New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-09
MR.. BOUCICAULT ON ACTING.
A VETERANS CONFERENCE WITH ACTORS
REGRETTING LOST MISREPRESENTATION DE-
neutrality-suspicious.

| oUNCFD-REMINI5CENCES.
| The Madison Square Theatre entrance sug-
gasted Union rather than Madison Square yesterday
afternoon Actors Ounged against the door-posts
actors stood the sidewalk looking at the dismal drz-
cling rain, and at three o'clock the hour advertised for
Mr. Bouccaults Conference" and actresses filed
the orchestra OF the little theatre and studied the en-
broidered curtain few minutes after three the curtain
rose and pretty interior set disclosed On side Wa
a.extemporzed reading desk draped with silk and having
| on II lamp and bouquet Of flowers second
later Mr. Boucicaut walked in, dressed in gray frock
coat with sik hat his hand and light overeOat over
| his arm. He greeted with round Of applause.
which he acknowledged by graceful bow. He then
proceeded to hang the Oyercoat pushc0vered chair
placed his hat the reading desk, opened bulky roll
OF manuscript and advancing 10 the middle OF the stage
| began 10 talk.
After apoloeIzing for the disappointment that he had
caused by the postpcnement OF his conference
from the week before he on 20 show in what
spects conference differed from lecture. In confer
euce, he sd, the speaker and audience mt
mate terms and the speaker is open 90 bs questioned OF
to be ASKED for fuller explanation any points which
| arise.
"I am going to inlet on yoI this mass OF
script" SAID Mr. Boucicaut aleotonately pattng the
papers; "hey merely sheets aurrieily torn from
work have in progress. which snail leave a legacy
to my dear companions OF the stage"
Although all other arts, he Continued housed IN
tain rules and principles acknowledged by great
artists, they The young beginners The
traditions Of the craft had been lost Mr. Bouccaut then
warned his hearers against the impression that greatness
the stage be achieved by genius, perfection
arrived at by divine inspiration without the assistance OF
labor ond attention 20 details Genius and art
Iaseparaole the body and the soul What would you
think" he asked, "of a painter who ignorant
OF perspective the value OF pigments OF
a poet who said. L don't know how TO spell. The
trouble with many beginners is that they want TO begin
at the end"
In humorous way ne then described familiar incl
dent In bs career interview hin SELF and
mother aud daughter. The daughter wants so the
stage. Let her co. replies NJ. B0uceault "she can
perhaps work her way gradually top OF the tree
"Oh, want 10 begin at The top" replies the mother,
and asks Mr. BouclcIut to hear her daughter act"
scene from Romeo and Juliet" Perfectly useless"
q his reply. "You might "a well seat her table and
let Der go through the motion Of riding let Judge OF
her hOrsewoman, or let her lie tho floor and
her and legs TO show her ability a swim
mer. As riding is only taught the horse
ana swimming in tie water acting only taught here"
said Mr. BOucicaut pointing downward, " in presence
OF hqL' extending his arm toward the audience. He
then instanced another Of young widow who came
to him for advice she had choose between the
and The work house and chose The former lie told her
to hem handkerchief ima CHING the handkerchief and
the needle and thread She cCnld not do H. although
said the speaker once Old Mrs. Glover deceive
had forgotten the and thread and she to
the stage. The brain must De at work with the actor
and he must not depend on one else for his bfans
Mr. Boacicault tben interesting sketch Of the
three London patent theatres-DTuTy Lane, Coyent
arueh ahd the haymarAei-W nSaI tas hohopoy On
tragedy and comedy and around which mad gathered the
cream Of the profession There the traditions were
handed down from tGtfick ana 5etttitOn 10 Joan NIP
Kemble from dim to Cooke and Youne, and from them
70 tIs b 49, "a ian p S 49, a. 4, no -it bj, bn
they are mistaken" He then compared performance Of
Twelfth Night" with Ellen Tree Harley, Farren and
others in the which he about fly years and
the play given by Adelaide Nelson, 10 the dsad
muddle. but the audience also was involved in it.
He then considered che carca a rules Of acting which
he said simple enough; tney Included perfect COM
li and nSt,re or noyS,nf,r rom fhe 10 rn Tbe
secret of good speaking, he sad. clear articulation Of
drive tie vowes The voweS give sweetness ,oftness
and grandeur Too distinct utterance Of
the vowes gives hardness 70 the voice The 1--WE i'm
have suffered much; nut and have been dread
fully absed The English habt Of surlng the he az
Duke OF Edinburgh. Mr. Bouccaut then stated his dsap
s ,5 for an 9y %
comes on the stage and tries TO ACT, yol
deep disgust amid storm Of laughter cad It's fear
ful' The speaker then insisted the importance Of
correct gesture, giving examples OF the effect OF both
te nj GESTURE to EXPRESS rar emotions saving fat
correct gesture must come naturally or it is no good
al all
the difficulty Of being good listener on the stage, and
Fut re cnropn an he T-ecr Tan n ne FnSiisb or
American He urged his hearers the necessity
OF studying character from the inside and not from the
outside; touched on certain tricks common among old
actors, such always taking the OF the
and on the difficulty in finding out the line
best adapted TO beginner Finally, he warned his hearers
against burlesQue, that buiOOnery which il the bias
phemy OF and which has cfpt into high places Cast
It OUT" he said, and let II be drowned In the ~
oblivion gaudy lie which has debauched the stage
II has prevented Irving and Booth rising 10 their natural
height for fear Of ridcue and the little dude who will
cry out Isn't IL toO-tOOl'"
With graceful compliment to tne Messrs. Mallory, Mr.
BOuccault bowed himself of amid storm OF applause
He will probably mis- conference at early
Among those present John Mccullough, p :. Gu
more Charles W. Walcot George Clarke Ben amin Magin-
ley, A. r. Cazauran Joseph Wheelock Thomas Whifren
Mas Georgia Cayvan, Miss Sadie &artinOt, Miss Marie
Burroughs. Miss Helen Tracy, Miss Louise Thorndyke
Miss Meta GuiOn, Mrs Whifen, J. Brander
Matthews, Miss Nina BOucicault, EbeR PymptOn, Miss
George Drew, c. W. Tayieure Tony Hart and Mrs. Hart
Julian nagnus 7. F. Mackay, George Edgar Harry Sar
gent ". ]. lie MOyne and Mrs ]. T. Raymond.