is at the
brillant Vienna writer. Arthur Schnitz¬
ler, had its first New York perform-
ance last night. This undeniably clever
werk, highly seasoned with Continen¬
ta paprika, reached the stage under
conditions best suited to its apprecla¬
tion. It was acted at the little The¬
are before an audience almost entirely
compose of people engaged in the ar¬
tistic professions, dilettante and so¬
phisticated persons whose tastes are
no longer ticked by the usual produc¬
tons of the play house.
Before an audience such as this a
work which in form so daringly dire¬
gards the conventions of play writing
and in substance so recklessly runs
counter to the narrower Anglo-saxon
sense of the proprieties could not cause
resentent even if the present toed¬
down version by Granville Barke
actually encountered the risk. So there
was every evidence that the play was
greatly liked, not less for its oddity of
them and form than for its humorous
markte and literary cleverness. But
the young feminine person who prides
herself on her innocence should beware.
The Affairs of Anatole are no affairs
of her
There affairs are fine amatory episodes
quite disconnected, of course in the
philandering escapades of a polite rake
the flatters in the unshine and sips the
honey from every flower in his path. He
tarries not long. Each new flower des
out the memories of the old and some
of the flowers have thorns! He is a
licentius Lothario, but so engaging is
hen is to philosophy," as he calls
it, that he quite des all sterner
judgment in his case.
To go into the details of Anators
wisty changing love episodes with
Hilda, with Bianca of the circus, with
Mim of the ballet, with Gabriele of
more circumspect standards of con¬
duct and with Lona was she not of
the streets not necessary now.
Another opportunity must be found
te describe how the gay deceiver,
whose passion for the sex bloweth
where it listet, is himself deceived
by the ones to whom he momentarily
bares his fickle heart. But the epi¬
sodes with one exception, in which
there is a vein of real sentiment, are
humorous and sprightly, cleverly con¬
trasted and pointedly significant of
what to the sophisticated is written
between the lines.
John Barrymores habitual debonnair
manner assumed to an extent at least,
the needed foreign gloss for the charac
ter of Anatol, which Schnitzler develops
only along the side of its amator in¬
dulgences. His performance was excel¬
lent, but the play needs a lighter, more
delicate touch than he is able to give it.
Oswald Yorke was the friend and con¬
fidant to whom, in his disengaged mo¬
ments, he unburdened his thoughts, Mr.
Yorke acquitted himself most creditably.
Misses Marguerite Clark, Gall Kane.
Doris Kenne. Katherine Emmet and Isa¬
bel Lee were the feminine galaxy that
attracta Anatols fitful, affections.
Opportunities in the acting were most
favorable to Miss Kenne in the supper
one and to Miss Emmet before the
forist's shop, and each took advantage
of them, Pors Miss Les vira
was a little to realistic even for a play
that does not hesitate to speak in plain
terms.
The settings were carming, and the
artiste atmosphere in which Winthrop
Ames enveloped the whole production,
which surely is for special rather than
general audiences, was wholly de¬
lightful. He has never done anything
better, and Arthur Schnitzler is greatly
in his debt, for no other manager
would have handled the play sowel-
or possibly at all.
4.9. Anatol - Zyklus
box 9/1
I
NEW YORK EVENING
JOURNAL, TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 15, 1912
Charms with
Affairs of Anatol
Love Making by John Barrymore
Five slices of a gay young man's ly and stable friend of Anatol, and
life each slice or scene a playle sepays it splendidly. He is the confi¬
dant and adviser of his younger
arate and distinct in itself such, in friend and he has his hands full. This
brief, is the nature of "The Affairs of friendship does not lack for excite¬
Anatol." presented for the first time inen
If there is a flaw in the staging of
the piece it is for technicians to dis¬
this country t Winthor mes's Lit¬
cover, and almost as much may be said
te Theatre.
In the work of adapting Schnitzlers for the acting. As for the little The¬
play for the English stage Granville are that, as already not do is a thing
of beauty and a joy forever.
Barker has shown a master hand. The
runous trail of the ordinary translator The Cast.
is absent the charm of the original is
The cast follow¬
preserved, and the piece as it is mount. Anatol............... Barmore
ed under the direction of George Fos¬ Max. Oswald York
ter Platt is scenically two hours of un Hilda
Bianca
allowed joyousness.
Mimosen
Seldom is it in this busy age that Walter. Alfred De Ball
such an opportunity for all around Gabrielle. Emme
satisfaction is offered to the playgor Lonale
satisfaction in the matter of the play Frant............ Albert Edele
satisfaction in the acting, satisfac¬
tion in the setting, and lastly delight¬
ful comfort and mental and physical
esse in the beauty of the playhouse
itself. All these things existand are
to be enjoyed at Mr. Ames's theatre.
No Heartaches.
John Barrymore is the gay, carefree,
dashing, handsome, kindly Anatol. His
affairs are delightful encounters with
the successive objects of his affection.
With Anatol it is "off with the old
love and on with the new," and with
a vengeance. But there is no heart¬
che tomar the lightness of either his
wa spirits or those of anyone of his
ladies fair.
And these ladies they are indeed
fair. Marguerite Clark is one of
them; Gail Kane, lately seen in "The
Model," is another. Then there is Dor¬
ris Kenne, Catherine Emmet, and Isa¬
belle Lee.
They are a merry lot, these ladies
ladies of the opera, of the circus, of the
shop and of Quality street that
is to say they are all merry ex¬
cepting only the grand lady, who,
strangely enough, is the only one over
whom the wings of sadness brood.
Anatol loves each one in turn, and
each one of the loves Anatol in her
own not very deep and heartfelt way.
A large part of the pleasantness of
the affairs lies in this very lack of
seriousness.
Oswald Forko plays Max, the kind-