The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-01-09
Love Scenes Difficult of Portrayal to an
American Audience.

The Eastern newspaper men evidently derive
considerable inspiration from a purusal of the
EVENING LIGHT. Since the kissing articles
appeared in this paper three of Il kind have
been dished up to the readers of the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch, the Cincinnati Times-Star and
the New York Evening Telegram, and light has
been thrown on the subject in an interesting
manner by several theatrical papers
well as part of the daily press on which
journalists of an original turn of mind are
employed. OF all that has been said not here
tofore published i'm the LIGHT the Philadelphia
Times congresses the most information in the
smallest space. The Times man makes Use OF
the traditional old actor i'm his account
"Love scenes" said an old actor yesterday.
who, i'll his young days. was a famous juvenile,
Though they may seem so congenial, are rec
pgnized 10y actors and actresses of ability as
especially hard to, portray, particularly be-
fore American audiences, wlTo Will not endure
them If they are at all mawkish or gushing.
They require them to be played by the actor
with manly vigor and strength and by the ac
tress with u natural earneStness and grace.
The slightest imperfection, resulting, from
inexperence or awkwardnesss, will mar
the attempt and change the tender wOoing
into u ridiculous farce. The point OF equiposc
at which the actor is required to maintain his
delivery ana movements is such nice one that
it needs years of experience to acquire the
necessary tact No scenes are so carefully re-
hearsed as these. 1t will, doubtless, seem
strange to be told, continued the Thespian,
with Il twinkle in his eye, that very few
people have any idea how to embrace Il woman
gracefully and effectively. At the first thought
il would appear that no instruction Is ncces-
sary to show Il fellow how to put his arm
around pretty girl and print kiss upon her
pretty lips. But let the amateur stage loVertry
it before spectators and he will be very likely
TO find himself entangled in train of delicate
silk that must be neither stepped on nor stepped
he Will StuUGef under the weight oil "a
healthy female whose arms are clasped tightly
about his neck, and when she wa ks he will step
out with the wrong foot and the s.ut Will be
anything but graceful glide.
$50 the art OF lOve-lnakng and the art OF
kssing," continued the old stagcr, have been
carefully studied by the leading actresses Of
the day, and all of them haye their peculiar
methods of meeting lips with lips. Pretty Miss
Nelson used to hang about RomeOs neck with
ecstatic abandon that was almost frantic at
times, and when the kiss came IL stayed long
while. Mrs. Langtry, ii is said, dOesn't impress
the spectator with the idea that she wants To
be kissed, as she allows her leading man u
touch her lips respectfully and seems very
i'll at ease while she is in his arms. Miss MARY
Anderson is rather difficult TO kiss nicely, he
cause she is too tall to nestle down upon nv
Downings broad chest, She kisses in good,
straightforward way, however, as though she
isn't ashamed of il, and there Is no nonsense
about the performance. It's in the part, and
she does it, without putting any very delicate
touch to it. Miss Catherine Lewis, whose
Sprghtly ways in opera bOute win for her
hosts of male admirers in every city she
visits, has evidently given II great deal
of thought to the art. She wraps her
arms about the neck of her mock lover as if she
wanted them to go twice around, and when she
is sure of her grip she gives a hungry snap
and then all is still fora few seconds. Sudden
IN there is IA loud pop, and the operation is over
Her sister, Miss Jtfreys Lewis, is something
like her, but her methods are more subducd: A
fayOrte bit of business of hers is to have her
lover sit in II chair and she comes before him.
She walks cautiously around him first, as
though she were watching for place To light
ON. With Il whir Sue falls on her EuceS and
bends backward over his right knee, tossing
her arms about his neck and drawing his ,at'
close to hers. For Il moment ste cooks into his
eyes and then proceeds 80 business. The kisS
is long, quiet aud dreamy, and means whole
,rIl,I 1aS ~