The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-22
AAfUSE af EN- rs.
A TIT OF Elemental Truth for Actors.


make an actress without the natural or acquired
power OF dramatic expression.
To know and to feel are not sufficient for tho
etagc-it is necessary 10 bc able to manifest and
make others feel. So between the being. which
IL the Psychologist and tho doing. which ia the
physiologic. there IL the physognomic which
If the manifesting condition.
Such actresses IA Clara Morris and the lnto
Lucille Western possess this power Of sponta-
ncous expression by nature. Art and culture
have very little to do with their triumphs. They
may soften. suppress and refine their express
sion with time and experience but the efficacy
Of their work with the public is the efficacy OF
natural endowment. and examined in the light
OF positive facts. must be referred back TO I'M
conscious activities over which the actress has
little or no control.
Think moment OF Miss Morris. and see how
true this is.
She moves tho people with an Irresistible
patlos. She has hut TO assume role OF misery
and men and women suler with her unhesi-
tatingly and unrcasoningly. While under
the spell Of her presence the judgment
is suspended. Tho sensibilites and sym
pathics dominate us. Within certain ms
thetic limitations. and in dealing with a dis
tinct phase OF feminine experience. she pos
scsses the rare power of transforming the whole
illusion OF the scene into II poignant personal
experience.
We place in her hands the pathetic story that
is TO be enacted. II il move her sensibilities.
well and good. Her sensibilities move her mus
| clcs. II ehc sympathi7e with the heroine. that
is enough-shc is the heroine.
Whether this be creative Imagination or
passive hystcria is Of no moment Her vital
nature has accepted the situation. Her vital
functions take care that she is vital in IT, This
| is what great critic means by passing into
real presence" II is the power unto which.
| with a considerable decision. he gives the sacred
name Of genius. And it il because genius has.
always been held to transcend art and to remain
n law and mystery to itself that one need feel
no hesitation in removing Miss Morriss imper-
sonations out OF the realm OF conscious art.
Tho fact which neither actors nor critics can
be made TO understand. though all positive
knowledge points unerrinGly to II. il that the
best work OF every good player Is done auto
matcally. just as in life that which is most
graceful or most perfect is marked by a ph,si-
cal spontaneity or the absence OF sclf-conscous
effort.
Unthinkinc persons foolshly believe that to
admit this is 10 do away with all ne scssity for
intelligence.
Let them consider moment Is the graceful
| pedestrian cons 'ous Of the muscular efforts 10y
which he walks Is the fluent and expert
reader aware Of the manifold processes 10y
| which he connects letters into words and words
into sentences and picks w the significance Of
an artificial symbolism us he proceeds Is he
any the less intelligent that the mechanism Of
reading is so perfected 10y practice that he is
unconscious Of It's operations
Let them note how invariably the public be-
slows Its admiration upon the uncons 'tous dis
play in preference 10 the conscious. let that dis
play bc either OF primary automatic function or
OF the secondary condition OF involuntary
action. which il the result Of trainins. Railways
prefers natural mechanism. working sponta-
neously and smoothly. TO the most perfect art
that betrays itself.
II my reader be m actor. he will ask me to
explain what l mean by primary automatic
functions"
I'll do II as briefly as possible. for this place
does not warrant scientific exegcsis.
That Is primarily automatic in your body
which performs its duties Independently Of
your will and consciousness. For instance,
your heart heats AUTOMATICALLY. your pupil con-
tracts automatically. and ii is accepted as a fact
that YOU think and even reason whom you are
not aware OF tia phenomenon that you may
have heard OF under the name Of unconscious
cerebration."
In every human being. therefore be he an
actor or not. there Is part OF him which acts
Independently OF him. And II is this part OF
him which does IT. work most silently and ef-
fectvely under n stimulus that he cannot detect
and can only indirectly control.
. Now. turn again TO such an actress ms Miss
Morris. and observe what an extraordinary cN-
hihiton she makes Of these functions. In hei
moments OF eNcititon her heart dilates. III,
color varies in her checks. her eye fills will
, water. she palpltaies with nervous energy
When her task Tor the night is finished sh,
~ frDt "a.
I exhausted by it. And If you examine her a
! this time you will find that the form OF energy
lost ls not mental but vital.
And yet il is these phenomena that obtain fo
1 her the admiration and mistaken praise Of hc
critics. ms II they were within the domain OF art
- whereas they are purely organic functions On
, trely beyond the reach Of volition.
? Careless enthusiasts are in the habit OF assert
/. ing that the player commanded her tears at vii
! and hlushcd or paled rs she pleased. But at
extended personal Intimacy with many OF TN
9 most largely endowed actors OF our time. ha
. failed 10 show me single instan &c 81 such com
!, mand over the automatic mechanism Of tn
j body that 10y willing he or she could will tn
! tears into the eyes or command the vcnous cir
Y culation. | have yet to meet the talented
young tragc dian who can break ont into col
sweat to delight the sensibilites Of the boxes. o
cause his hair to stand on end without the us
OF a trick wig. The laohrymal glands have bee
s placed Just beyond the jurisdiction Of the ca
$ boy. and no system has yet been invented whic
u will longest the blood vessels over the parotl
= dian pleXus.
And yet these phenomena. which are no NOR
subject to the wall than the assimative pro
=, cosscs Of the body. are nevertheless familia
y theatrical occurrences. The late Edwin For
" rest never played the part Of Metdmord wthor
shedding tears over the death Of his supposit
tous child. In lack Cdde he literally fonmed
- the mouth SO, too, Sayini, in the death seen
Of =" La More Civle" passed into somethin
~, like u semi catalcpsy. rs if his system were act
ing and the natural functions were suspende
in obedience 10 the illusion.
= So much for the primary automatic actioI
- Now then for the secondary automatic result,
- That which Nature does so smoothly an
spontaneously man must initiate
4, The transmutation of emotion into motto
" must Ice according TO natures mechanism. an,
If the actor have not the fluent and uncons eou
urOppAs hV Il Niua pift A., mist uenuirp