Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 1910)
J y -.4k Vfr ( i Hannele New Triumph for Great Actress Mm. KiBke, who liaa often been Keen In Omaha, and wlio him bovn admired for her power of spiritualized emotional acting. Is preadliiK the gonvel of poetic drama with oine bucoohm. Hy the term poetic drama ono doe not mean drama written In blank verse, but rather the. drama that Is in Bplred and vivified by poetic and com Veiling Imagination. No great actor and no great play In without the essence of i.urvv Ku m jt nffr much thi'sn d.iva.1! from those who know the fewest possible sentlals of play rurpentry and who with that knowledge and a few stultified and stale misconceptions of life make what are oiled "emotional plays." Mm. F!ko la accomplishing "her mission In a short play from the fiermnn of (lor harrit Hauixiuunn. Hauptmann wrote "Hannele" when he was not a much bur dened with overly si'lf-connclous pesHlmism us afflicted lilm In "lCins.ihme Menschen" nd "I'ie Weber." but there Is a certain spirit of gloom In the p'ecc, that is es sentially (lerman. and It v.as immeiliaiily pronounced funereal by some of the critics. In fact. It Is beautifully hoieful, and al though Its theme Is confined to the one Bceno at the death bed of a I'ttle girl. It !i noble and uplifting and without aentlmen taltsm or depression. Thu critics who have found th: short play, that takes only an hour and a bait j for production, an 't xptrli nee." are men of too much standing to suffer from the accusation that they are charmed by any fon it; n or oxotlc elements :n the transla tion from the Herman. They can be trusted to recognize the not upper case catholic elements of beauty, whether they be Hot lit .1 In the expression of a Herman or of a FIJI. They can be trust, d to have we'ght'd the effects carefully, to have taken at their proper values the details of Mr. Harrison Crey Fiske'a sci nlc airanire - menu, and nioni of them are too hardemtl ,u theater goln:, too callou a:uirn easy thrills, to have allow cd iluinselvea t be carried a we. v. Mis. Flski has not a simple task la iku1 travlng a Imle girl, a mere child who In her dying delirium would be more child like, more btw.ldert-U, less assured Han at any other moment. She Is said to carry through the cene the Infantile weak ness and woi.der and the heart breaking fear that "llannelo" must have l.-ft. It is tlie death of a llltle g rl who has been beaten almost Into illness, whom penury and cruel hardships have made her the prey of disease, and whose visions have in them the pictures of her drunken, cowardly father, as will as the pictures of heaven and the aimels that she drtams of meeting. Around the cirl's dtathbid In the alms house, white kind bands have can ed her. ft ts. Mi f tfurka m "Is At the X, p fciowtwo:oHJiinMeW Katht some of the characters that have entored In'to her life. The moralistic school muster, the gentle sister of charity, her frtcfid and those who have uhused her. The basic construction of the scene Is very simple. Very little "happens." Just the dying of a child, but in It Is all the ex perience that comes when any human being Is faced with death. The child's mind. Just as any other mind, suffers at the thought of dissolution, and there Is no maturity of faith and trust to sustain her. .he has prayed for death as a relcuse from hardship, and now that she feels the chill and harshness of the reality, she re sistK with the passionate desire to live. She f phts against the approach of power levsness until there comes the vision of hnpplnoss. Then she sees a childish Heaven made up of Christmas dechratlons, br k Illness and tnuric. She Is content to go and haves behind her the bitterness and cruelty of her brirf existence. Those who have been watching her. the kind nnd the careless, comment strangely upon her life as It ends. It Is not hard to believe that a truly great actress, as I.Mrs. Flske beyond all cavil Is, might make In that scene an Im pression that would lust even n lifetime of theater going. It Is simple and direct and filled with stuiondous difficulties. There Is little there to hold up the deficiencies of a mere "emotional actress." and In mak ing her work seem adequate to the poet's conception, Mrs. Flske Is doing something worth while. Omaha will be very fortunate if given a chance to share tlus experience. EGYPT INSPIRES NEW DANCE Mtlrlam of Ancient Nation Hecoiues Motif of Itnth ft. llenls' l atest rratlon. Iluth St. Denis, who last season was seen In a repertoire of dances, the locaie of which was laid In India, will this season draw upon" ancient Egypt for the source of Inspiration for her new terp--slchorean features. Hiss St. I'enis. in speaking of these dances, said: "I have gone back into the dim and misty past, at a time when an cient Kgypt, mother of all nations, was In the zenith of her power. Her religion was the pivot on which the sociological phase of life at that time turned. These dances Illustrate the motif of the doctrines of a government. In w hich the highest powers J were delegated to the priests. They also Illustrate the psychology of this religion. As the country depending solely upon Its agricultural resources, the Nile was the most potent factor In making the soil fruit ful and productive of huge harvests. The ovtrfiow of the waters, which Is an annual phenomenon of this river, was turned to account, and Instead of being destructive and productive of great damuge, the leap ing of its banks and covering over the soil adjacent to Its course was turned to account. The priests, realizing the value of iiie rise of the waters and its attendant good results, set aside certain periods of the year for Invocations, prayers and gen eral celebrations to the gods, that they might In their mercies. si-i.J through the land this swirl of waters In its accustomed wont, so that the crops might reap the Uneflt of its lapping tongues; that the granaries might ie fuied with the fruits of the soil and plenty reign supreme in the land." Assisting Mi.- St. I), tils In her dances are a number of young girls, who for months have been trained unJer her per sonal direction and supervision. The scenic production to be carried by her this sea son Is an exceedingly massive one and In cludes three large sets. It will require a to-foot baggage car to contain them. The Incidental music used In the dances has been composed by Mr. Walter Mey rolt. w ho, it w ill be remembered, w as the composer tf the Incidental music used by Miss St. iHnls in lor Hindu dancrs. Her season will bttin on Monday, De cember t. and It will Include the large cities of the Lai ted Slates. 1 THE OMAHA -fl i ( JcT. J 2USS BIRD tbeOSFMON How Library Can Aid Drama Student Weak from continuous laughter, one wa coming out of the theater not long age after a performance of "Seven Days" when a change in mood was suddenly forced by an overheard remark "Characters hope lessly overdrawn." It Is foolish to let pronouncements of this rort Interfere with one's own peace of mind although they are excessively Irritating at the time and this one was particularly so when the characters were so exceptionally i true to life for a frank farce. Tet such a Judgment, although widely erroneous, may be viewed In another light. Here was a man who was seeking at least to apply some standard of real criticism to what he had seen and heard and who was inot simple voicing what he 'liked;' or dlslked and therefore not setting up as a Judg ment what really amounts only to personal whim. Anyone who wishes to Judge a play through analysis of Its elements or to make reference of the acting to genuine criteria, should be encouraged even If, as In the ease above, the resultant Judgment was directly opposite the truth. The above two parugrarhs may serve as a sort of preface to a few hints hoped to be helpful to such as he. It Is purposed to speak somewhat of the first aids to the dramatically inclined which are to be found In the dramatic alcove In the Omaha Fuhllc library. Nothing like a bibliography Is the Intention bemuse this is not very usefol J even It It would be read. Instead attention will be called to one book in particular, and few others at less length, which will be of real rervlce to him or her who would learn something basic about the principles of dramatic construction. The one vojume referred to Is "The Technique of the Drama" by William T. I'rlce and though published : ls:'2 is far from being out of date. Mr. I'rlce has a later and larger work which Is not in the library at present, hut which has been or dered. The smaller book will be the more helpful anyhow. It Is a book w-hioh sue- t.eeds admirably In its object w hich Is Btated In the preface to be: "Not to give formulas for the ryaking of various kinds of plays, but to state such obvious and accepted principles as underlie tiie drama -principles that are known to every literary worker, and that are ante cedent to the tricks of the trade. The chief authority that a book of this kind can have Is the authority of principle, and that only is urged for It. "This book Is addressed not alone to the dramatic author, real or possible, but to the playgoing i ublic atid the general student of literature, for there Is In evitably a responsive elevation in the drama when audiences are critical enough to demand hlsli work. To the dramatic critic of the newspaper, the writer (hav ing himself been in the living conflict) proffers the book as an aid In the ea-eless struggle against evil." And to this It may be added that Mr. Price's book has been of great value In the achievement of the aims for which he w rote. No brief newspaper article can give a really c mpielu.usive Idea of the book and a schedule of chapters Is the best to be at tempted In these limitations. The chapters number twelve and are entitled and sub divided as follows: I. The Drama-Its deflnitlun; 1) the Dramatic Idea; t:i) the I'se of the Drama. II. The Three F.lementa of a Drama d the Ethical; i.) the Aesthetic; (3) the Tech nical. III. The Principles of Fully. IV. The Division loio Acts-Th He. gn.nliifc. il) the Introduction: (.) the De- j vriopnieiit, the Middle, (3) the Crisis or SUNDAY TIKE: XOVRMNKU SUSS mCABE Krzff 2Ks ira xatc m ii im " :u- ' .. J. r 1 f v H ' I i nV - ( iifiiv w . CUn.ax, the ITnd; (4) tna Denouement (f) the Catastrophe. V. The Scenes and Principle of Action (1) Monologies; (2) Dialogues; (3) Groups; (4) Masses, etc. VI. Chrxacter. VI f. A Summary of Certain Laws In Art (1 Perspicuity; C' Proportion; (3) Variety; (41 Illusion i.M Probability (6) ; Contrast, etc. VIII. Adapatation and Dramatization. IX. Forms of the Drama. X. Criticism. XI. How a Drama Is; Built Up; a Word to the Author. XII. The Literature of Dramatic Prin ciple. It will be seen from this schedule of chap ters that Mr. Price's book though not a bulky one Is a comprehensive study and even If not read carefully throughout will afford the student aid in many ways. To the beglrfher are particularly commended y the chapters which deal with "How a drama Is Hullt Fp." and not "written"); the chapter on the division into Acts and the chapter on the Scenes and Principles of Action. It will hurt no one either to read Chapter VII.. which Is A Summary of Certain Laws In Art. If any one is in earnest In wishing to learn something about the principles of dramatic art, he wiil read and study this book as he would lead and study a text book on any suhJi'Ct like chemistry or al gebra. Just rklnunlng over a few jiilki of any book on any subject will not store In jour mind very much and the drama, like any other art or any oiogy or any science cannot be understood In a single night. Those of us who are Illiterate musically hesitate to express an opinion on the sing lug of Scottl or Schuinann-lUiiik. We are loath to declare that a picture has good balance, is well composed, loath to crit icise its drawing if we know nothing about the pictorial art. We do not rush In to voice our Judgments on the subjects knowing thtt we know nothing about them unless we are utter fools but upon a play or upon the acting therein wo are slightly morepreclpltate. If angels are hetant or not and fear or fear not to tread here, at all events the fools rush In. Consequently If you are fond of voicing opinions uliout the drama and the play you have Just seen, It might be just as well to reud and study Mr. Price's book and you will then have the satisfaction of knowing that yo-. know a little perhaps concerning thai which you arc talking about. At least ou may not be voicing ptrsoiiul w hims and insisting they are critical Judgments. The Omaha Public library has a good collection of writings upon the drama and others than the beginner will find things here worth their while. Possibly you have not read William Archer. you can find him In the alcove, and mayhap you nrer rad William Lamb s delightful reminis cences of players half forgotten many of tnein nut lor liiiio. I lien, too, the wrl t- inga ot iiuzuii aie at nana. Anotner oooK. Commended by Mr. Price and all other writers on a kimlpar theme is Ocorge L es' "Actors and the Art of Acting." In modern commentaries besides Mr. Archer one will find Norman llapgood's ! "Tlie State In Amerii a " Some of Oie cliap ' ters are out of dale, because the book Is I W years old, and the frank, sincere and j IBE2Z WmZFAr tme OKPimu?' -ft . r" .,, f f- V Cn MfflY WocmCFTAND Cms m Btlmulatlnsr Mr. Hapgooa would bs the first to admit this. Other chapters notably the analysis of Shaw, Plnero and Jones are the most available and authoritative to be found In book form today. The library of course contains many other titles on dramatic themes and no mention Is made here of printed plays, ex cept that as respects the English classics, the collection Is excellent. Some of the moderns are missing. Of Pinero you will find, "Iris" and the delightful "Trelawney of the Wells," but you will look In vain for Paula Tanqueray and for one or two others of the great dramatist's works. If you are one of the many said to be writing a play, though we suspect this condition Is sometimes overstated and you know not the essential principles and no menclature of state management as few amateur playwrights do, then read "The Art of Play writing," by Alfred Hene- quln. I nil I you can ten what the following stage directions moan you will have 111 result In wrltfnir a nhiv nnd pvpii ufiAf you ,mve learnj ,,)e dif f,.,.ence between a tormentor and a prop-plot and can dis Vngul.sh between L 3 E and D. C. L., you will have something to learn before you can really build up a play. Decipher this today : li standing at H. of desk near L. 3 K. A und H go over to L. I". E. A and 15 cross over to It. 3 K. A goes down to D. C. A Few New Words on Nomenclature If one met a man who wore white spats, whose trousers were creased to a razor and who declared bis name was Itoyal Honcei-valle, Hooth W'aliack. or Taylor train Hie, not much uni 1 1 lalnly v.oild prevail as to his in ans of livelihood -when worked nt it. it is somewhat broiol dic to harp upon the actor's penchant for liigh-souiidinif names and it Is ct resound ingly refreshing to tell of an actor who Is unique absolutely unique with respect to playing down his professional name. If ever another actor did likewise one never heard of it. though som- use their real names be they ever so plain. On the progiums of the E a L ing com pany ut the lioyd, the reader will find the name of "Charles With is.'' Particularly as to the suri.amu none will assert that it Is remarkably euphonious, or that it has a theatrical ling. In fact as names go It is somewhat homely. When the yo.mg man who bears it de cided to go upon the staj.e, he began even lower than I am now If that Is nosible," says he himself modestly. "And 1 thought It would sound funny If some one said: 'Here, (laiiand Iiurr Davidson. Hiinouoee that my lm i' eurii ige wait.!.' So I called myself Just plain Withers. M.i be if 1 tver ri ;e In this oik 1 shall ca.l myself Garland I'.urr. but not until theij " Withers, or Dawdson. Is an Omaha-hoy who graduated from the Omaha High school and his friends th.nk It rather curious w ilt il tlic r.-ad the" Withers" p: o giam. This explanation v. ill probably sat isfy them. Most of the E a Ian-; compuny sail un der true colors. Miss ling is really Miss I ang nnd h'dv.anl I.nii. h wr s horn Ln- h J and baptized Edwaid. J.-e Heliiian, who j iln s life-like ililoos and not conven- tiondl "heavies," wa. the mn of Mr. and I Mrs. Selmaii. Gi.idon Fox was really i named Fox ami "(i.-uydon" he says bis! iniothtr found 111 a novel, and liking It. hung il onto him. F.rvli'.t- Aiderson was born un Aiderson, and w hat his real first name Is. di pom nt sailh not. Miss Vitleii- tine Is Mi.-s Elhel i-;i.in-er. and he calil herself "Valentine'' fiom biiving been X -TEE GffliVS 'at thjc BmiwrrA V PAVWWA COMUfii AC THE born on the Saint's day. "Eugenie PuBols" Is on first hearing open to grave suspicion for It sounds liko Itoyal Itoncesvalles, does it not? Hut she has ; a light to write It that way. Miss Dupois' ' pattrnal forbears woe of French llugcnotj .stock. Two generations before her. the ' name was changed by an uiu omr.ni ic j grandfather to Hoyes and thus it is otic-r- j wise known In Nebraska, where some ic'.a-j lives ure prominent in the gr.iin world, i Miss DuHols when she went on the sta' adopted the rightful' spelling. Edwin Evans did the Minor trlek a Averlll Harris, who was leading man un til recently. Eaclr Wm baptized "William and Evans and Averil were the luiddh names as given at baptism. When they j became a tors "William" was thriwn Into . the diseald. So it is seen that on the whole i the lloyd nomenclature Is fairly n J j and no changes have been worked mi vio- lent as from Hrodilb to Irivlng, fr mi Maul - -Klskadden to Maude Adams or Elsie lli'-i - i bower to Elsie Jaiils- not to iiien'ioii a few thousand others less lliuro : ions. As icupectrs uiuestry the lioyd plavers ar- a varied lot. One c:in f.ud ih - ri-lu.l there and prove It. ton i.f (Jove l.or il.ii'l ford of the pilijiiin Fat). cis itoi- is Ed waid Lynehi of Vi;:;:iii.i 1'. i V s (Mr. Evans) of iiouili Carolina II. .; n -li l.ke Eugen.e Duliois. Mr. Lynch Is largely of Yankee-Irish ex traction, his forbear.-i lei:- mahy g neratioris bavin;,' 11 vt 1 In New England and I" ir originally Celtic in the direct paternal I lie Miss Lang as her naiue indicates, comes of Sri-man ancesiiy ori b i I'.itixt s sid. and Miss Valentine, alias Eking, r. Is of r-t. Louis Cit-riiian sloi k. Mr. Selman's father m an Enhshm in living lit the llarhto.o. s. Euan's 'itiie- i -un Episcopal iiergn:nn now lo-rm i.f a i Alabama parish, (iiax.n.n l-'ux sa . s he i.i a direct d s clulal.l of Uleh: id K.. but he himself "i-i the o..ly one who il iii-.i j say so." Eiv.lle Aide. son Is of l-.n:;l. h eX- 1 traction and not so very ren. iieh-. .- , proved this last we k by the way be a- led i p la ha. Eng.isliniaii. inisiiir-: the el i act funny, but never overdoing isms, the monocle selewed tightly as Jos pli Chainl" ria to i.t.i k. Kalph Mai thy Is of tlie inaorre i h:s i y as i's 1- I ep It' unlive Al.n I la. I ions ,t I lean um istiy for many ger English origin. "W hal am I'.- rtieai. Mi. Evans nil. ! half S -oteh and half Seltzer." i' old as the l.iiis," eommented Mr. Lyi-eh. ! but It s tlie oh uni s that go. on cf ih j oldest on the ktage g'ta t.e biggest k.i.i,1: ' In Madame fcln rt y w U. a a . -s : .! fined u iioinng ui.iih-l by two.'" )Xi f'77 BBAXDZlSj - kJ I I A7TIC 1? Mi - loztzsz J$ENT At the KRUG 1, This Not Like Other Animal Acts is more than 18 years of ago and i a patron of vaudeville- longer than i ok.-, the chances are Just about it the average animal act will give i a hi him what llert l.c:-i oi Taylor falls a 'healiid .!::." nor need one be 'a hlnh- hloW to le thus lltieeled. Willi BllultS toe v.imie.iiie nr-iio.il turn ranks some v. ! l.ei .v. en li e contortionist and the vi nti ilo'pust. who, many people would not I r.is-i tie si I eel to lee Hot hear. lint to all this i-'iank Stafford's (Jlad- si 1 el' I all till: e'ter is si - a complete exception. find iiiueh to .olmlie ami much in tin- turn piesented by Mr. irerie .Mont and the setier. To ih. the iln was a delight to tha dug lover eonl l fall to notice Ills its briadth ln-twieii eves, breadth f.. rly 1-r. iol ( nest, ch'nn cut legs prai- .-! o id p. I.. and kaiine:ies, v : d to t sta!.: po-e, hioh hi r."-e on hi:.i a o;heis loiill-l wi n il t he ai t iittiin-,. the ci golden haves. mi ii treed no fancier')! i toe gracefulness of tht loe, took when the curtain a.':ie the clever way in v as staged, the woodland iii'.nuous fall of r d and is, ami still others wouhl per-niie-t for Mr. Slaflord's inock iur'taiion and Imitations of rli-;el h.iil.ili and noises. I I in to train the setter il" '. life ail the dog Is not hups care in : i li -1 f a i.'iiar I; Mr. ;-'. ' i a v in l i a s- I .,- I: .: I . h It excellent at fillsll e 1 1. . i n ga . ne. Il-.rd l i 'I Ills wife deVole theln : on nor tune to tiieir hell farm 1 iir.-l, wn.rc they have ii.OcJ -!or' !tef led itins. - -inn nts ale i as-y to learn, -til. ko-vvs low many of his I i i it i I- .1 till tlrey deiido hit I A i! A V. il .1 Is lo u t hi ir loes ; t hev l.laud wr. Ii their .1 opinion of i.ini lo have i di ink un-1 ore II woahl i i.u'.i-n a on f., -- i i iw" 1 7r I i .i