The Red Room · Chapter
XV: The Theatrical Company "Phoenix" explained
Rehnhjelm wakes in his hotel, haunted by memories of the previous night's orgy with the theatre company.
What happens
Rehnhjelm wakes in his hotel, haunted by memories of the previous night's orgy with the theatre company. He recalls the despair of an aging actress, a degraded comedian, and a young girl named Agnes who confided in Falander about the actor-manager's harassment. Rehnhjelm visits the theatre to seek a debut, but finds the management absent; the porter gives him the theatre's statutes, which he reads with ironic amusement. When the actor-manager finally arrives, he tries to dissuade Rehnhjelm from the profession, but Rehnhjelm persists. Later, Falander and Agnes have a tense, flirtatious exchange in which Falander reveals Rehnhjelm's infatuation and desire to marry Agnes.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The theatre's statutes claim it is a 'moral institution,' yet the reality is rife with exploitation, harassment, and moral decay, as seen in the manager's behavior and the orgy.
Illusion vs. Reality
Rehnhjelm's romanticized view of the theatre clashes with the grim realities of humiliation, jealousy, and manipulation, epitomized by the contrast between the statutes and actual practices.
Characters to notice
- Rehnhjelm
Awakens from the orgy, visits the theatre to seek a debut, and becomes infatuated with Agnes.
- Falander
The melancholy Falander comforts the company members and later has a tense conversation with Agnes about Rehnhjelm.
- Agnes Rundgren
The young actress who confides in Falander about the manager's harassment and later flirts with him, revealing her interest in Rehnhjelm.
Key passages
“The theatre is a moral institution, therefore the members of the company should endeavour to live in the fear of God, and to lead a virtuous and moral life.”
The theatre's official rules claim it promotes morality, but Rehnhjelm finds this absurd given the actual behavior he witnessed.
Rehnhjelm's ironic reading of the statutes highlights the hypocrisy of the institution.
“It's the worst of all professions! Full of humiliations, unpleasantnesses, little annoyances, and thorns which will embitter your life so that you'll wish you had never been born.”
The actor-manager warns Rehnhjelm that the theatre is a miserable career filled with constant humiliation and suffering.
Despite the manager's dire warning, Rehnhjelm remains determined to pursue acting.