II, Theaterstücke 4, (Anatol, 8), Anatol, Seite 564

4.9. Anatol

box 9/4

THE
THE PLAY
By J. BROOKS ATKINSON.
Schnitzler’s Anatomy of love.
ANATOL, a play in four acts and six
nes,
thur Schnitzler; acting version
Granville-Barker, Staged
Harle
Connelly and Gabriel Beer-Hofman
settinge by Jo Mielziner; revived by Bela
Blau, Inc. At the Lyceum Theatre.
Max Walter Connol-
Anatol.Joseph Schildkraut
Hilda
................. Anne Forres¬
Bianca Elena Miramova
Gabrielle Patricia Colinge
Walter. Oswald York
Min................... on
Franz Roger Ramsel
Lonathema Stevens
Although Arthur Schnitzler is the
author of "Anatol," which was re¬
vived at the Lyceum last evening,
he is not the source of all its love¬
liness. Belgian has mounted it
handsomery, not forgetting the Vien¬
nese waltzes and the concertina,
which is the most heartening of all
musical instruments. And Joe Mel¬
ziner has lavished upon Schnitzlers
anatomy of love some of the most
alluring settings in years magic vis¬
tas, exquisite interiors, and a spark¬
ling evening snowstorm beyond the
arch of a Vienna arcade,
With the actors, Mr. Blaus for¬
tunes have been mixed. As Anator,
Joseph Schildkraut is mechanical and
constricted in a part that should be
romantically exhilarating. He has
little of the free improvisation that is
the charm of Schnitzlers bundle of
episodes. But Walter Connolly is
quietly merry as Anatoles navish
comrade. Patricia Collinge has one
huntingly beautiful scene as the
wistful married lady who did not
succumb to Anatol. There are lively
scenes with Maria Hopins, Anne
Forrest, Elena Miramova and Ruth¬
elma Stevens, If, as a playgoer, you
are as shameless a gourmet as
Anatol, you will find enough beauty
and comedy in Mr. Blau's ravishing
production to balance the wooden¬
ness of some of the acting and some
of the duller scenes,
When Anatal was first mounted
here nearly twenty years ago with
John Barmore was reputed to be
audacious. Anatol is a sinner. But
not to Schnitzler, and hardly to the
pernicious playgoer of today, for
Anatol is a sybarite of love. He is
punctilious about the department of
conquest. He loves love. The seven
scenes in his affairs reveal his sus¬
ceptibilities is anxiety over the
fidelity of Hilda, his wounded vanity
when Bianca no longer remembers
him, his anger when he discovers one
of his trollos covering the booty of
previous amours or another planning
to supplant him with a chorus boy,
For to Schnitzler love is full of savor
and deception, honeyed tenderness
and sweet languor. None of the ho¬
blooded passion of the modern thea¬
tre bursts into his amorous ho¬
house. There is hardly a kiss visible
to the naked eye. Silken in the writ¬
ing, it is overlong in the acting. If
it were helf as long it would be twice
as good in the theatre. Certainly the
production would be brisker amuse¬
ment if a half hour were taken out
of it.
Although Mr. Schildkraut lacks
the spontaneity that Anatol needs
to keep you steadily interested in
his adventures, he has spirit enough
for the dramatic episodes. The two
lively concluding scenes are his
best. As the beratie bussy Miram