Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-05

run across the boards THE TENOR.
myself. on the other hand, always try to sink
my own personality as far as possible in the
part. Ny voice l try to change to suit the
person represent, and my very gestures and
poses with hands, feet and legs l adapt as well
as l am able. Most actors / think hardly
reailze the meanings to be conveyed with hands
and feet, and yet they will do as much in the
way OF characterization as paint and wigs for
make up. lake an instance like that of the
Marquis IN the Merry War; He is a dainty
ana dandlhed creature; all his movements as I
PLAYED the part. were dainty. and he did not
make single decided motion in the whole
piece. Even when he pulled the girl toward
him TO kiss her he did it so daintly that she did
nov thlnk OF Directing. In contrast with the
Marquis Is the miserable Old dried up scheming
Alderman IN 'Amorita.' which was PLAYED here
last week. His every action. as Irendered the
part. was nervous and clawing; the voice was
t.Sp'nS anu harsh, and every step taken on the
stage was senile and crafty.
on AND OFF.
"Curiously enough the funny men on the stage
are apt to be the serious ones of il. Francis
Wilson Is an example. On the other hand
many OF the tragedians and leading heavies'
are very funny men indeed of the boards
Louis James may be mentioned an inst.. CO.
As Tor female stars, whether funny or serious on
the stage. they are not apt to be very Jolly from
the company's point OF view Nothing makes
one OF them so mad as to have any one else do
anything good or get any applause. Women in
the profession are astonishingly selfish in such
matters. particularly where others of their own
sex are concerned. Sometimes they will help
man, but they are almost invariably very
eruel to women. / do not think that any sim
elar remark can be truth:uily made about male
actors as class.
WHAT SUCCESS DEPENDS on.
ga comedians success often depends upon
his knowledge Ct the art of making up Some
faces seam constructed by nature for the actor
The best ort of stage countenance is broad
and square. with regular and prominent fea-
lures. You csn make such a face look pretty
nearly as you please. lcu can fatten it up
with high lights, or, If you Ike You can thin IL
down with darksN Least available of faces for
make up Is one that Is round and fat with an
indeterminate NODE. Such face may be
funny in itself. however and will perhaps do
well enough withian assortment of wigs. In
washing paint oft my face | have often got
good suggestions Is to effects from accidental
lines and smOoches and have adopted them for
use- More than OF too, after getting on my
make up have been inspired by my reflection
in the glass with a somewhat new conception
of the character and have gone on and played
the part within ten minutes in a way very diff
ferent from what / bad intended. good
make up Is a wonderful help to ones acting
One sees ones self in the looking glass as a GER
tain character well realized rs to aspect and is
thereupon able to play 1t better. If one feels
uneasy on the stage as 10 whether his make up
Is good or not he cannot act his best.
THE FUN AND THE AUTHoR
CAS- for making the fun that is to be the
Comedians contribution TO a new comic opera.
it is necessary that he should depend in "a very
large measure upon the author. though he can
not often hope for hbrettist like Mr.. Gilbert
who writes IN all the fun himself, so that all
the actor has to do is tolnterpret 1t iutelli
gently. The business of peing funny on the
stage Is acquired largely bf practice, like any
other art. though a frst-r&te comedian Caust
have the faculty born in hia A curious fea-
ture OF opera comedy Is the ALMOST purely con-
yenuonal phrases and gesture which hold
temporary acceptance as humorous When
ever any comedian makes hit in a part GER
Tain pecpliaritles OF speech or manner that
marx his performance IN the character are apt
To be picked up and initiated by every other
Comedian. An instance of that was Dixey's
nanheI-mOuthed utterance, employed by him
some years ago III burlesque called Horrors
That way of speaking was subsequently made
use of more or less by ali the other comedians,
and for a long time 1t was peculiarly accepted
as funny. Not long ago IN a successful comic
play the phrase On. me and Sullivan was re-
peatedly used, much to the amusement Of the
audience by the sport who the principal
character III the piece. 1t was taken up at
once ana presently appeared IN the shape Of
on, me and Edison in another play. If you
went TO hear the Black Hussar two or three
weeks ago You doubtless noticed that the
audience rosred every time the burgomaster
said, ON, me and Napoleon Funny gestures
obtain popularity in the way. Just now
the funniest movement the comedian can make
" to hop his hand over toward his right
shoulder at right angle with the forearm and
then royolye the hand horizontally with A
quick motion. This is considered very humor-
GUS indeed. Mr.. Robson's squeak which he
uses IN every part In takes most effectively, is
another example OF this same sort of conven-
tlonalized humor.
THE TOPICAL SONG NUISANCE.
''The comic opera comedian gets better pay
than any other sort of comedian because he in
always the most important man In the COM
psny. Without a good comedy man the best
comic opera will be = failure. and many a poor
comic opera has been made success by q
comedian of talent Topical songs consider
are getting to be positive nuisance. They
are demanded % such extent that the public
is not satisfied nowadays with less than two or
three in each opera. 'Nadjy' is hardly any
thing but topical songs; the soubrette has two,
besides those allotted to the comedians. The
class of performers most Objectionable in
comic opera is the tenors They invariably
perfect sticks, because, instead of thinking of
shsir acting, they sne always engaged while on