The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-07-31
BEAUTY AND BRAINS.
Dramatic Succe - I'm the Long Run only
Perches where 1t il Deserved.

Ora ma tic Succe - IN the Long HUN Only
Perches Where 1t ID Deserved.
II is easy for persons who have fa;ses
upon the Stare to sulk at persons who
have succeeded, and, satcastically, tc
! ascribe their success to varlots causes
aside from merit and desert. All read
cts Of current theatrical comment and
discussion nrs familiar. for example,
with the ironical assertion that no wo-
man can succeed on the Stage unless
she has a pretty face and fine ward
rcbe-the Implication being that public
taste and intelligence ayo low and mar
row, and that good looks and good
clothes are the surest, if net tie only,
passport to its favor. Much nonsense
is talked on this subject. The fact is,
forms a raGlond end correct Judgment
as to most of the dramatic aspirants
who seek its favor, and that, upon the
whole, it paws no more attention to
comeliness and fine raiment than these,
IN reason, deserve.
To w0ria,, who attempts the stage,
beauty in person and taste In dress are
great advantages. They do not imply
the possession of dramatic talent or
general intelligence but, upon the other
hand, neither does ugliness indicate
genius. The Sinegcr-faeed and nasal
voiced ladies who file OUT from time to
time as Julia, or Pauline, or Juliet, may
not be able to comprehend this but it
is a fact that mankind prefers beauty to
uf1iness. and that talent has always q
better chance ct success when beauty
commends it to favor. No sane person,
of course, will contend that pretty
face makes an actress but every OBJ
server of human nature and the stage
must eoncede it to be fact, and nat
ural one, tEat the woman who is an act
ress, and has pretty Ease, has an easier
task in achieving public favor chan her
homely professional sisters. Almost
every play that is acted contains love
story; and in the dramatic illustration
of love story, youth and beauty are
imperativelJ essential. Romeo must
not be bow-legged OF fed-tosed, and
Juliet.must not have hump back or
swivel eye. Elderly men and women
have been known TO act Romeo and
Juliet, and to succeed in pleasing their
audiences but they did this through
youth, beauty and passion, and not by
decrepitude; they seemed to possess,
and therefore practically did possess,
create and sustain an illusion. Undue
estimation of these attributes would be
an error but all sneers at them, as of
little or no value compared with brains,
are premature and silly. Among the
requisites that Sir Roger de- Coverly
prescribed in his chaplain were good
aspect and clear voice and this was
very sound judgment as to what is
necessary in person who must be often
seen aid beard.
Instances are on record ct success
upon the stage achieved in despite of
personal defects. Betterton was q
thick limb and pock-marked man, and
Macready had a bad figure, an IN
pleasing voice, end a harsh face but
Betterton had such : soul within him
as Transferred his ungain1y Body, and
when as Hamlet he beheld the ghost,
his countenanoe blanched to an awful
pallor--so intense was the magnetic
feeling which possessed him and which
he impaired to others and Macreadys
Sarnestness was SO profound, his pas
sion so Just, HIS carriage so noble, and
his taste and execution SO tfuo. that he
thrilled the spectator and satisfied him
and made his own grim looks forgot
ten. Miss Cushman upon our own
stage, las, In like manner, been TIL.
umphant over some disadvantages of
fsee and physique-for she is a wotdana
of wonderful! MAGNETIC force and
besides, she was wise enSStt!eh to leave
the Mrs. Hallers ard the Biancas AID
adhere to Meg Merilles, Queen Kathe-
rine, and Lady Macbeth. These and
others like them are exceptions, which
only prompt regret that persons SO
highly endowed should not also have
been blessed with physical perfection.
They would certainly have had an
easier time, and probably they would
hav conquered a more extensive and
enthusiastic admiration.
While, however, the pubic takes
kindly to beauty, there is no instance
in which mere beauty has won success
for dramatic performer. It is usually
the passport to immediate notice, but
it proves an injury rather than benefit
when it is found 10 cover emptiness and
We might mention several
handsome women who
have failed on the American stage be-
cause their talents we're found to be of
mediocre description. In the long run
success perches where it is deserved,
and in all the arts, sooner or later, the
true artists get their acceptance ind