The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-02-07
CHAT WITH AN ACTOR.
rNew Work Graphie.l

It vas near midnight when . reporter lmet with tall, vel propostioned, snootAs faced gentlemnm wAo wMs saeatea in ehe smoking room of one of the upper Broad- way Aoaels. In this person the iouFnaliss at once recognized one of New fosk's iaVorite actors, a leading man d one ul car most popular theatres, and one, too, of considerable experience. "f an not distuFhing your enjoyment of the fragrant weed aiter your nights woFk, ' me your impressicn of the prutessioa iA general P aH sls s. With pleasure. Anything to oblige, !" replied the actor, seating himself in bis easy seat for a social chat.
 ~ln the frs, place, what do you think of this Amateur theatre. or School tor Actingp
 "Oa, the idea is good enough and have no doubt, as far as the number of pupils sees, if will be . success, for there Is, and always win be. while the love of mimicry lasts, a desire, in fact, . mania among all classes to go on the stage
 it is astonishing what men and wo- men- people otherwise of common sense will do to carry out this desire without any idea ot the necessary qualifications requisite for professional life, or know ing anything about it's vicissitudes land what few, if any, escape ? they waste both time and money not once but again and again. ii any oi these mistaken people have any means they will always find plenty of photographers, printers uneua- ployed actors and managers to fool them | s-s sh ~f ekAsw A~nk k0 ekA ArA. of an unoffending public and to the de,ri- ment to the stage as an art. l can men, ton two cases of positive ruin that was caused by what John Brougham used to call stage madness Oae was a young gentleman who believed himself another Booth He convinced a fond. widowed mother that tame and fortune were surely his lot. He wandered over the country with fine company, each one of whom was better than himself or than he ever would De, and cniy ended his starring tour when the mother and himself be- came penniless. Another is that of a young lady with an impression that she was destined to be . great actress and whom circles of ardent admirers and crowds of we'll wishers foretold would be another Cushman. She persuaded her brother to find more money than he really owned, until at last he lost a good situation in a large Boston house of business and barely escaped prison. l may be very conservative in my notions as to how a man or woman should enter the profession but in spite of schools, lessons or coaching, 1t is the same opin- ion with experienced actors that begin ner must begin on the stage itself, with all its surroundings as they are-as the bottom of the ladder. There have been of course some exceptional cases, but they are indeed very rare. Why, my dear sir, could name some actors who are on the stage now who had neither money nor time to waste thus began the profession by going on as supers, for by this means they got used to facing an audience, and could see the curious methods adopted by old stagers."
 "What is the feeling a man expe- riences when he first speaks before an audience
 "Were you ever seasick? Well, if you remember that sensation, just before you are absolutely ill, you may form some l idea of the fear that comes over the average actor on his first appearance be. tore any audience. There's the same cold precipitation, the mist before the sight, the same parched lips and tongue, the sinking feeling in the breast and pal. pitating heart. Some of sourse suffer more than others. 1t is called stage fright, and there's many man and wo- man that could not go through the same ordeal a second time. It's all very well Ga~ AA AAX Ass friends or play at any amateur entertain ment but when he comes before large assembly of people who have paid their admission fee to be entertained, with all the glare, glitter and bustie of genuine show life around him, it's vastly differ. ent matter. What may appear strange to you is this--that a man, as a rule, plays better when he is slightly nervous not about the audience; but his lines. It is perhaps better explained by anxiety as to whether be is correct, and the very doubt he has about it throws degree of | fire into his acting"
 "What about the actors social life '' asked the journalist.
 "Well, save those few engaged at the houses that have stock company, they have no social comfort, or at least during the season. The majority of Thespians sigh for it. They 90 from railroad car to hotel, from hotel to theatre, and 90 on. You cannot form any conception of how q man or woman feels when they arrive in some town at say i've in the afternoon. There is barely time to bolt some supper when they have to hurry of to the theatre l-perhaps strange one to them m-dress and go on. Thea perhaps the train takes them away to the next stand at midnight, to say nothing of wintYy weather. The only time they may get is on Sunday, if they happen to be staying in town on that day; then the want of a home is impressed upon their mindA"
 But they receive good pay during the season." suggessed the reporter.
 NThats another exaggerated idea" " ayoved the actor, with grave shake of his head "ln the first place actors do not in very many cases receive the sal