New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
A PLEA FOR AMATEUR ACTORS.
AN soLp HAND WHO THINKS THEY SHOULD
MEET WITH FAIR JUDGMENT IN
STEAD OF PREJUDICE.

AN @oLD HAND WHO THINKS THEY SHOULD
MEET WITH FAIR JUDGMENT IN
STEAD OF PREJUDICE.
TO the Editor of The Tribune.
SIR One hears n good deal Of criticism nowadays
Of amateur actors II has often occurred to me ms an
"old hand to ask whether those who crucise 50
severely have ever thought how much more dlmcu'
1t Is for amateur to achieve success In part 'an
professional. I mean, supposng talent TO De equal
and equally we'll educated the amateur has difficulties
TO contend against that are unknown to the PROBES
sional.
II is quite natural that people should compare nma
teurs with professionals that they may nave seen 1T
the same piece, but do they ever consaer ''"'
the professionals may have played that piece ior
the hundredth time the night they saw hem' whic"
would account for the smoothness OF running ana 'ne
rlibness of diction which always seem lacking IN nm
amateur performance Do they realize that many
points only reveal themselves after constant playing
before audiences whilst many other points are learnt
from the audience itself When Sims Reeves was
sixty years Of age, he said he still studied MS oa
songs and was learning how to sing My freuy
Janels A great comedian the English stage told
me he learned half his points from the audience
How are amateurs to get all this when their pieces
have a magnificent Of one. two or three nign's
The fact of a person receiving pay for being an
artist has nothing TO DO with art. 1t Is not Just 10
suppose Of every amateur that II he knew himself
TO be good enough he would undoubtedly adopt pro
fessonal career He may love his art devotedly, and
there may yet be valid reasons which prevent his
entering the profession.
Do the above mentioned critics ever realize how
much ms-en- scene realism and the close attention
to minor details only possible in n professional
theatre, have to do with the effect produced on an
audiencef Everything Of a mechanical nature at
professional theatre ought TO go perfectly smoothly
there is absolutely no for hitch in mechanism
but at an amateur performance all is different Here
the stage is too small for the play, to begin, and the
situations dwarfed, the Idea OF dstance-so
charming in scene-is impossible for lack OF depth OF
stage. in rage who would naturally take
long agitated strides has take mincng little steps
as II he were in dolls house. Then again, If he be
playing In a, costume play the amateurs clothes
never fit him. All this acts and reacts on the
player 1t acts upon him directly and it reacts upon
him through the audience.
Perhaps there is no more subtle influence to be
found than that existing between actor and audience
II he is true artist he may be throwing himself en-
trely into his part unconscious Of any audience at ALL
and yet inspired by the very sympathy he Is creating
but let mechanical fault with the scenery occur
let him try open door and find 1t opens the wrong
way let there be little stage wait on the part OF
somebody else and the spell is broken the sympathy
Is gone and he Will try in vain to recall 1t.
Do audiences consider all this do not believe
the majority Of them know the first thing about the
sensitive feelings of artist, be he professional or
amateur, how easily he Is affected by what, Tor
want OF o better name, / will call atmosphere. II
they did, when hitch occurred they would be moved
painfully rather than mirthfilly recall instance
that happened two Of something going wrong
with great actors costume. There was really MOTH
ing funny Two or three strings hanging
down. that was all. The actor knew 1t, but stuck to
his lines until he driven from the stage-not by
the accident, but by the laughter of the audience
They did not for the mental strain he was under
going they did not recognize his selfcontro they saw
nothing but something that struck them as funn!A
How is IL with most audiences who go to see an
amateur perforTIance-why do they go7 Do they 60
with any idea OF being pleased amused Or affected
i trow not. They are asked by Mrs. So and So, one
of the lady patronesses TO take tickets to help
charity in which she Is Interested and they do not
like to refuse. Having bought the tickets, If they
do not give them away, they go in such frame OF
mind as this:
"Oh well, have had to buy these tickets, and have
Go...hg better to do this evening. may well go
and see these amateurs; it will be rather fun crt
cistng them. / see they are going to attempt such
and such plny in which saw the Kendas. won
der how Mr.. and Miss or Mrs. - will get through
that scene IL is rather trying one for amateurs
yes, shall certainly get some fun out OF it,
Now contrast this with the frame of mind In
which these same good people go to professional
performance. They a good criticism OF play
in newspaper and they buy tickets because they want
them. II never occurs 10 them TO cTtlclse Iney
go to be pleased. expecting TO be pleased. and with
their minds open TO receive pleasant influences.
They do not Know the actors personally. When they
see them the stage they associate them merely with
their names on TIE programme, not at all as anal
vidusls whom they know. The consequence Is the
whole thing seems real and leaves pleasant infu
ence But with an amateur performance how differ
eDt Here the moment love scene begins the
audience begin at least nwardy to smile even II they
do not Ou;wardlv Utter. They think "Ohi mere 10
Mr.. so-and-so going to make love to Miss or MIS-
soand-Sop the stage names ana realism OF tne pay
their eyes naturally turn to the wife OF Mr-, the
lover in the piece, and the husband of Mis- the
heroine who are Sitting an the theatre n AND they
possible 10 please audience in this frame Of mind
The atmosphere IL wanting, the subtle influence and
sympathy that ought to exist between actor ana
and the most TINT amateurs can generally expect Is
70 get through serious love scenes without exciting
Again. take pathOs There people who say
that amateurs can never play pathetic parts Why
II is not harder ii Is easier TO some natures There is
much in the lives in most of that is pathetic
than funny. In many cases 1t is not the actors but
the audiences who at fault They do not expect
10 be affected by any thing amateur do, and will
not give themselves up 10 the influence. The frame
Of mind in which they 60 precludes the possibility OF
any such sympathy. The professional comes before
audience who are not only willing to be moved
by what he is going TO do but have come there for the
purpose of be moved and who believe he can do It,
The amateur comes before an audience who have not
como with idea OF being moved, who think II quite
impossible any mere amateur can have any such power
over them and world feel rather nsutcd to have IL
supposed for moment that they could either moved
or amused by anything that amateurs could do
SO the amateur has TO compel his success out OF
ing down every barrier and then his triumph 1 AL the
greater. AMATEUR.