The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-23
9Ha ACTORS ART.
Sara BerahNrdt Says It Is Best When
Truest 60 Nature.

Sara BerahSrdt Says It Is Best When
Truest co Nature.
Sara Bernhardt an San Francisco Er
dnlne1,
great French critic said once, in con-
GLIDING an essay, that acting is the lowest
of the arts. agree with him, and do not
think it requires much reasoning to arrive
at that conclusion. The mimetic art means
simply the Interpretation OF the creative
art. An art student may sketch the Venus
de Milo on paper with such vigor that his
fellows are wonderstruck. But the virile
reproduction on paper Of the statue does not
place the artist next the statues maker nor
does the representation of Phedre put the
actor on the PEDESTAL of Racine.
The sculptor, the painter, the dramatist,
the muslclan--they create. A thousand
different persons, a thousand different
Things rush 10 be assimilated by their
genius. The effect is an aggregate Of beings
taken from the whole Of nature. The indi-
Vlduelity of the creative genius is deepened,
out Is not annibilated. His art is of the
highest, because he is the embodiment, the
representation Of nature. Balzac said that
20 describe landscape he turned himself for
the moment into trees and grass, and foun-
taius and stars, and sunlight, and thus
reached the heart of that which he would
reproduce. In other words, he created the
landscape just as Rousseau would create
vas.
But for the actor-let him storm Par
nasSus as he will; there are few leaves in the
laurei crown. 1t is his function to represent
.ue creations Of genius-to Interpret them
w Ine public. He has not the thousand i'll
spHaaons or the author; he has only the
suegestlon OF the glowing words. The actor
ssuoSerVlent to the author, notwithstand-
ing ne may forget his bondage for brief
1--WE minutes and breathe the free air OF
genius
Ihere was an age in France, they say,
.ueh actors were provided simply with the
uane"ork OF the drama and left to i'm
i Ptovlse the rest. In fact Goldoni, the
.eilan dramatist speaks of supplying plots
tS ne french Kings players from which
n yuey nlproVlse the speeches. But we have
iou', luence that the actors rose above the
el vi the Chinese stage Of to-day, where
"Snllar practice prevails.
81 @ind you, the opinion Is not acceptable to
Ta o puohc. know it must be unpopular of
Mty, The public looks upon Slddons,
tiors VI rachel interpreting the grand crea-
tho 0i genius, and regards the actor as
on embodiment gu OF Shakespeare, or Racine,
"a Dla.r- AAS PubitS oiiOAtS WAtA
81 nae nae "hen the actor trembles with feigned
tSs but this same public forgets that
Sim, oFds, the action, the expression, are all
echoes Of another's genius.
hfsue elamor Of approval the creative art
sps.Eotten, although that is the base of the
Vsr1,, structure. No actor brings this
4 IA ~. Nearer TO the heart Of the public, to
NEE, but at the same time. let him re-
an y, that he is only the interpreter,
al' aud the shouts are really for
! Isspeare aud Racine.
aeter' 70 end with suggestion. Is not the
n art akin % the iournalsts-tbatis Is,
seen relation Of the latter 10 lileraturei IL
ness-s me that tha playhouse and the
ular s-lltr 10 band 10 hand. They ara pop
Geofs 's !, OF thought and ars witnir the
astt., TIE people. Perhaps this Is not
hhos,.s aud perhaps IL 10 uDjuat-but then.
~ suggestion