Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-24
STAGE STRUCK PEOPLE. sE
Ven and Women Who Think They
Were Born TO Tread the Boards.

Wen and Women who Think They
Were Born To Tread the boards.
TALK WITH A TEACHER OF DRAMATIC ARIA
| sIxTY-YEAR-oLD sPINsTER WHO WANTS TO
PLAY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CLERKS ANXIOUS
TO GO ON THE sTAGE-THE NTR1CAcIEs AND
DETAILS OF THE ART-How TO FALL AND HOW
| TO DIE.
'You aspire to the stage? All. noble profess
sion. You have talent? Yes; l see Your
voice is theatrical-your flashing eye-your
stride-your - MOI Then you don't want in
structions?" And the teacher of the dramatic
art bowed politely and waited Tor The STAR
man to explain his errand.
| Are there many young people in Washing
ton who are stage-struck?" asked the scribe
More than in any other CITY," was the reply
and the Professor motioned his questioner to a
seat. and settled himself down to describe the
mysteries that allure young people to the stage
| 'All Cities" he said. 'have a certain portion
OF their population who think they were born
especially and exclusively for the stage. But
OF these Washington has more than her share
1t is really quite remarkable. There seems to
be fascination about it. 1t would astonish
| you to know how many people there are who
want to go on the stage They don't come to
| learn to be amateurs. They expect 10 be pro-
fessonals-to make their living at it and TO be-
! come famous 1t is more prevalent and in a
! more malignant form among Young ladies'
| While there are great many young men who
| want to become actors, the number is small
| compared with the ladies who are stage-srruck"
| What class OF ladieS2"
"First-cass! Young ladies who go in good
society. They are chiefly young ladies who
fancy they have been born for the stage and
| ought not to throw their talents away. They
| want to become stars. Some. however. want
| to earn their living. Department clerks are apt
to take to the ''boards." There are a great many
ladies in the departments who are study
| ing. Very young. you say? Well, | don't
know. One lady in the Treasury who has lust
taken it up is CO. She is very much struck
with the part of Juliet | understand she is
having some trouble to find n Romeo. She has
never been married. You know her perhaps'
Miss -. But guess I'd better not give her
name after saying so much. She's in the
Treasury. There are a great many women of
| 40 who expect to become actresses. You may
say it is like matrmony: they are subject to it
| any time between ii and co.
But find very few Of the lower classes" he
added, who want instructions in the art They
are generally ladies of some standing. Just the
other day two young ladies, well known in So
| clety on Capitol Hill. came to see about taking
lessons They had fancy for the stage, and
thought it would be nice to become actresses"
Some" he added. after a short look at a
scene from Shakespeare, which hung from
the wall. ''sOme are clear cases. stage struck,
others have simply chosen that as their profess
sion. as they would any other. and expect TO
| make their living out Of it. Quite number of
them succeed but the larger proportion
do not. You may judge for yourself of the
number OF Washington boys and girls who have
been quite successful on the stage. : have to
study those who come to me. and if think they
have no talent try to discourage them. But
they don't discourage. When they have once
set their minds on it you can't get rid of them.
| They come to stay. Some are hopeless cases:
they never will make actors. 1t would make
you laugh to see some OF them. Long. lank,
rough boned gaWky fellows; some are StoOp-
shouidered, squeeky voices articulatug though
thin noses. or are slab sided. cock-eyed. bow
legged, knOck-kneed. lantern jawed, BURBERRY
or something of that sort. But they are perfect
ly unconscious Of these defects. ifthey are stage
struck and expect to be cObbIed into actors
1t is awfully hard to convince them. But there
are many bright fellows with good promise be-
fore them. 1t Is strange what ridiculous ideas
some have. My system is analytical They
must think to act. The action grows cut of the
thought. They must learn to feel and by the
observance OF few rules. the gestures will be
efected by the feeling. The motion obeys the
minds conception of the act. For this il takes
talent. But those who have no talent are hard
est to make understand this Some let their
arms fly up when they reach certain passages
as if l had pulled string. They wait for some
signal to gesticulate. If they mention love they
have notion that they should clasp both their
| hands systematically around the region of their
hearts as if they had pain. 1t quiets an en-
thusiast down little when | begin on him by
analysis. | ask them. What part do you want
to play" Frequently they answer comedy. Well.
begin with them. and give them the express
sions, positions and gestures for comedy. 1t
don't seem funny to them at all. and ten to one
they'll say, suppose we try juvenile So be it,
but you can't distinguish any difference.
oh nlo
more than half who apply stick to it. and even
after We done all can for them they urge me
to let them continue. They go over and over
the old ground, never improving. 1t is almost
pathetic. There is nothing for them, but they
stick
"Do most of them try Shakespeare"
mo. 1t may seem strange, but l remember
only one lady who insisted upon the Shake
spearean parts. They are satisfied with lighter
plays generally. Iguess you have no idea how
many details there are to learn in acting None
have the least idea who come to learn There
are so many different looks and expressions. so
many attitudes, walks and positions. There's
the heavy stride on the heel the light comedy
walk on the ball of the foot, the fiat-footed
walk Of old age, and the drunken walk which
varies from the heel to the ball, with CORE
spending stiffening of the knees and swaying at
the hips. Learning to fall is very difficult
thing Few actors can do it well; they gener-
ally bruise themselves badly. But Mr. A. B.
(oodSe iHdudSei) ulSCOSefeu a very
successful method of falling. 1t Is to fill the
chest with air through the nose Just at the time
Of falling. A man may throw himself about any
fashion in this way, and will fall like feather
Its hard to learn to faint and to die.
well, -" he said as THE STAR man grabbed up
his hat in tragic style and strobe towards the
door; elf you get seriously stage-struck you
know where to find me-
The Silent Life.
Written for TIE EVENING STAR.
We lead two nyes,-the outward seeming fair,
And full OF smiles that on the surface lie
The other, spent in many silent prayer,
With thoughts and feelings hidden from the eye.
The weary, weary hours Of mental pain,
Unspoken yearning for the dear ones gone,
The wishes, half defined, yet crushed again,
Mnl-a I'M fno clio TO Iood n1nn