Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-29
TASTES THE POISON.
Psychological Consequences Of Act
ing Certain Stage Parts.
WILLARD In HIS DEATH SCENE.
Playing the Villain Leaves the Stamp Of
Crime Upon the Face.
JIM THE PENM4NS HEART DISEASE
CORRESPONDENCE OF TUE DISPATCH, -,

CORRESPONDENCE OF TUE DIsPArcH,
NEW YORK, March 2S-Does the actor
experience any of the physical symptoms Of
approaching dissolution when he dies on
the stage? Does he taste the poison that he
takes? Does he actually experience the Bit
terness of death when, at the great crisis Of
a role into which be has poured heart,
brain, blosd-his very sel!-he appears to
die and is hlmself almost unconscious that
he is Stimulating?
1t was because of his unique success in
such psychological roles as John Need
hams Double. " '"The Corsican Brothers,
The Lyons Mair'-eslled psychological
because they touch closely on the mysterious
limit of identity and because in the hands Of
an accomplished actor they more nearly
solve that mystery than any human process
or evolution yet developed-that these ques-
tions were asked of E. S. Willard.
Sensation of Heart Trouble,
"When 1 was playing Jim the Penman'
for 100 nights in London, developed on
the fourth or fifth night a decided pain in
the region OF my heart You remember that
jim the Pennadn dies of heart disease and
throughout the play is conscious that he
may be suddenly carried off at any moment
by this remorseless affection. The relations
between imagined heart disease in such
case and NE real disease, which not impos-
slnly, 1t seems to me, might actually be de-
veloped from excess of apprehension, form
curious and interesting field of study into
which the actor can scarcely avoid follow
Ing the specialist to some extent.
81 have never played the dual role o; DIR.
Jekyll aad Mr.. Hyde, but 1 have studied
the book and the play and am familiar with
Robert Louis Stevenson's s other marvellous
psychological study, 'Markheim.' Such
studies and such roles call forth the highest
powers of the actor and are capable Of re-
production with an intensity absolutely pain
ful both to himself aud 10 his audience.
Tastes the Poison in His Soul
''In the death scene in John Needham's
Double. as the first fiery thrill of the poison
have been lured into taking unawares
shoots through my consciousness, am SIM
ultaneously conscious that that thrill is in
me Imaginary and that it is quite as terrible
and horrible to Inc as if 1t were real. L do
not taste the poison in nv mouth but in nv
soul. There seems, indeed, to be an almost
triple consciousness; l am conscious of feel-
Ing an imaginary physical pain; [ am con-
sclous OF feeling real physical horror; | am
still and continuously conscious that it is all
acting, and that l must watch myself and :
keep up the iliusion!
81 do not believe that it would be posi-
bic for man to act terror or rage if he were
really terrified or enraged; so perhaps dy-
ing man could not act death scene. But
at all events this terrible physical horror
and physical taste of the bitterness of death
is much greater on the first night than it
ever is after ward; ih TACT, it is strange
thing, but true, that on the day after the
first night have forgotten everything, lines,
sensations and all, my mind is a blank and
am almost glad when L haven't an idea
what am going to say and do when 1 go
on the stage again that night!
Effect of Playing the Villain.
"Villains? Oh yes, L have played vii
lains for years, but a man doesn't become
villaiDous himself on that account. Dur
ing the long run of a play. if nv role is that
o. an accomplished villain, L think my face
off the stage does show traces or perhaps
suggestions of the diabolical channels in
which my thoughts are trained so constantly to
run. But do not for moment grant that or
any other stage villain would develop as a mat
ter of course the slightest vtllainy of action or
thought as an individual.
TO do so man were very weak indeed; do
not believe he would be strong enough to
master any great character. Indeed, an
habitual villain on the stage is as far as my ex-
perience goes exactly the opposite off the
sage. Take for example. Mr.. o. Smith, of the
Adelphi Theater in London, a celebrated vii
lain Of the beetle-browed and russet-booted and
belted and buckled type. Why, of the stage
that man kept white mice and canary birds
and was never known to say a harsh word TO
anybody. Just so the study of part obiter-
ates from my mind for the time being all
thoughts and emotions and tastes other than
those of my stage character.
A Remarkable Health Record.
"During the q years since made my debutf
have never missed a performance from i'll
health. married years ago and should have
brought Mrs. Willard to the States with me
had 1 not been entirely ignorant of what to ex-
pect from an American winter and had known
that so many comforts could be had in Ameri-
can hotels. We English people are great
sticklers for our home comforts you know"
Mr.. Willard is not sporting or ahorsey man.
and is student rather than a rounder. His IA.
vorite amusement is reading poetry. Mrs.
Willard has taken to writing weird little
stories, which are curiousy coincident with the
general tenor of her husbands greatest recent
successes on the stage. Neither she nor her
husband is in the least q morbid person, and
yet it remains to this day puzzle between
them whether she has influenced him in this
direction or he her. At times his nerves have
been completely shattered as consequence of
his intense application to such parts. The day
after he first played the role of the crazy man
IN wealth he owns up to having been actu-
lilly crazy himself for while. He didn't sleep
wink that night. j. P. b.
UTnTnpTA ANN TUE DIR cpTzc