¬
The next day Elias Wavcott, his nephew,
ful. It taxed the brain, it kindled imagina¬
comes and woos Hester, the daughter of the
tion. How mad, yet how tragic it was. Wha
village storekeeper. He almost apologises for
boldness of dramatie painting—it reminded
his love, and Hester, who admires strength,
one of Meissonier—painted in words; and the
passion, and brute force, rejects him in favour
translation of Miss Penelope Wheeler never
of Philip Blanchard, the local butcher, a
betrayed foreign origin. It might have been
tempestuous lover. Into their happv married
an English play; I wish it had been that and
life falls blight—Waycott’s body is diecovered,
just a little shorter.“
Elias ie charged with murder, as being the
It may seem to my reader that this some¬
most interested party, and Philip Confesses
what enthusiastie impression was derived from
to his wife his mad moment of anger and the
the production at the Vandeville. And I wish
blow with which he felled and killed his ancient
that I could give the reply affirmative. But,
landlord. Before the trial, when the two men
unfortunately, what I write above is the ap¬
meet in the cells, Elias gives out the truth, but
preciation of the remarkable production of
both men, for the sake of Hester, refrain from
the Stage Society, which introduced Schnitz¬
a publio confession. Elias would have beer
ler’s work to England. Although it was in no
innocently hanged by the arm of the law, but
wise perfect, there was at least an attempt at
elects suicide, and Philip would have taken his
orchestration of voice and situations; there
own life but for Hester’s timelv interference;
was, to a certain extent, to be observed thé¬
ehe follows her husband to a dreary tor and
dominating hand of a stage manager with a
induces him to face life with her—for the sake
definite conception of the play. In the re¬
of her unborn child.
vival there was nothing of that kind; it was
The play is admirably written—it is as true
a picture of the French Revolution as it has
as the raw odour of Mother Earth; there are
lived for years in ridiculous absurdity in the
moments of perfervid intensity; there are, on
traditions of the theatre. The French Revo¬
the other hand, scenes which fail to grip, be¬
Iution was emphatically not an orgy of beer
cause small talk hampers the action. The
and alcohol, it was an orgy of fanaticism,
fault of Mr. Phillpotts’s characters is that, in
roused by the oppression of centuries. The
the heat of passion, idealistic utterance runs
artist who wishes to picture this on the stäge
away with their realistic nature. And then,
should bear in mind the difference of effect:
artistically, there is an unsatisfactory ending,
mere drunkenness leads to hullabaloo,
with which the tragedy really begins. Hitherte
frenetichenthusiasm for a cause graduates intc
the butcher, accustomed to killing and en¬
tumult like a rising storm. At the Vaude¬
dowed with Herculean force, had beld under
ville it was all noise, te say nothing of the
the attack of conscience. Now, at the end,
handicap öf a small stage and clumsy setting.
we see two people burdened for ever with the
Words were drowned and characters seemed
responsibility of two lives for the sake of one
to express themselves powerlessly in general
yet to come. It is the most horrible idea con¬
vociferation. Such as could rise above the
ceivable. As I said to a neighbour, if we saw
din, like Mr. Norman MeKinnel, powerful
this play on a gray London dav when one’s
as the actor, like the Duke of Mr. Malcolm
own icy of living is interfered with by the
Cherry, a figure 'of distinction in a motley
atmosphere, it would send us home in unspeak¬
atmosphere, left fragmentary impressions of
able misery and haunt us for days. It is more
what the play really was. But, on the whole,
awe-inspiring than Zola's“ Thérèse Raquin,
Schnitzler’s work had become melodrama in¬
and if we surmount its effect it is because we
stead of a subtle vision in miniature of a new
lnow that the solution ie beyond humanity.
epoch in French history.
When we had seen Philip Blanchard in the
pangs of remorse we knew that there was but
one issue—swiftly, determinedly, regardless of
(4) LES VENDREDIS DE
the babe to come, and a wife s protestations.
COMEDIA.
The acting was up to that natural standard
which we are wont, to expect in the Manchester
School. Mr. Jules Shaw’s Philip Blanchard
The idea is ingenious. With a finishing
was che butcher to the life, but for a slight
touch and assiduous rehearsal it should become
absence of restraint. And restraint was the
fashionablv popular. London is always inte¬
keynote of Miss Sybil Thorndike’s quietly im¬
rested in Paris, and the babble of the boule¬
passionate creation of the sorely-stricken
vard and the coulisses sounds like music to
Hester. The others all deserve praise—the
ladies who love to be called chic, to men in the
whole performance was worthy of a National
swim. And Mr. Froyez knows exactly what
Theatre to come.
is wanted. He talks brightly about many
things in general and the theatre in particular.
He presente to us clever people, divine manne¬
(3) VAUDEVILLE.
quins, and a fine singer in M. Perol. He pro¬
auces fragmente of plays wich some clever
* Between Sunset and Dawn.“
actors—for instance, we really enjoyed the two
scenes from Porto-Riche'’s“ Amoureuse,“ in
A Play in Four Scencs by Hermon Quld.
which Mlle. Scialtiel plaved the wife with
“ The Green Cockatoo.“
charm and feeling, Mr. Reinato Mariani the
husband with polish and sincerity. He intro¬
A Grotesque in One Act by Arthur Schnitzler,
translated by Penelope Wheeler. Thurs¬
duces a coming prima ballerina of Covent
day, October 23.
Garden, Mlle. Karina Karinowa, who dances
the famous“ Cygnés?' with exquisite grace.
After this Revue of events and artists the twe
Among the troubadours of the Cabaret, Ger¬
worlds before and behind the footlights at the
trude Rolffs and Anton Dressler occupy the
Grafton Galleries commingled at convivial tea
first rank in Germany. At the Vaudeville
and ca marche. Compared with the five o'clock
where they raise the curtain their recep¬
of the ordinarv British pattern these inter¬
tion was courteous but lukewarm. And
national gatherings of Comoedia are an oasis
no wonder. Rhine-wine, loses its savour
in the desert.
in tankards, as ale would in ahock glass. These
German ballads of soldiery, Bohemianism,
Atthe Haymarket on Friday afternoon, Novem¬
misery when roughly translated and hammered
ber 7, Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein
on the piano, sung stentoriouslv or in strident
will distribute the annual essay and elocution
soprano, grate unon the ear. We cannot appre¬
prizes and certificates to members of the British
ciate them nor do we take in the humour of
Fmpire Shakespeare Society. Preceding the prize¬
heavy Mephistophelian manners at the instru¬
gving, Mr. G. C. Ashton Johnson will give his
ment and affected impassiveness d 7a Yrette
lecture entitled,“ Shakespeare and Music,“ illus.
Guilbert of former days, when artienlation and
trated on the piano. Mr. Heury Arthur Jones has
Whoever advised
pronuncation are hazy.
been elected a vice-presidont of the society 10 äll
these artists to try a tour de Force mode a great
the vacancy caused by the death of Professer
mistake. Countries have their artistic Dowden.
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