New-York tribune., 1885-03-31

the great actor was sadly thinking that the part he loved
. %er~ Teyes mantle and laid aside mered almost
nselousy the words Of Horato Good night sweet
am Just beginning to realize the sweetness the tender
ness the gentsness Of this dear MameL Beheve % o, h
the true artist fingers ondy upon what ne mas
done. He ia thinking of what remains undope; i
ever striving toward an IDEAL 1t may never DO MS
fortune to attain.
THE INExHAUsrTBLE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
HUMAN VOICE.
We are sometimes told that read the best dramatic
poery is more educating thanj TO acted do not
think this theory very widely held for 1t Is In conpict
with the dramatic instinct, which leyerybody possesses
In greater less degree. You never met playwright
who could conceive himself willing even Ii endowed
with the highest literary gftsto prefer reading to
paygoing public He tninks his work deserving OF all
the rewards OF print and publisher but he VIII DC uon
more elaed II 1t should appeal TO the world III the
la one OF her letters George Eliot says: sn @ IN
10 most people who love TO read Shakespeare, ING
sec nii tS me- let them be acted how they may"
All this is simple and iDtelllgipie tnht ~ seems
scarcely S Which the reader Of maees
the attributes OF the various characters and IS inter
see their tragedy or comedy action He win then find
that very much which he could not imagine with any
eIoquence of ook and gesture, the nexhaustibe sgnin
There ara people las have said esewhere who fancy
thew have more In their souls than was ever trails
others who think they could paint pictures, write poetry
I'm short do anything IL they only made the effort 10
them ns r Ss a a u Seeas the @ Of 'I the
musician to draw the full volume me-, OF re rs tae
to develop the subtle hsrmonies OF the poetic play Ia
fact TO 90 and % not 70 q to 5e ac ana Se true acting
Of any character Is OF the most difficult aecompn
ments. | challenge the acnte student 10 ponder over
Raracrs remuneration OF Opheiia-one OF the most COM
pex In all tine dra;a-and say that ne mas ehea @
players whose Intelligence is equal to his own: no
present .he thinking aloud Is the most dihcui
achievement OF art Here the actor who has no real
grip OF the character. but simply rectes the speeches
with certain grace and integence VIII DO untrue ,h
ideas that dictated them, the more likely ne E 10 iy
SpSh % 10 to an adehce ali the
inyolunons ot thought the speculation doubt wa'et
Of the face they may yield material to the stiious
he text In saort az we nnersand the people around
much better by personal intercourse than by ali the
revelations OF written words. for words. Tepnyson
says half reveal and half conceal the soul within SO
the drama has. ON the whole Infinitely more SUGGESTION
when we'll acted than when II IL Interpreted by tue
unaied Judgment OF the stndent IL has been sad that
aelag Is an anworthy occupation oeease d anaIy ~s
equal force TO poet and novelist DO not Imagine thnt
He should himself be student aud II Ia MS business 70
put practice the best ideas he can gather from tue
STamse literature But & /. he who gives body those
ideas-hre force. and sensibty. without when they
II IL often said that great actors trust 10 the inspiration
Of the moment Nothing ean Dc more efroneous. ~,
White heat nlnines some passage with n nash OF i'm
AGITATION and tSs mental ,,S Oo1 IN n. ny ts but the
great actors surprises pro sene,sy ,sy t"rnT Ksan
constantly practiscd before mirror effects when
startled his audience b. their apparent spdiianfy,
AnI m Il the aeen ation OF effects which enables
an actor after years present many great char
acters with remarkable completeness. -, =. ans.
do not overste the case or 70 appear 70 any
thing that il not within common experience so can
confidently ask You whether scene in some great PN
has not been viyy impressed on your minds ny ine as
livery of n single line. or even Of forcibe word
Has this made the far more real ana hus
you all te thought you nave devoleh 70 s ~, AZ
accomplished critic has SAID that shakespeare himself
might have been surprised had he hearc ths too' Ioo
fool" OF Edmund Kean And though All actors are nor
Keans they have varying degree ms power OF max
ing dramatic easrs,ss , r ssSp ot. .SG
After all the beet aud most corr neng exposition OF
the whole oi acting II given by Shakespeare hhse
To hold, twsre. the mirror up 70 nature 10 snm p
virtue her feature scorn her own Image, hha th
hn. III poet recognized the nclos ar most potent
ally in the representation Of human life. lie believed
wortho-t fInc,i"ns in ihe sphere or labor
are point has definition OF their WORK ~ te
rfAcrIcE OF TuE ART.
The practice Of the art OF acting subject difficult 20
trca, with the necessary breyiy Beginners are natur
ally an Kious 20 know what they should pursue
In common with other actors receive bushels OF letters
from young people many of whom are very earnest In
their ambition 60 tho dramatic profession but not
sucenty alive Ia the fact that scoeS does not depend
on a few lessons In declamltlnn. When / was boy
had n habit which think would DO useful TO all young
students. Before going play of shakespeares
used 10 FORM very juvenile theory rs 10 the
working Of the whole DRAMA Ss 10 CORRECT my con
cartnn. hy those OF tho actors aud though was,
rule abslrily wrong there be no doubt that any
method OF independent study Is OF enormous importance,
NOT only to youngsters but also 10 students OF larger
growth. without II the mind is apt 10 take It's stamp
from the first forcble impression u receives ana 70 al
int seryile dependence upon traditions. which, robbed
OF Inc spr that created them arc apt "a be purely mis-
chieyOus What natural 10 the creator Is Oieh un
natural and feess In the mitaor No two people form
fle
always advantageous TO see an indepenIeht anu vi
ageOus position OF original ideal There can be no
objection ~ the kind Of training that imparts Anow
edse OF aud customs; and the teaching Nicn
pertaius 10 simple department on the stage Is hcss
and most uaeful; but onnnOt possibly De uSn any
tradition OF characters for 1t has no pernanenee Sot
Ing IA neetine than any trailuona ineInot oI I'M
persona ion. You learn where particular person
used 20 stand on the stag or & Sown w1 n9 1 p .e
probation lost and IL this soul which me actor nae % 70
has To be studied you must be moved u tue impuso VI
being; you must mpersouate and not reclte- a.
Of notnralisn I'm dramatic art In England 1t has been
too much the custom, believe while demanding hat
nm there A. mo reason why an should be less nat
ural IN tragic than In lighter mOoiA Passions shry m
nors hut reality should not he lost when they are
expressed in the heroic forms OF the draS a., .to nsy
what was Il in their PERFORMANCES thst enieuy p
on OF this or that speech. but very often simIe ex
clamaton that deeply moved their audtors Uecauso II
The Prithee, undo this button" OF Garriek was re-
membered when many stately utterlnces were lvlsot
ten In our day the contrast between nrlhcnl ueohut
n and of nature Is less marked because e
livery uniformly simple ana AN actor VINO ihes
from natural into false tone Is sure TO nnu mat s
hold uuon his auIience u proportionateiy weakehen
But tho revolution which Garrick accomplished may be
Imagined from the story told by Boswell Dr. Johnson
was discussing plays and players WITH Mrs. saapns
aud he said Garok madam, was no deoaliner; there
WAS not one his sceneshifters VINO coni not nave
snoken To be not to be better than ne didi yet no
WA, the only actor ever whom could call mas
ter both i'm tragedy and c0medy though liked him best
IN comedy true conception OF character ana natural
EXPIRE sion OF it his distinguished excollences
A GRAIN or NATURE WORTH A BUSHEL oP ARriFICE
To be natural on the stage Is most difficult and yet
eran OF nnfnre IA worth bnshel OF artLlce But you