New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-20
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
Oakley HALL ON THE STAGE.

the Park Tieaer the double capacity OF manager and
actor In the former be may succeed In the latter he
| failed There Is indeed, theory IA to acting upon
which quite the contrary Judgment might be based and
recorded Many persons think that II man walks upon
the stage and dcports himself precisely "a he "oud 90 IN
the drawing the street. the effect VIII be natural
nes OF conduct and the result viii be tho hncst knd ~
acting This Is an The art OF acting IA the art Of
.enting character emotion and conduct IN sns
tanned continuous and symmetrical form, BY means of
delicate exaggeratiOn and no actor ever produces tho
effect OF perfect naturaness except by the properly UNI
natural use OF his powers Voice, facial expression.
bearing movement, gesture and stage business have All
o conform to this law The tone must BE- louder than in
| real life, the step longer, the gesture more
sweeDng the pause more prOtracted the entire method
Artificial PehcIic, an old and feeble Inao must not be
age ITSELF but the stimulation Of age: not weakness but
| power producing the effect OF weaHiess. "heh mug
John in his churchyard speech breathes out his ndoous
wishes 10 hubert that utterance must have upon the
spectator the effect being spoken In sepuchal wills
per but the actor who should really whisper IL would
not be heard. There Ia performance Cd the modern
stage moro deserving OF being accounted natural Than
Mr. JEFF rsons Rip Van WtklC; and IT Is performance
fraught IN rcry part with that delicate accentuanon ~
which aono the effect Of nature In acting cen be pro-
dnced Mastery OF Tits method is possible only ~ nat
raj dramatic talent developed and fortified oy long OK
perence Mr. Hall not possess IL. and consequently
he could not employ it, Being, however, an old pubic
speaker and long accustomed - contact with audence
I
with a composure that was scarcely ruled even la tho
hrst few moments OF novelty and cOnsrant This Is 70
say that no did break down; and those who thinI
that man IS an actor because lie goes through part
without absolutely making hasco WILL doubtless DO
satisfied with this representation and account sue
The thing that Mr. Hall actually accomplished tho
presentatop OF himself as Oakley Hail. lie lt;le
less at ease than usual but, the main, he was simply
the gentlen an the lawyer and the orator to whom hs
community has 30 long been accustomed lie hung DIS
hat upOn peg and he Inspected sOmo letters peoisey
As he might have done in bis own legal Office lie walked
TO and no with ease dignity Tic displayed per-
fctiy nccute perception the nature and the value OF
the several dramatic situations In which be appeared
He showed himself Ia be tenderhearted man. synpa
thec with all the fine feelings that are engendered by
the hottest relation. Of human life. lie eyincet fine IN
stincts OF courtesy He improved, 70 their utmost-in
the manner Of the public leeurorseTeTal opportunities
of enuncaiing earnest and pointed moral scntinent
dldactc truths and piteous comments IN Ire ana IOr
tune All this served to confirm him IN the esteem OF DIS
iisteners-and his listeners formed one OF the most
learned and brilliant congregations ever seen In thea
ter But all thIs was not acting least three
in the play OF "Crncibe there is occasion for tine repre-
sentative OF the part undertaken By Mr. Hall to convey
10 the spectator picture and sense OF the acton Oh
emotion In the moment Of the arrest there IL need Tor
the use OF bold color AMI transparency-fof the actor
must depict intense suffering, assume composure, ana
M the same time show the audience that his composuro "a
assumed. In the moment OF the second betrotha.
there for vivid facial expression In tho several
prison interviews there il need ~ great variety OF de-
meanor and tho most obvious pathos In not one Ut
these situations did Mr. Hall for moment succeed IN
getting outside Of his she'll That lao knew whas
ought TO be done was plain but Is thing 10 know
and another thing TO perforn-and MI Hal, W. believe
is too sensible to be quito aware OK the weight
OF this distinction. His best artistic achievement was
the expression OF suffering and of the resolve OF
hoo To he
Injustice and misery This accomplished in mase
by certain attitudes movements and Chances In the last
act-wheren Mr. Hall appears in the dress OF convict
in British prison. But this bit OF sugSesyeness can
scarcely be held to redeem experimental performance
all the ore hopeessy amaeurish because given by
man whom many years Of life, occupations. many
yioissuies Of experience. and much suffering, with
consequent development OF all the controlling forces OF
Will and character made into an image Of ironso
far a. dramatic maleabty and ductlity concerned
Mr. Hall would easily weep over Bob Grateful and Tiny
| rim but Mr.. Hall representing Boo Crdtcha at the
grave OF his boy would work hard without starting
sponsye tear. An actor who feels mpersonste all
the better because his fe-ng but. in tie dramatic
profession feeling without art is body without limbs
nMr. Hall were young man, who, Just entering upon
life had made choice OF the theatrical vocation. tnero
might encourage the belief that yari-
ousy talented and earnest would yet obtain that mas
rery OF the resources OF art which lie lacks But
this q in which youth has been left far behind
and elderly persons, howsoeyer brilliant In intellect,
reach forth and grasp, nc pleasure the control OF
those powers which actors worthy OF the name spend
their lives in acquiring Mr. Hall comes upon the stage
with all his habits long fixed other pursuits
Ills character long crysallzed Ho has been
accustomed speak and not 10 listen. He has studied
human 10 mold it and not TO interpret It, Above
all things else he has especially stryen 10 be himself
That he has dabbled IN theatrical criticism ard written
plays affords important qualification OF the state 10
crhi he bas
matte critic and dramatist; but Addison more than
the town-pump could have acted his CGfD. Dir. Hall
as an actor Is precisely what might have been expected
to emerge from the chry sails OF Mr. Hall old lawyer
and politician. He comes upon the stage with fixed
severe and inexpensive vsage hard. metallic voice.
an angular wooden action. and all the denoements II
iron bound inieXble maturity; and IL does not help tue
| matter to say that-like the Kings yarn in
| tho British cable-a thread Of bright iutelli
gence and tender feeling runs through tits na-
tu,e aud makes ii high and sweet This virtue be,
doubtless, possesses but the question raised ny this
proceeding the part OF Mr. Hall Is not OF virtue
Of special capacity ard training An actor could nos
become a lawyer by having his name painted In gold
letters black sign sndno lawyer become
AN by shaving oil his whiskers and learning
Mr. Hall has passed ia safety through trying ordeal
creditaby than anticipated by those who
know him but certainly with credit We should forget.
however what is due dramatic art and 20 the and
| womcn--few, but noble and hOnorabe-who exrerd
their lives In its patient conscientious I'm bul aud
loving pursuit, we here 10 mistake for success in
acting what, in fact was than OF
| setlc will, keen intelligence, and foryent, sDabs
egOtism Il Mr. Hallwho absolutely has not yet learned
how his face and voice In acting, and Of whom
il may be said that he buys his way In the cabin win
dow OF the professionals at TO be accounted
actor for better than because be chooses 10
assume that position, know not where the walacks,
|