Appendix B: Contemporary Reviews

Summary

The Molesworth Hall was crowded on Saturday night when two original plays were produced for the first time, under the auspices of the Irish National Theatre Society. Although the title of this Society might be easily made more euphonious, it answers sufficiently well to indicate the objects for which the Society has been formed. Its aim is ambitious; in fact, nothing less than the reform of the dramatic literature and the creation of a theatre Irish in tone and sentiment. The intention is excellent and will commend itself to every Irishman who has—and there are few Irishmen who have not—the interests of this country at heart. How far the object will be attained by the production of such plays as “The Hour Glass” and “Twenty-Five” is, however, another matter. First on the bill, and first, too, in importance is Mr. Yeats’ play, “The Hour Glass,” described by the author as a morality play. The plot of this little play is simplicity itself, and the characters are few in number. Indeed, they may be reduced to two, the others only serving to illustrate a circumstance. These two are the Wise Man and the Fool, and the central idea of the whole piece is that the Wise Man is really a fool and the Fool a wise man. The Wise Man, an impersonation of Indian learning, has reduced his country to such a condition of unbelief through his skillful instruction, that in place of assisting in Divine worship, the people play cards at cross-roads and engage in equally unworthy avocations. While engaged soliloquizing in this condition of things, the angel appears to warn him of his impending end and ultimate damnation, not even purgatory being opened for his reception. Moved by the entreaties of the condemned man, however, the angel holds out hope, if, while the sands are running in the glass, the philosopher can discover one individual who believes. He calls alternately on Bridget, his wife, his children, and pupils, but in vain. His work has been done all too well. He is saved at last by Teigue, the Fool, who still believes in supernatural agencies. Such is the plot—simplicity itself. As for the lesson to be derived from it, opinions will differ.