ABSTRACT
A young girl, as innocent as a seagull, is ruined by a popular dramatist. This is the root idea of the Russian dramatist, Anton Chekhov's comedy, ‘The Seagull’, a translation of which, by Mr. George Calderon, was produced at the Repertory Theatre last night. In such a theme the comedy is not evident. The large audience found themselves puzzled at times by the piece, and occasionally tittered at wrong moments. As a matter of fact the play must ever be puzzling to a British playgoer, accustomed to his or her comedy, somewhat obvious, it is true, but pleasant and palatable. That of the Russian dramatist is not far removed from tragedy. One smiles with a wry face at the sombre impression of the futility of life as the characters more [sic] gropingly and despairingly through their narrow lives towards a gloomy and hopeless end. The play is a play of types, of the contradictions running through-out life. . . . The little idiosyncrasies of these characters are the warp and weft of Chekhov's comedy; the web is tragedy. Probably the most distinctive feature of ‘The Seagull’, is the remarkable power shown by the playwright in contrasting the different characters, the ability to portray impressively the moods and temperament of each individual with a sure hand. Certainly it is a play full of interesting commentaries on life and art - a drama of realism which ought to be seen by everyone who is a serious student of the stage. Of the acting, it is difficult to write without using superlatives. The repertory company, severely tested as their resources are, achieved another success. Miss Mary Jerrold, who played with exquisite delicacy, Madame Arcadina, portrayed the flippant selfish woman of the world admirably. Miss Irene Clarke as Nina was excellent in the lighter episodes of ‘The Seagull's’ career, but she was hardly intense enough in the long, drawn out interview in the last act. In the difficult part of the author Trigorin, who excites in one a peculiar combination of dislike and pity, Mr. Gullan plays satisfactorily, with a sardonic impassivity that was exactly suited to suggest a man beaten, like his victims, by the bludgeonings of chance. Masha is effectively acted by Miss Lola Duncan; and Constantine, the dreamer of vague dreams, has an able exponent in Mr. Milton Rosmer, who never forces the tragic note, and plays with a perfect sense of character. Mr. M.R. Morand as the philosophic Dorn is Mr. Morand - complacent, humourous, pungent. The other parts were well bestowed. Appropriately Mr. Albert Cazabon, the musical director, had arranged a programme of Russian compositions, the composers represented being Wieniawski, Sokolow, Glazounow, Liadow, and Tchaikowsky. In the various pieces the orchestra were heard to advantage, while Mr. Cazabon, whose violin playing is a feature of the repertory evenings, contributed two solos.
