Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-06
KATE FIELD SPEAKS FOB HER
SELF, AND TALKS SENSEBLY.

! KATE FIELD SPEAKS FOB HER
SELF, AND TALKS SENSEBLY.
From the New York GTaphie.l
The debut of Miss Kate Field at
Booths theEter has created so much
discussion in theatrical and literary cir
cles that the writer took the liberty Of
calling on Miss Field to learn her views
OF the stage and OF the critics. This
vivacious lady has done so much criti-
cising in her own day that her opinion Of
those vino criticise herself could not fail
TO be-interesting, at least. Miss Field.
when asked whether she had anything
to say, replied: ''The public has always
treated me splendidly, never better than
on the occasion Of my 0e6uH at Booths
theateT, and although am conscien-
Ii )usly opposed to interviewing unless
some vital matter msy be calculated by
il, l have been so strangely misintef-
pTeted recently that ] am more than
willing to set myself right on several
points.
RepOrter-It has been rumOred that
members OF the dramatic profession con-
slider you an inteTlOpeT.
Miss Field-If there is any one who
has an inherited right TO the stage it is
myself. An early ancestor was Nathan
lei Field, distinguished actor, friend
/ of Shakespeare, and one Ct the English
dramatists, writing Woman as Weather
[ cock in 1912, and -4Hends for Ladies in
/ 1918. He also assisted Massinger in
/ The Fatal DO5OTy. My maternal grand
I mother was an actress, my mother was
/ a beautiful actress in domestic drama,
her sister was equally clever in comedy;
/ her brothers, though merchants, were
/ and are distinguished for their mimetic
I powers. A son Of one of these brothers,
4 George Riddle, graduate Of Harvard's
/ last class, has just surprised Boston by
! admirable Shakespearean readings. Ny
I father was immensely clever RSan actor.
So you see / am no interiOper.
Reporter-Is the stage a recent fancy
of yOurs2
Miss Field-Ive always wanted to 20
upon the stage; it is my first love, and
had my father lived / should have done
so on leaving school. But we are crea-
lures Of fate. lectured two seasons as q
preliminary to my "new Departure In
order to gain the self-pOssessiOn absolute
ly necessary to face an audience. In
taking this new departure l followed |
the advice of Mrs. Charles Kesn, Ma |
dame TagliOni, George H. Lewis, the |
severest critic in London, all Of whom |
and many others sat in Judgement upon |
q private reading Of mine.
Reparter-I hear that actors accuse |
you OF having been severe on their pro- |
fession. Is this so?
Miss Fields-I have been a dramatic |
critic all my life. l have fought for the |
stage with all my heart apd soul, and /
any one who states the reverse does not |
know what he is talking about ! have |
often been severe in criticising individu-
ais, bat they have been persons of estsb-
lished reputation, who could afford to be
told the truth. Moreover, l have always 1
despised the Hunkeyism Of America IN
art matters, European importatiOns
are received with greater alacrity and
less criticism than native talent. This
is all wrong. IL we aspire to position
in the art world we must be good TO our
own. The stage has no warmer defend
er than myself. l am proud Of my
ancestry, sud hope ] may live to do it
40 discredib.
Reporter-Hsve you nothing TO say
about your critics?
Miss Fied-Litile or nothing. This
is a free country, aud every one has a
right to his opinion. The audiences
have treated me msgni6cently, and so
far have no reason to complain. II
A1E JULIUS LAlAA t-NEaN-G liz a. 2 W
5la0ntc and not as an Old actress, they
would have been wise, but this matteT
hss been - finely put, in the Tribune, |
By Mr. Edmund c. Stedman, whose
heart is as big as his head, that it is un-
necessary for me 10 add q word, l
la6orad under great Disadvantages the
the first night. Everything is expert
mental at such g time. My dresses
were correct but unbecOming; my wig
was that of au old woman; my face was
badly made up.n All these things l
heard too late to remedy. Then l was
frightened out OF my wits. IL is a great
mistake 10 suppose that because there is
no appearance Of trepidatiOn in the voice
an actoris master himself. The worst
fear is that which manifests itself in
rigidity Of muscle, stiffness of action, and
unnaturalness Of facial expression.
This underwent, and on looking in the
glass did not recognize myself. l was
dszed from beginning 10 eDd. In sJng'
ing, however, in when 1 am perfectly |
at home, was more natural. Any ac
tor will tell you that if a debHtdnfe gets
through the words and business of a
difficult part like ''Peg Wellington" he
is entitled to great credit. II am to be-
lieve even my severest critics l did in
finitely more than this. My second and
last appearance ct Booths theater was q
marked improvement on the first. The
actors told me / made q tremendous
gain. Mr.. Wheatieigh, whose beauti-
ful rendering OF TfipJet has not been
suff GENTLY recognized by the press, de-
clared / was five hundred per cent. bet
ter, and even my own Tel9tlve5-the
hardest Of all critics even have actually
said that did some things very well.
Now, l am not the sort Of person to
strike twelve at first. No one VINO
amounts to anything does more than
indicate possibilities in the beginning.
An sctor is not to be judged either by
his first or his fiftieth performance; but
really think that if my brothers Of the
Quill had witnessed my second appear
ance they would have put less vinegar
in the ink. To talk Of magnetizing an
audience in an awful msusoleum like
Booths theater is absurd. Salvini
NAV do it iu heavy tragedy, but nobody
else can. I did not see my audience. |
beheld a great chasm-fearfu! black
mouth, vide open apparently for the
purpose of swallowing me. This effect
Is uroduced by the glare of the fOOtligbts
and Il e funereal darkness Of the aUditO-
rum, / appeared at Booths theater
not because / liked it, but because it was
the only opportunity that offered. In
this world we take what we can get.
For nyseli, I ana surprised that quiet
comedy like Masks and Faces took as
we'll rs It did with the audience. That I
beautiful comedian, Mr.. Jefferson, will
tell YOU that Rip Van Wf4lk'c does not
begin to be as effective in Booths SIS II /
is IN smaller theaters, and Mr.. Ray I
rnopd. who has made himself immortal I
in "C'olonel Sellers" told me recently l
that when he played the funniest act OF |
The Gilded Age for Mark Smiths bene- /
1T it was received without laugh. 4
Comedies and comedians should never /
he indeed cut of little thesters.
Rep0rter-Do you know, Miss Field, I
that Won have been accused of audacity /
in attempting so exactiug a part at your |
debut?
Miss Field-"Peg Wellington" was 1
not my choice. ! wished to appear in I
sRosaiin," an infinitely easier role. l 1
was ted that the management could /
not get itup. / did not expect to realize (
uPeg Wellington Sat one fell swOOp."
Mr.. WafIack declares that anybody who
acts "Peg Wellington can act any
thing, and he is right Il Is complex In
The extreme, and, as / nave said before,
10 get through il Is egeditable. II / got
through il, / knew ] could DO other
things better. ! expected to be critics.