Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-13
HOW ACTORS MEMORIZE.
Their Trials and Disadvantages n Com
pared win op~rs->inssrs.
New Ork C,rapbfc1

New ORR Graphic.
Memory. the faculty by which ideas
are retained in the mind, is the main
reliance Of the actors, and the cultiva-
ton and use Of this faculty is, to say
the least. very singular. The singer
in the opera, who also depends on
memory, has the advantage Of the
actor. For instance, If Adelina Patti.
IN her rendering Of Yioletts, IN =. La
Trsviata.' should-and the very best
artists are liable to it-omit a few
notes. the tenor fail to reach the high
c easily, or the chorus get out Of time.
zone wave Of Sig. Arditi's baton, and
the fault is hidden from the audience.
Not so with the dramatic performer.
lie has TO speak plain English.
and there are no bars Of music
or anything to hide his imperfections.
except he has the voice Of the prompter,
which in the majority Of cases only
makes bis imperfections still more pro-
minent. Ii is. therefore, interesting 10
note the different methods actors adopt
to study and retain their lines. No man
can tell yeu more about the yagaries Of
memory than member OF the sock and
buskin. In the first place there are
what are called quick studies ''-men
or women who can memOrize a part
auickly-but the very quick study"
as rule. cannot retain-thst IS. II he
has studied part quickly and played
il. If be is called upon 10 repeat the same
part after an interval Of few months,
or even weeks, be has to restudy It as
though il were an entirely new role.
Then comes the "slow stud Y -
those who have TO labor al It carefully
and patiently. word By word. line by
line, before they can utter the words
trippingly on the tongue" but It IS a
singular fact that the slow study, as
rule. is the best actor. The "quick
study" is too sure; he can gable out
the words with ease in short. b. is
psrrot-lke. SalvIni. the great Italian
traredian. once said that nothing 30
spolled a dramatic entertainment "a
ben the actors appeared TO anticipate
the dialogue or the action" This Is
exactly hat the quick study" does.
The slow one l. nervous. To mem0rlze
the words Q, bis part has been hard
work: with him there j. an effort 20
retain them. and this very effort gives
him fire. and be acts MS character
with an impulse which is. a.
ter al. the very essence Of the
hist1ionic art. To commit to memory
long part-say. for instance. Ham'et.
ard v hich next to laco Is the Longest 10
tie legitimate DRAMAS no easy task.
4 man playing that character has 20
recall 20 mind thousand, Of wOrds-nOt
only bat he has 70 say himself, but
the cues given 10 him by others, inde-
pendent q bearing IN mind has own
advice 20 the players Of suiting
The action q the word the word 70 the
action. and the special observance that
follows. Different actors have different
methods Of committing their lines 70
.nemory-one viii keep IN close seclu-
sion. locking himself IN room 70
study; another viii study his part any
where and at any time. and i Is not by
any means an uncommon occurrence FOR
a 1hespian to be memorizinc his lines
while be Is talking 10 friend. The
late Charles Thorne used 10 boast
Of the fact Of having studied some
Of his best parts while walking
along the streets. There IF a general
impression that Shakespeare IS difficult
10 commit 10 memory, whereas be Is
far easier than many olher authors, 70.
there is q musical rhythm in his IAN
cusre that is easily fixed upon the recol-
lection. Among the comparatively
modern authors Bulwer Is far more
difficult 70 memorize, but there Is no
dramatic writer whose works are as hard
70 memorize as those Of knoEles-for
his blank verse, beautiful a. il l., Is so
cramp.d that old and experienced actors
dread to study it. Actors have. By
the constant use Of the memory, &C
complained some strange feats. Some
twenty years ago John Rider. IN Eng
land, undertook to memOrize the copy
OF 8 London newspaper and recite It
in public, and be did il. reciting
the whole paper from beginning to
end. TIE comedy Of The Game Of
Speculation was translated from the
French, rehesrsed, and produced at the
Lyceum Theatre in London IN four
DAYS. Charles Matthews. who played
tie leading part, Afable Hawk. and
who is on the stage throughout four
long acts without hardly any in;erlnis-
zion. committed the character perfectly
10 memory IL twenty-four hours or 70
make use Of h.s own words after the
first night: Il swallowed the whole
dose. and don't think spilled drop.
Y hen the curtain rose OF the first pro-
duction Of Pizsrro" tae last &C, Of
the drama was not written. all BrInslev
Sheridan wrote OF III. fifth act u tn
green-rOom. the call-bsv taxing j, from
him and then distributing Il TO tie dif-
fereut actors a. the first four acts were
beng played, 10 be studied by them
a. best they could. The exercise Of
the thinking powers by members Of the
profession l. al times something Won
derfsl. and It proves how that organ.
Ike any other. can be trained and De
relied upon. 1t happens at times that
az actor u called upon 70 enact 3 psri
al very short notice. and a character
that he Is totally unacquaiuted with.
and perhaps ignorant Of the very sense
Of the play itself. Not long ago. ID one
Of tie uptown theatres IN this city, b.
actor was brough; TO the thea
ire al $50 at night 70 tax. the
place OF q brother professional who
WAS sick. he knew nothing OF the
piece and had never seen it, for il was
8 new ore from London. He arrived ~
the theatre few minutes only before
the play would begin, ard had TO ap-
pear IN one Of the leasing r6les. His
only opportunity 70 comuit the Ian
guagt to memory was during the inter
walls be was of the stage. Yet that