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Strindberg'sJhe_()hos! 5ona~ __
As in Act I, light is linked with Arkcnholz: "When the Student enters, again unnoticeably light in room. When he goes upstage, again darker." The guests at the ghost supper are carefully individualized. "The Fiancee, with a constant thin smile on her lips, old-fashionedly dressed, appears in the door, looks around, curtsies and slowly and carefully trips mto the room." After her the Posh Man, "with a long, elegant frock coat, gloves (black), black neckerchief with a big pearl, high black hair and moustache," walks "with accentuated elastic steps." When seated, he regards "with a pmce-nez those present, then talks to the Fiancee, who keeps smiling. The Posh Man also constantly has an Ironic smile on his lips which [-] is there only to hide "the lurking uncertainty of waiting." The ghost supper IS a major kinesic challenge. How forestall stasis? After the clause "especially in those cases where paternity needs to be proved," there IS a SIgnificant pause, during which the Old Man drums his fingers against the table. "The drumming increases and becomes a roll which suddenly stops." The sentence ending with "when the villain is exposed" is directed to the Colonel in a rather quiet tone. During the following two pauses, the stereotype smile of the guests disappears. The Old Man enjoys his manifestation of power, sucks himself full, drinks the anguish of the others, seems to widen, expand. The others are sitting in a shrunk-lip position keeping their brearh in the painful stillness before the storm.
Hummel speaks the following lines in a rational tone and the words "Now I grant you leave to go" m a calm, friendly way, while he looks at the guests ill turn. His "Time's up! Time's up!" IS synchronized with the ticking of the dock, very audible in the silence called for by Strindberg. When it IS heard prepanng to strike, the Old Man rises, stands there immense and broad, strikes powerfully with the crutch on the rahlc and shouts with powerful voice: "1, too, can strike! Do you hear?" All sit still, depressed, sunk in themselves. The Posh .\1an has lost all his superiority, the Colonel his stiff dignity, the Fiancee her smile. The)" seem quite small. Only the Mummy rremhles from inward excitement.
During the Mummy's verdict on Hummel, the Old Man, whose faco has noticeably darkened, starts brokenly, clings Juring the following to the table, seems to waver, grows gradually smaller. Sinks and shrinks slowly In himself.