INTERNATIONAL THEATRE EXHIBITION, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM.—II.
CONSIDERED purely as exhibits, some of the most attractive things to be seen at the International Theatre Exhibition are two sets of marionettes and some masks. Mr. William G. Simmonds (Nos. 487 to 490) has a charming puppet show representing a mediaeval castle with delightful kings, queens and knights protruding over the battlements. He shows, also, a set of Punch and Judy puppets and two charming figures—" Dryad" and "Light o' Love "—designed in the spirit of Mr. Rutherston's Winter's Tale. Not less interesting are some marionettes of German origin representing Chinese figures. English taste will probably consider some of the German exhibits a little wild and lacking in refinement of design, though some of the Reinhardt productions are magnificent. For sheer gorgeousness, however, the small room containing the Russian designs is certainly paramount, though in several instances it will be by no means clear to the uninitiated visitor how they are intended to be carried out. A very interesting general point is raised by a small series of designs where Mr. Iorelik shows ideas for a complete set of interpretative scenery. Most of us in this country are probably still feeling rather undecided as to how far we believe such interpretation can be carried ; those who have considered the matter a little are perhaps as much concerned in wondering how far it ought to be carried. The most elaborate attempts at interpretation are these designs by Mr. Mordecai Iorelik (588-591 and 591a), where a complete colour analysis is provided for Tolstoi's The Power of Darkness, as, for example :— " Acr I.—Opening Scone. Anisya and Nikita Love Scene. Enter Matryona (abrupt change here). The Conference : Nikita Swears Falsely. Also : Enter Akim. Nikita Repulses Marina."
Here we have a colour scheme that begins with a light green speckled with a reddy-gold, and later shows varia. tions of pale blue and a lightish sky colour ; towards the end of the Act the colours become more sombre, though there is still a pale skylight at the top. Gradually as the tragedy deepens and becomes more sordid the colours on the chart become dark with flashes and zig-zags of light in the corners. With the last Act we reach a coal black, with a jag of vivid light across it. Exactly how these suggestions are to be interpreted on the stage I do not feel myself enough of a technician to know. Presumably the actual scene will only be changed for the Acts and the intermediate changes will be an affair of limes. Or perhaps Mr. Craig's movable screens are to be used, which are modified during the actual course of the scene. Of course, as our readers are aware, the whole business of interpretative scenery is highly controversial, there being those who say, with Mr. Gordon Craig, that a very fine sort of theatre is possible without actors at all ; whilst others say—Mr. Granville Barker is, with reservations, of this party—that it is the actor who is the be-all and the end-all of the theatre. He, they say, is the quint- essential theatre, valuable beyond the play and how far beyond the scenic artist ! Personally, I cannot quite see why we are to settle this matter of procedure at all. Let us allow Mr. Gordon Craig to eliminate the actor, and let us watch his experiment and hope he may discover something new and wonderful for us. Let us also allow the other school to work out the theory of pure acting and see whether it does or does not take us back to the funny man at the fair who stands on a tub and gags. But I cannot help thinking that the richest theatre—here I think that Mr. Granville Barker would agree—will be that. hi'which' the-arts of •the'-aetor,' the- playwright, end the scenery designer, blend• and, lose- themselves" in: a whole; and make "not a fifth -sound. but •a star."
Of course, if-weeare-to- have this-f]sion we -must-have proportion,- and I am not sure that scenery -cannot be a little too interpretative:. I do, not mean in any coarse sense of its,- distracting the 'audience from the actor Or the words, but that it might-become too-explicit. When we of the audience- are more used to the symbolism of- colour and form- t might take the-words' out of the actors' months; and-cause the theatre, to: make the' miatake from' which the mistiness-and--- fluctuating-' character of words so often save the writer in his own de3pite ; I mean the mistake.of a- false simplification,- the slight .falsification which almost always, lurks in the -direct' statement of any fairly subtle-concept Let-us -take a concrete; example: Hedda Gabler asks Tesman if Ejlert Levborg. had vine leaves in his hair. By this question she-meant something more thaw her-apparent -meanin-g—was: he. drunk or not ? If a stupid interpretative-- artist. had been at work he.. might.conceivably, have made. the comploteemistake on Lovborg'a next, entrance of: letting „him actually wear. a-. wreath of vine leaves askew. over one eye. Thus.-. what, was .surely liedda's meaning would be narrowed:clown, and. the strange suggestioree31.- adventure. and'. mystery in her words would be loat., Yet, after. ally what: i&Any objection. to..interpeatative scenery but_ a., .kind. of.. cowardice. a _fear of using a ;tre- mendously effective weapon- e Wien-ave get this-medium. fully workinge-that is when -we- of the audience --under- stand it. as well. aa.the expert& understand it now-.---what a theatre we might havel For: the experts,...like Pilgrimo- in, Llassate. who:- go: " always a.. little • further," will have- reached a wonderful subtlety. How glorious it will be -when at-the climax of: 'that great unwritten play deamatist, actors,, scenic, astist&--come down-41orseo foot and artillery—upon. use. Our, emotions will have, been., stretched taut,-. haven been: prepared by the significant thing that-met-our eyes.:.asethe curtaisi went. up.; the. play will move alinastintolerably to its-climax. For. everything. that strikescour: colour sense, sense of line; sense: of ton& and that last-mast elusive comprehension that. lies, behind and . controls . all: these—the -mind. itself—all these will have been atrungk, up, and. prepared tile the perfect actor comes saying the perfect last inevitable words-thab, fulfil the, proportion, Then haw -shall .we. understand. why we endured the profound- indifference with which most of -our present- scrappy-productions can alone fill ourminds For it is not we who are blase, it is the theatre which the exact- sense—dissipated. There is as yet no' unity, but rather a kind of ragged waste of effoit. May I remind: the reader that he can see the Inter-- national Theatre Exhibition for nothing:-? TARN.
(Conclusion..)
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