Liebeler
8. 1
box 11/4
THE AFTERNOON THEATRE.
On Friday afternoon, May 14, 1909, was
produced st His Majesty’s by the Alter¬
noon Theatre Seeiety the drama, by
JArthur Schnitzler, Zirbelei, in an English
ets, by G. Valen¬
AARNRren e
Ligkt o Lore.
Fritz Lobheimer Mr. Henry Ainley
Hans Weiring .. Mr. H. R. Hignett
Theodor Kaiser Mr. Charles Mande
Gentleman Mr. James Hearn
Christine Miss Margaret Halstan
Mizl Schlager. Miss Margaret Bussé
Lina Miss Hetty Kenyon
Katherine Bhiler Miss Sydney Fairbrother
Act one.—Pritz’s Chambers. Act to.—Chris¬
tine's Room. Act three.--Chriseine's Room, ino
days later. Time.—The present.—Vienna.
Dr. Schnitzler'’s Viennese drama, Liebelei,
has been spoken of as of t#e human docu¬
ment“ kind of play, but to the Englich
eye it secms little else than a bit of#ckly#
and toarful theatricality. No doube. in
Vionna—uere it was ploducedas long ago
as October 9, 1895, at the Burg Theater—
it bas u meacure of actualltr by reason of
the strength of military caste in Austria.
Fritz Lobheimer is a young lieutenant of
Dragoons, and his liaison with Christine
Weiring, a girl ofthe people, could ne#.
in üho general point of vew there, be aug¬
thing more than a liaison. That fact may
not help the character of Christine at all.
Uhristine must have known that Austrian
officer do not, unless at the saerifice of
their carcers, marry girls of her class.
But the fact may make the character of
Fritz a little less objectionable. If he has
led Chritine astray, she, au well as he,
knew ihe conditions of his love. This
point of view, however, erarcely appealt
to an Englich audience, and moreover the
way in which the parts of Fritz and
Christine are played by Nr. Henry Aioley
and Miss Margaret Halstan decs noi sug¬
gest at all a Lothario nor a girl who would
oe likelv to be, caught in the toils-of an
affair of thes kind. Neither this Fräz nor
this Christine is of the nature of ä light o
Jove, a term würch wich ue has come to
have only a feminine reference. From
reality, then, to say nothing of very wry
ethics, the author forces us back on dra¬
matio treatment. Here one must allon
for some loss in translation, but Dr.
Sohnitzler, whatever his repute as
dramatist in Austria and Germany, does
not impress one as any weaver of subtle
pick, any master of situation. His method
is thin and sketchy; he is fond of sug¬
gestion. The sudience hoars of the lady
in black velvet, -but does not see her. The
audience suspcots that Fritz P off to fight
a duel when he bids good-bye to Christine,
but there is no proos of it. The news of
Fritz’s desth is a surprise for which the
audience has not been prepared—and there
1s almost alwaye something incomplete and
znartistie about sudden surprises of tine
sort on the stage. Then what becomes of
Christine? She runs out, half.demented,
to find Fritz’s grave. She never will
comne back, says che old father. The
audience is to assmmmne that she will com¬
mit suieide. But it docs not know. And
what is it to make of the father’s phil¬
osophy? He tells the suspicioue Kathe¬
rino Binder of what he regards as the
tragedy of his dead sister’s life. He saw
the rich womanhood of his sister pass
away, and found a withered old main at
his side. The inference is fairly clear;
and when Christine has confessed every¬
thing to her father he has no reproof te
make; on the contrary, he says that he
knew what was happening all the time.
But if Ohristine en-s her life on the grave
of her faithlees lover, Hans Weiring’s
philosophy does not work out very well.
Of inundemt Light o' Love has for a
üiree-act play almost a minimum. Im ühie
first act Fratz and his friend Theodor
Kaiser are having a Bohemian little sup¬
per at tihe dornner’s rooms, with Chmstine
and her very unesirable companion Mizi
Schlager present. The rather forced
merriment of che party—for Christine ie
doubeful abouc che lady in black with
wührom ele has seen Fritz and presses him
wuth questions—is ümterrupted by dhe en¬
trance of ühe husband of che lacky. Th
husband has found out tihe intrigue which
Fritz cannot denny wien he is confronted
wich a bundle of bis own jettere, and be
eumply says that ho is at tihe otbier’s gec¬
wice at amy täme. The eccond act is de¬
voted, apart from ühe epeious philosophis¬
Ings of Hane Weining, to dhie rather mys¬
tertous farewvell that Fritz tukes of Chras¬
tine. Glurssthne ftürinks ichat he wüll only be
awway a. day or two; bat wirem two day#
hawe passel she mnale Derr confession #
her father Tere de a. geod deur #f aniet
soarolung pattos in fiins act, especiallly in
ühe scene between facher and daughter,
but the handling of the closing ecenes,
though it gives eome most poignant
moments, is not altogetiher satisfactory.
The entrance of Tcodor Kaiser, dressed
in black, is, im itself, a swift dramatäc
stroke. The cnuelty of Christine's posi¬
tlon is also driven home, dhe more 5o #s
8. 1
box 11/4
THE AFTERNOON THEATRE.
On Friday afternoon, May 14, 1909, was
produced st His Majesty’s by the Alter¬
noon Theatre Seeiety the drama, by
JArthur Schnitzler, Zirbelei, in an English
ets, by G. Valen¬
AARNRren e
Ligkt o Lore.
Fritz Lobheimer Mr. Henry Ainley
Hans Weiring .. Mr. H. R. Hignett
Theodor Kaiser Mr. Charles Mande
Gentleman Mr. James Hearn
Christine Miss Margaret Halstan
Mizl Schlager. Miss Margaret Bussé
Lina Miss Hetty Kenyon
Katherine Bhiler Miss Sydney Fairbrother
Act one.—Pritz’s Chambers. Act to.—Chris¬
tine's Room. Act three.--Chriseine's Room, ino
days later. Time.—The present.—Vienna.
Dr. Schnitzler'’s Viennese drama, Liebelei,
has been spoken of as of t#e human docu¬
ment“ kind of play, but to the Englich
eye it secms little else than a bit of#ckly#
and toarful theatricality. No doube. in
Vionna—uere it was ploducedas long ago
as October 9, 1895, at the Burg Theater—
it bas u meacure of actualltr by reason of
the strength of military caste in Austria.
Fritz Lobheimer is a young lieutenant of
Dragoons, and his liaison with Christine
Weiring, a girl ofthe people, could ne#.
in üho general point of vew there, be aug¬
thing more than a liaison. That fact may
not help the character of Christine at all.
Uhristine must have known that Austrian
officer do not, unless at the saerifice of
their carcers, marry girls of her class.
But the fact may make the character of
Fritz a little less objectionable. If he has
led Chritine astray, she, au well as he,
knew ihe conditions of his love. This
point of view, however, erarcely appealt
to an Englich audience, and moreover the
way in which the parts of Fritz and
Christine are played by Nr. Henry Aioley
and Miss Margaret Halstan decs noi sug¬
gest at all a Lothario nor a girl who would
oe likelv to be, caught in the toils-of an
affair of thes kind. Neither this Fräz nor
this Christine is of the nature of ä light o
Jove, a term würch wich ue has come to
have only a feminine reference. From
reality, then, to say nothing of very wry
ethics, the author forces us back on dra¬
matio treatment. Here one must allon
for some loss in translation, but Dr.
Sohnitzler, whatever his repute as
dramatist in Austria and Germany, does
not impress one as any weaver of subtle
pick, any master of situation. His method
is thin and sketchy; he is fond of sug¬
gestion. The sudience hoars of the lady
in black velvet, -but does not see her. The
audience suspcots that Fritz P off to fight
a duel when he bids good-bye to Christine,
but there is no proos of it. The news of
Fritz’s desth is a surprise for which the
audience has not been prepared—and there
1s almost alwaye something incomplete and
znartistie about sudden surprises of tine
sort on the stage. Then what becomes of
Christine? She runs out, half.demented,
to find Fritz’s grave. She never will
comne back, says che old father. The
audience is to assmmmne that she will com¬
mit suieide. But it docs not know. And
what is it to make of the father’s phil¬
osophy? He tells the suspicioue Kathe¬
rino Binder of what he regards as the
tragedy of his dead sister’s life. He saw
the rich womanhood of his sister pass
away, and found a withered old main at
his side. The inference is fairly clear;
and when Christine has confessed every¬
thing to her father he has no reproof te
make; on the contrary, he says that he
knew what was happening all the time.
But if Ohristine en-s her life on the grave
of her faithlees lover, Hans Weiring’s
philosophy does not work out very well.
Of inundemt Light o' Love has for a
üiree-act play almost a minimum. Im ühie
first act Fratz and his friend Theodor
Kaiser are having a Bohemian little sup¬
per at tihe dornner’s rooms, with Chmstine
and her very unesirable companion Mizi
Schlager present. The rather forced
merriment of che party—for Christine ie
doubeful abouc che lady in black with
wührom ele has seen Fritz and presses him
wuth questions—is ümterrupted by dhe en¬
trance of ühe husband of che lacky. Th
husband has found out tihe intrigue which
Fritz cannot denny wien he is confronted
wich a bundle of bis own jettere, and be
eumply says that ho is at tihe otbier’s gec¬
wice at amy täme. The eccond act is de¬
voted, apart from ühe epeious philosophis¬
Ings of Hane Weining, to dhie rather mys¬
tertous farewvell that Fritz tukes of Chras¬
tine. Glurssthne ftürinks ichat he wüll only be
awway a. day or two; bat wirem two day#
hawe passel she mnale Derr confession #
her father Tere de a. geod deur #f aniet
soarolung pattos in fiins act, especiallly in
ühe scene between facher and daughter,
but the handling of the closing ecenes,
though it gives eome most poignant
moments, is not altogetiher satisfactory.
The entrance of Tcodor Kaiser, dressed
in black, is, im itself, a swift dramatäc
stroke. The cnuelty of Christine's posi¬
tlon is also driven home, dhe more 5o #s