Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-14
legsD have cause to remember Charles
Reade with reverence and gratitude.


legsD have cause to remember Charles
Reade with reverence and gratitude!
ABOUT REALISM.
Talking of realism reminds me that
people often express surprise at the
real tears that | shed when | am
acting. Their surprise Surprises
me. My effort is to keep from
tears. When l, as Beatrice, in "Much
Ado about Nothing" listen in the
church scene each night TO Hero being
''done to death by slanderous tongues"
to her fathers agony and grand champ
ionship of her; to the sweet, tender
words of the Friar, l ask myself how
can anyone hear such words unmoved?
And then later on in the scene the
winged words of Beatricel-in defence
Of her cousin-can anything be more
tearstirring?
But no. some people can't cry, and
yet can feel stirred to the depths OF
their nature. OF course some, too, have
no depths TO stir. Some, when they
walk il the woods in the spring time
can't see fairies-even in the evening.
| remember a sweet, white-faced old
man, who used to go around mis- garden
every evening just saying good night
to his flowers. | came upon him blund-
ering one evening, and hearing him
talking skunk away again. After that
| sat in the bay window with my work,
and watched him each evening. / am
sure he saw fairies. Oh, for an audi
ence Of many such as he.
He could not read Shake peare well
himself, but he was so simple gentle
man, so Singleminded, that any actor
not "a born fool" would have learned
much from him on listening to his read
ing of liking Lear" "Othello," the Friar
in much ADO" &c. He would sing a
simple ballad, TOO, with the tears pour
ing down his face, the beauty Of the
plain story going straight TO his heart,
and his eyes just running over with
sympathy. That is the kind of people
who have been my best teachers. Hold
the mirror up to Nature and one can
learn so much. Observe child-a dog.
Initiate the unconsciousnesS Of dog, if
you can. A dog going through a crowd
of people after his beloved mistress,
who is In cab ahead. Look at it; think
of it, dissolute man. Watch it, and i'm
itate, then, if you can.
BERNHARDT AND REAL TEARS.
TO return. however, for a moment OF
tearS | do not say that the absence of
tears shows a lack of feeling. For in
stance, the greatest of living actresses,
Sarah Bernhardt, spoke upon this very
subject with me at our first meeting,
which was on Lyceum'S stage after a
performance of ''Iolanthc" (King Rene's
Daughter). The scene was still set. 1t
was a garden. Dear mel how she dag
zed and interested me! She fitted here
and there, pretending to smell the flow
ers-she rusted and rustled-shimmer
simmer went her dress-and fit
fit went she. 1t made me think the
garden was real-my own stage garden
that had been acting in. She seemed
to me butterfly, and Ian elephant!
did feel heavy, dull and stupid by the
side of her. 1t was the first time | had
met her-off the stage.
She chartered away all the while in
French, since she couldn't in English,
and thereby showed her wit, all the time
charming uS-or me at all events-and
holding the situation most completely
| remember that evening (when she left
off flirting, and proved to me she wa:
not really butterfly by eating some
asparagus for supper after the play
she spoke to me about my real tears il
King Rene'S daughter, not with sur
! H.. ,;,I, -, n II "
and told me she could not cry. But
know that she felt crying, though he
tears did not come. at is very penuri
Gus and sceptical love which must un
derstand before it can sympathize. Al
though ! did not see Il heard her tears,
and knew they were in her soul. No
despite all that Didr0t and even NJ. Co
quelin have said to the contrary, | dc
not believe that an actress can really
move her audience unless she is herself
affected by certain passages. But &c
teach the art of shedding tears is as i'm
possible as il is to teach the art of feel
, ing.
These slight sketches, please remem
Der. are supposed to be STRAY memor
ies''-not set opinions. So | am very
loath to dogmatize on any point. But
have received so many letters latel!
from people asking me to state my view
on Hedda Gaber that | cannot resis
the temptation of speaking my mine
outright, though it seems to me tina
everybody has said everything that car
be said about Ibsen'S plays. Well, TO b'
frank, should not myself care to act il
them. l consider myself very happ!
and fortunate in having nearly Away
been called upon to act very noble, cleal
characters, since | prefer that kind o
part. and love Portia and Beatrice bet
ter than Hedda, Nora, or any of thos'
silly ladies. Yet IbSen is attractive Il
actors and especially actresses. thini
/ it must be that IbSen is so extraordinar
! lily easy TO act.
THE SCIENCE OF ACTING.