Liebele
5.1 box 11/4
the
70
ehepe
Act III.—Christine's Room, two davs later.
Vienna.
Time: The Prosont—
So far, with the excepti.
two plays which
fternoon Theatre
were none too successful,
been tried else¬
has trusted to plays which
where. Yesterday, hower
given the first
of three matinéestho othe
on Tuesday and
Thursday next—of“ Light Love,’ a transla¬
tion of“ Liebelei, an carl#,ay of Schnitzler’s
dating back to 1896. Schnitzler’s work is not
unknown in this country; one or twoof his shorter
pieces have been produced by socicties, the most
striking being that, of which the English title is
" In Hospital, produced at the Court some three
years since.“ Light o' Love?' is a story of
student life in Vienna. Fritz has turned from
Christine, the daughter of Hans Weiring, an old
violinist attached to the theatre, to a married
Iady whose name is not disclosed. Her husband
discovers Fritz's letters, calls on him, and
demands satisfaction. There is a duel, in which
Fritz is killed; his body is buried before
Christine learns what he really meant when he
told her he was going away for a day in the
country. He was to flght a duel, and it is, of
course, a special bitterness that the duel was not
on her account but on that of the woman who has
supplanted her. Her father, remembering the
joylessness of his sister’s uphringing, seeks to
comfort Christine; he will not cast her out; they
will be more to each other now than ever before.
Christine is not to be comforted and breaks
away. Her father looking after her as she goes
dovn the street says that she will never return.
The only other characters in the piece are Fritz's
ehum Theodor Kaiser; Fritz’s lady friend Mizi
Schlager, a much less reflned girl than Christine;
achild, Lina; and Katherine Binder, a gossiping,
prying neighbour of the Weirings. Only the
third act is dramatie, the first two acts depieting
in leisurely fashion the life of the Latin Quarter
of Vienna. The play is produced by Herr Max
Behrend, and one mayassume that the atmosphere
of the original play has been the better preserved.
If so, one can only say that that atmosphere is
somewhat oppressive. Every nation has its own
way of enjoying itself. But the spectacle of one
nation endeavouring to enjoy itself in another
nation’s way is rarely exhilarating. Hence it is
quite possible that“ Light o’ Love?’ would have
been better company had our actors been given a
free hand, had the. Viennese atmosphere been
left to take care of itself. One wonders, again,
whether the play is well cast. The story suggests
Bohemian lightheartedness, culminating in
tragedy for the one thoroughly sincere character,
Christine. Now, whatever Mr. Henry Ainley
may be, he is not lighthearted. Recklessness
does not become him, and if his Fritz is reckless
after the Viennese fashion ono can only say that
Viennese recklessness is uncommonly like English
dejection and despondency. Mr. Ainley’s per¬
formance is, of course, thoughtful, or it would not
be Mr. Ainley, and in many ways accomplished.
Yet one feels that many an inferior artist might
better servethe play. Mr. Charles Maude has, on
the stage, a levity of temperament which stands
Theodor in good stead. Mr. H. R. Hignett gives
full effect to the quavering, almost maundering
old violinist. Mr. James Hearn is stern as the
injured husband, who appears only in the first
act, and Miss Hetty Kenyon is satisfactory as
Lina for the few momente she is on the stage in
the third. Miss Margaret Halstan is an intelli¬
gent and sympathetic Christine, and in the third
act plays the one big scene that comes her way
with great intensity. Miss Margaret Bussé
shows humour and aplomb as the frivolous and
vulgar Mizi, avho in the original may conceivably
be much more clearlv Christine’s bad angel than
she appears to he at His Majesty’s, Miss Sydney
Fairbrother displays her curious keenness of
edge as Katherine Binder, a type which, if
Viennese, may be easily matched in London. A
large audience witnessed the play with attention,
and, aroused by the third act, cheered loudlyat!
the end. The Afternoon Theatre announces for
Friday next and the following Tuesday, Thurs¬
day, and Friday a new play by Mr. Bernard Shaw
entitled“ The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet,
The Dryad,“ in which Mile.
followed by
Adeline Genéewill make her only London appear-
ances this season; and for Tucsday, Juno 22,
Friday, June 25, Tuesday, June 29, and Thurs-
day, July 1, Miss Ethel Smyth’s three-act opera
a
* The Wreckers,“ for which the prices will bejg.
scmewhat increased.
rouns on nun anzerntrmu
5.1 box 11/4
the
70
ehepe
Act III.—Christine's Room, two davs later.
Vienna.
Time: The Prosont—
So far, with the excepti.
two plays which
fternoon Theatre
were none too successful,
been tried else¬
has trusted to plays which
where. Yesterday, hower
given the first
of three matinéestho othe
on Tuesday and
Thursday next—of“ Light Love,’ a transla¬
tion of“ Liebelei, an carl#,ay of Schnitzler’s
dating back to 1896. Schnitzler’s work is not
unknown in this country; one or twoof his shorter
pieces have been produced by socicties, the most
striking being that, of which the English title is
" In Hospital, produced at the Court some three
years since.“ Light o' Love?' is a story of
student life in Vienna. Fritz has turned from
Christine, the daughter of Hans Weiring, an old
violinist attached to the theatre, to a married
Iady whose name is not disclosed. Her husband
discovers Fritz's letters, calls on him, and
demands satisfaction. There is a duel, in which
Fritz is killed; his body is buried before
Christine learns what he really meant when he
told her he was going away for a day in the
country. He was to flght a duel, and it is, of
course, a special bitterness that the duel was not
on her account but on that of the woman who has
supplanted her. Her father, remembering the
joylessness of his sister’s uphringing, seeks to
comfort Christine; he will not cast her out; they
will be more to each other now than ever before.
Christine is not to be comforted and breaks
away. Her father looking after her as she goes
dovn the street says that she will never return.
The only other characters in the piece are Fritz's
ehum Theodor Kaiser; Fritz’s lady friend Mizi
Schlager, a much less reflned girl than Christine;
achild, Lina; and Katherine Binder, a gossiping,
prying neighbour of the Weirings. Only the
third act is dramatie, the first two acts depieting
in leisurely fashion the life of the Latin Quarter
of Vienna. The play is produced by Herr Max
Behrend, and one mayassume that the atmosphere
of the original play has been the better preserved.
If so, one can only say that that atmosphere is
somewhat oppressive. Every nation has its own
way of enjoying itself. But the spectacle of one
nation endeavouring to enjoy itself in another
nation’s way is rarely exhilarating. Hence it is
quite possible that“ Light o’ Love?’ would have
been better company had our actors been given a
free hand, had the. Viennese atmosphere been
left to take care of itself. One wonders, again,
whether the play is well cast. The story suggests
Bohemian lightheartedness, culminating in
tragedy for the one thoroughly sincere character,
Christine. Now, whatever Mr. Henry Ainley
may be, he is not lighthearted. Recklessness
does not become him, and if his Fritz is reckless
after the Viennese fashion ono can only say that
Viennese recklessness is uncommonly like English
dejection and despondency. Mr. Ainley’s per¬
formance is, of course, thoughtful, or it would not
be Mr. Ainley, and in many ways accomplished.
Yet one feels that many an inferior artist might
better servethe play. Mr. Charles Maude has, on
the stage, a levity of temperament which stands
Theodor in good stead. Mr. H. R. Hignett gives
full effect to the quavering, almost maundering
old violinist. Mr. James Hearn is stern as the
injured husband, who appears only in the first
act, and Miss Hetty Kenyon is satisfactory as
Lina for the few momente she is on the stage in
the third. Miss Margaret Halstan is an intelli¬
gent and sympathetic Christine, and in the third
act plays the one big scene that comes her way
with great intensity. Miss Margaret Bussé
shows humour and aplomb as the frivolous and
vulgar Mizi, avho in the original may conceivably
be much more clearlv Christine’s bad angel than
she appears to he at His Majesty’s, Miss Sydney
Fairbrother displays her curious keenness of
edge as Katherine Binder, a type which, if
Viennese, may be easily matched in London. A
large audience witnessed the play with attention,
and, aroused by the third act, cheered loudlyat!
the end. The Afternoon Theatre announces for
Friday next and the following Tuesday, Thurs¬
day, and Friday a new play by Mr. Bernard Shaw
entitled“ The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet,
The Dryad,“ in which Mile.
followed by
Adeline Genéewill make her only London appear-
ances this season; and for Tucsday, Juno 22,
Friday, June 25, Tuesday, June 29, and Thurs-
day, July 1, Miss Ethel Smyth’s three-act opera
a
* The Wreckers,“ for which the prices will bejg.
scmewhat increased.
rouns on nun anzerntrmu