"such daring and dangerous character."

There was but one thing to do and Mr. Kamban did it. His play was
published by Gyldendal, the most distinguished of the Scandinavian
publishers. He sent a copy to Georg Brandes, as do thousands of authors
from all parts of the world. Next evening he received a letter from
the great critic, telling him that he had read the play, and asking Mr.
Kamban to call on him at his home. A few days later, when he spent
four hours with Brandes at and after table, the latter told him that he
received on an average twelve volumes a day from different authors of
every nationality, and were he to do nothing else, he could not read
even one twelfth of them. "But I am going to write an article about your
play," he concluded. Thus was Mr. Kamban's place as an artist assured.

In spite of the unanimous recognition the play received from the press,
the theatre still refused to produce it, as nearly all the authorities
agreed that it would be "hardly possible to stage." Finally, the new
chief of the theatre, Count F. Brockenhuus-Schack, determined to
carry the matter through. The author then undertook to stage the play,
designed the scenes, and arranged the mise-en-scene to the minutest
detail. On November 14, 1914, the first performance took place. He
sat in the latticed author's box. The first three acts went smoothly,
interrupted at times by applause. The fourth act, the one talked about
and difficult, was still to come. The fate of the play depended on this
act. The curtain rose, and with the slowness of life the act proceeded.
The silence of the audience was uncanny. Toward the end, the foremost
theatrical critic of the city rose to his feet and raised his hand as if
in horror. The curtain fell. Not a hand stirred. A whole minute elapsed
and Mr. Kamban left the box, refusing to himself to admit the failure.
Then suddenly a wild enthusiasm broke loose and lasted several minutes.
According to the regulations--unique in Europe--of the Royal Theatre,
the curtain may not be raised for any author or actor except at a
jubilee. The public, however, refused to leave the theatre till the
manager had escorted Mr. Kamban to the dais in front of the curtain, and
there he expressed his thanks to the audience.

After four months in Copenhagen, "Hadda Padda" toured the Scandinavian
Countries, and preparations were being made for its production
in Germany, when the war broke out, and the German theatres were
ind