Irish Review (Dublin)

The Recent Performance of Ibsen's RosmersholmAuthor(s): Edward MartynSource: The Irish Review (Dublin), Vol. 3, No. 36 (Feb., 1914), pp. 660-661Published by: Irish Review (Dublin)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30062995 .

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THE RECENT PERFORMANCE OF IBSEN'S ROSMERSHOLM

By EDWARD MARTYN

T iHE remarkable production of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, by Miss Elizabeth Young, on the 8th and 9th December, at the Theatre of the Theatrical Club, deserves more recognition

than those perfunctory commendations of the daily Press which sees no more significance in work of a purely artistic intention than in the ordinary drama, with its low aim at only making money by amusing the mob. And here let me remark that I use the word mob in no sense as reflecting injuriously upon the poor and ragged. Of all classes of human beings, they are the class for whom I have, I may say, any respect. They are simple and natural, with minds uninjured by false education, and, if properly educated, would surely have the highest taste; whereas odious respectability, the result of vicious education, is too distorted to be set right, and thus is responsible for all the horrors of modern so-called civilisation. Therefore I use the word mob in its philosophical sense as meaning mere average humanity of all classes, which was Swift's intention when he said: " Any large concourse of people constitutes a mob, even if it be composed of bishops." Well, then, to return to the main theme from this short digression, I may at once say of Ros- mersholm that the performance on the whole was most successful. The Rebecca of Miss Young is certainly her finest piece of acting. In it she has got rid of nearly all those tricks of voice and attitude which heretofore used to mar her very real strength. There is no doubt but that they will soon altogether disappear. So capable has she now become that one would think she was made for Ibsen parts. I have never seen her attempt anything else with an approach to the ability which his strange women seem to awaken in her. As Rebecca she was profound, mysterious, terror-stricken, with feelings some- times uncontrollable breaking through that sort of outward Puritanical calm which fits so well with the grave, even spectral life of Rosmers- holm. Her scenes with Rosmer in the second act and the great scene in the third, where she confesses how she lured Beata to her death, were memorable and convincing. In these she showed herself a real actress. Mr. Fred Harford caught the right key of Joannes Rosmer. After that the rest was comparatively easy for him. Although he got the part late, he studied it completely, and made it impressive and interesting. Formal and calm, he went through

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RECENT PERFORMANCE OF IBSEN'S ROSMERSHOLM

his agony, as John Wesley might have done if in similar circum- stances. As Rector Kroll, Mr. C. G. Thompson gave a very good picture of the reactionary, unconsciously humorous type which is so well understood in our own country; while Miss Nell Byrne was excellent in the garrulity and superstitious terror of the old house- keeper, Mrs. Helseth. The short part of Mortensg/ard was played with intelligent significance by Mr. R. E. Ryan. As for Mr. J. M. S. CarrY, I cannot imagine anyone better in the character of the scholar bohemian Ulrick Brendel.

The one fault of the performance was an occasional forgetful- ness of the words; but that is only a minor fault. The important thing is that the performance was intelligent. Memory is no doubt a useful faculty. It enables one to pass examinations. It is intellect that tells in the end, and changes the world.

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