A FIRST NIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 106, 28 January 1908, Page 8

A FIRST NIGHT.

Riotous, scenes occurred at the., first niglit of Ibsen's "Doll's Housb," givon in Benin iiVKlemo's Theatre, with Mmo'. Agnes Sorma as. Nora. ; ' ': ■ ' Two Gorman versions ; or' tho .."Doll's House" exist, 'oho by, Herr Schlenther, and tho other b'y'.Herr .'Lange. TJio translation by Hear Langq is tho property-of a rival Borl in,-, theatre, so that'Mme, Sorma, --who has .played Nora according' fo' Eerr' Lingo's adaptation 600 times, was compelled to'; play according to Herr. Schlenther's, adaptation:' : Tha manager"of :tlio, riysV.thpatre, thinking that Mft»: Sorma. would probably make •use" of the old t famila r text. instead of.' the iifw one, seiit. two stenographers, who sit in ; thq front row of the, stalls'-to take down Mme. Sorma's.. part in ,shorthand, with the object of bringing an action.. for damages and an injniiqtion against tho continuation of tho.play if she committed in. error.; Mme. Sorma, on seeing "the two stenographers and understanding'their purpose, went off into hysterics.;. Her',crics behind the scones could be heard throughout the theatre. She wept. violpntlyj and was reduced, to 3 stato of total collajise.' . Herr Bariiowski, the manager of. -the theatre,; appeared hefcrb the and, explaining what had~ happened; ' pointed . 'to tho'two stenographers as. the disturbers of ,thb pence.- '. j: ■ • ; A terrific- uproar ensu«l..' Men • and. wo,men rose from their seats with the intention of thrashing tho, shorthand writes,. a.nd a well-known music-hall "star" stood up in her place in a box and cried''"Turn them out!" Hor demand )va.s.'re-ccho«l froin all parts of the aiid' Horr" Barnowski, again appearing'beforo tht} curtaiii; said to ■tho .stenographers:. "I 'Tequcst' you. t-o leave my thoatro. If'you rofuse'l' shall exerfciso my legal right to eject you." -'■'■ Tho two stenographers : then left amid hoots, groans, and hisses, and were, pursued by a hostile crowd.' • • - The performance was resumed, but Mmo.. Sorma's agitation- was painful to witness, and prevented a proper' representation of tho play. 1 , Mme. Gruening, who ' was: cast for the part of Liildo, was also missing at the last minute, and her part had to bo played bv Franloin Chrisphon, who read ' tho ' lines from tho book. ■