The Siddons of Spain

...His assump...

...They are, with the exception estimation of one of your fellow clerics might improve with of a negligible cultured minority, fairly representative of the the severance of the 'vena jugularis,' the sad result is an ingroup that responds to the moron-bait of the tabloids, the definite sense of disappointment and frustration, with a conmovies, and the confessional type of magazine...

...Soon you will be selves to concepts and verbiage easily within the understand- telling me that you derive the most spiritual benefit from a ing of a ten- or twelve-year-old child ; otherwise, we lose visit to an empty church, where the only illumination is a touch with our auditors and there is a distressing epidemic of softly diffused sunlight, where shadows and isolation aid in coughing, shuffling of feet, and discreet whispers...

...cal asides in a presentation of La Malquerida, the The theatregoers of New York earnestly desire the masterpiece' of that distinguished man-of-the-theatre, return to their boards of Senora Guerrero and her reBenevente, known to many theatregoers in America markable company of actors : several playgoers exthrough the production of The Passion Flower pressed a hope to see her undertake the role of Lady in which Miss Nance O'Neill played-a pro- Macbeth, which has not fallen into capable hands since duction which, while it revealed some of the greatest the days of Mrs...

...and, in any mon and a twenty-minute discursion of pointless divagations...

...But we have digressed...

...June 2, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 101 tragic acting that America has seen in recent years, THE SIDDONS OF SPAIN showed a strange lack of a sense of the real, domestic, By THOMAS WALSH and racial qualities which Benevente prepared as the proper setting for his domestic tragedy...

...The assumption lery...

...What you say to old bility of the Church to the younger generation, and we have fellows like me probably will matter not a whit, but what spent the evening in pointing an accusing finger at each other...

...your comfort and solace...

...tellectual capacity of mid-grade morons, I do not admit...

...combined throughout the week in presentations that On Wednesday evening, in La Locura de Amor, must cause any American thinker, who still takes Senora Guerrero returned to the historical drama in the trouble to consider the matters presented by our presenting the story of the Mad Queen, Juana, daughown playwrights, considerable chagrin at the deplor- ter of Ferdinand and Isabel, and the tragedy that able contrast we make in comparison with this Spanish developed her manias into the final loss of her mind...

...She is in the tradition of our Dona Maria la Brava represented the old theatre own Charlotte Melmoth, the first English-American as well as the new, and that the English-speaking stage tragedienne, as well as the direct descendant of the should confess a vast falling-off from its older tradi- seventeenth-century actress, Maria de Riquelme, the tions and recognize the strength and validity of a sainted genius of Madrid, who blushed and wept in national stage that refused to surrender to modern natural consonance with the characters she impersonfripperies...

...perhaps another is to revery much doubt, it will not come from the mental defective...

...All this sounds very pretty...

...embellishment of a beautiful idea...

...Aside from suggesting a re- after reading his courteous reply to my letter...

...fect impersonation, such expressive posing and gesture, For Seisor Diaz de Mendoza, for his highly gifted such marvelous vocal intonation and articulation conson who gave a very colorful presentation of Don stitute a supreme achievement which we can only hope Juan Tenorio, and for the remarkable histrions of that some, at least, of our own producers and players their company, there will be always a welcome here, will strive to emulate...

...you tell the young people may prove of incalculable benefit Well, I trust we can be reconciled at least on the desirability so far as an advance in Catholic influence on the republic's of a second cigar...

...thought is concerned...

...Neither is it a model for architects, a school for em- of Mr...

...name is a word of glory throughout South America, Our press, in general, reflected the half-conscious Germany, and France, and her fame in the internaembarrassment of its unfitted critics...

...RYAN REPLIES TO MR...

...herently incapable of distinguishing between an intelligent ser- Cleric: "You are, of course, exaggerating...

...A col- support in character-acting, nobly exemplified in lection of harum-scarum reporters, not one of whom Diaz de Mendoza's impersonation of the fickle archcould muster up a word of Spanish, reeking of Broad- duke, as well as in masterly strokes in the humorous way gaiety-shows and the trivialities of sex and vaude- scenes by the rest of the company which brought ville, was sent to consider the romantic drama by a sigh to the older persons in the audience, who could Edward Marquina, Dona Maria la Brava-a picture recall the days of Augustin Daly, the genius of the of fifteenth-century Spain, with its assassinations, ven- Booths, McCullough, Ada Rehan, Janvschek, the detta, and heroic acceptances of penalties and duties Kendalls, Henry Irving, and the tradition before them of honor and state...

...SANDS their forebears are...

...but, Laic:-"Coughing and the rest, being unconscious defense upon analysis, you will find its roots in a basic egoism, assoreactions merely, might well be considered a challenge...

...but to ciated with a pale pink romanticism...

...ated, and whose tomb, where she is lying incorrupt, is On May 18, Senora Guerrero answered these criti- still venerated by the people of Spain...

...In fact, such perholds in such complete control...

...Mexicans in spiritual matters as against their own governLaic "I do not purpose allowing you to lead me into a ment," I cannot but continue to consider "very false," even discussion of the moral in art...

...it spoke of Senora tional theatre shines equal with that of Rachel and Guerrero's great voice, and histrionic sureness, but Bernhardt, with Siddons and Duse...

...theatre...

...The entrance of Maria Guerrero of the Kembles and Siddons of remoter years...

...philosophy of taste, so that they will not be so totally unappreciative of beauty in the Church as you apparently think DR...

...Some T O the Editor:-Reverend Edward Hawks's recent let- of us find ourselves more stimulated in an environment which ter, which continues a discussion on the layman's reac- recognizes the fact that ugliness, whatever form it may take, tions to certain externals of Catholic worship, is the reason for makes for an irritation that detracts from the pleasure and re¢czding the following imaginary conversation between a cleric occasional sense of exaltation following a visit to the church...

...on the American stage was made in a scene, marvelous It is a pleasure to record the triumphs Senora in its ferocious power, enacted on a darkened stage Guerrero has received during her long career-all and received with a clamorous applause which told this Spain, its royalty, nobility, its population, rich and great actress that among our public, at least, art and poor, has laid its greatest tributes at her feet-her genius are welcomed and honored to the full...

...sidered sermons, what attempt are you making to develop their D. T. POWELL...

...If Laic:-"Perhaps one of the subconscious reasons for going there is anything to be expected from the lay adult, which I to church is to escape from reality...

...Its with Mexico, that our government "has nothing whatever to business, roughly speaking, is moral development, and you do" in the matter of the "broad question of the rights of would be the first to complain, if it were to stray...

...ritual only so far as it unnecessarily obtrudes itself, and, thereWhat he needs is not a sedative, but a stimulant...

...The fiery evening, May 17, at the first appearance in the Man- queen of the night before became the sublimated hattan Opera House of the Spanish tragedienne and peasant housewife, with a revelation, studied but never artist, Maria Guerrero, the greatest actress of her meticulous, of the character of the Spanish country country, and, in the opinion of many judicious critics, woman, who believed in honor and family decency the greatest figure on the boards today...

...and Cleric:-"The fact is, my dear fellow, that our people when, to the Mass, for instance, you add interruptions wholly are hardly ready to be led into the land of promise, which out of accord with the spirit of it, and a choir, which, in the you so optimistically picture...

...Further, you are la sermonizing to them, we must of necessity confine our- confusing religious and aesthetic emotions...

...Cleric:-"You are thinking of . " What I was mainly interested in is the relation and responsiLaic:-"Of the younger generation...

...event, you place too much stress on ritual...

...We do not know if but among a vast concourse of our citizens, whether ske has essayed this role in Spanish, but it seems a they speak Spanish or not, who cannot fail to comcharactez proportioned beautifully to her powers and prehend splendid acting and splendid playwriting, even worthy of the fine and powerful delivery which she lacking a sense of the spoken text...

...Siddons...

...They are in- sequent depression...

...sume our heritage as individuals before God, unsubmerged by Further, when you preach down to him, you are not leading, the indifference of the crowd ; perhaps I am concerned with but following, and confirming his own habits of thought...

...It would be a compliment 102 THE COMMONWEAL June 2, 1926 tot our national theatre if Seiiora Guerrero could come not only among their Spanish congeners in New York, again and respond to this wish...

...Personally and carefully avoided any reference to the peculiar genre privately, the life of Senora Guerrero has been admirof the drama she was presenting, to the fact that able to an equal degree...

...In this latter A PAINFUL revelation of our theatrical shortcomings in the United States was made on Monday phase of La Malquerida, Senora Guerrero revealed the character of her ripe and marvelous art...

...In fine, you resent the the point: the necessity of adjusting your language to the in- crowd and reality...

...But it is fore, becomes meaningless, or where it constitutes an ugly not of the essentially ineducable adult I am thinking...

...is that we laymen go to church for spiritual stimulation...

...has put aside his family titles to develop himself in a Maria Guerrero had showed them two sides of her life of art upon the stage, which is acclaimed as a unmistakable genius, and for all their limitations, their revelation of genius as fine as it is superb...

...Here was a story and an the Peninsula, and many times a grandee of Spain, who art that even the New York critics could not gainsay...

...She is accom- until, in outraged frenzy at the discovery of her huspanied by her husband, Don Fernando Diaz de Men- band's falseness and weaknesses, she heaps ruin on his doza, representative of one of the greatest families of head by killing herself...

...Here the Spanish actress revealed herself at the height Most deplorable of all was the showing made by the of her powers, and her company gave a spirited critical faculty of our New York newspapers...

...COMMUNICATIONS VICARIOUS BEAUTY surgence of Church interest in art, the point I want to make Norwalk, Conn...

...A remark- theatrical bias, and Broadway affiliations, they were able supporting company, representing the finest that swept down by the popular acclaim and drawn into Spain can offer to interpret the best of its dramatists, the whirl of applause...

...William Franklin Sands in his article, Peace bryonic mural painters, nor a rendezvous for sculptors...

...Leaving aside their right to well-con- Cleric:-"I think we can...

...and a laic Even such a minor thing as garish lighting has its effect...

...Washington, D. C. Cleric:-"The Church, my dear fellow, is not an art gal- TO the Editor:-I return to the charge...