Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-28
ABOUT STAG IrARs ;.
Fanny Davenport Claims That They Are
the Genuine Article.

Fanny Davenport Claims That They Are
the Genuine Article.
OF course shed real tears on the stage,
writes Fanny Davenport in the Pbiadel-
puia Press so do other actresses
But they are by no means any ndi
cation Of real feeling, and do not posses
the significance they possess IN real lie
Occasionally M sympathy with the charac
ter am playing has been 50 keen th"t my
eyes have filed with tears and have been
unable TO restrain them. But this shoui"
not be so, and il is not commonly the cIse
with me. The shedding Of tears with ~
actress il simply a matter OF art know
two prominent actresses who can turn on
the waterfall at moments notice. ana oil
course impress their audiences through the
operation. Bernhardt, know, has habit,
in her most tragic scenes, where she Is SOB
bing until her whole form shakes conyui.
sively, OF guying people who stand in The
wings and Of making funny side remarks
for their benefit and indulging IN grotesque
grimaces which would do credit 70 low
comedian.
For the effective stimulation Of grief, how
ever, much prefer sObs u tears. An au-
dieuce can hear you sob, but 1t can not see
you weep On this question | agree with
Rachel, whom 1 consider the greatest tragic
actress who ever trod the stage Her sobs
had wonderful effect upon her audiences.
She used 10 say that it had taken five years
constant study TO reach perfection in this
Inc and to get the sobs so they thoroughly
suited her. She could crescendo and dimin-
uendO these demonstrations Of grief with all
the power OF piano virtuoso over the ivory
keys.
As have said, l am occasionally carried
away through the force of my imagination
80 that am in the keenest sympathy with
the sufferings of the character portray.
and am for brief period Of time, perhaps.
actually the character. But, as general
thing, am entirely mistress Of myself. ]
do not believe IL is possible thing 10 feel
actually the same as the person whose
feelings you are depicting. Take my cx.
perencc in "La Tosca" for an illustration
In the fourth act murder a man. Is it TO
be supposed for one moment that have the
same emotions as the woman had whG
actually committed the crlmel How can II
never murdered q man Yet | believe II
is perfectly possible for me, through the
devices Of stage art, 70 set clearly before an
audience picture of the mingled rcmorso
and terror which ovcrtakcs the woman who
! has done the deed
To demonstrate how absurd this theory
is, that player is actually possessed with
! the emotions Of the character he or she -
enacting consider for a moment how j. 10
! possible for player TO appear IN the san"
part night after night for forty weeks an o.
! wrung with anguish for tn" two or tl.H.'
hundred times thus made necessary.
attempt tins one would die Of mental ">
haust on before half the season was ov"
1t is true that there are parts Of LA Toscr
where ann so wrought upon by the dra
matte situations that my hands shake aa'
| grow cold and rigid, but this is css :
TALLY physical and not mental or emotion J.
have come on She stage after one Of the
scenes trembling and weak, but there was
no depression Of spirits such as would have
resulted from my passing through suct
emotions in life. If had ever felt rs Ia
Tosca" must have done at the end Of The
fourth act, should not have been able t'
/ finish the play.