Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-01-16
ACTORS AND ACIlSG.

Before the Twentieth Century club |
Of Chicago the other dry, prominent
actor made speech In which he inter.
rogated anu complained In one and |
the same effort NJ follows:
Why ~ tho drama Ion to take caro- Of
Itself, To be perpotually In danger OF being |
overwhelmed by commercial enterpri-ei
Why does she Vt yeritablo Cinderella
OF the arts sadly among The ashos, while |
her more fortunate slsters-musio and
painting-afo taken To the haliG
Which prompts a paper u that city
to answer By asking, Yankee fashion:
"And why, moreover, 10 the sisters
get recognition rs belonging to the
nristocracy Of fine arts, while Cinder-
ella occupies questionable place
somewhere among this lower circles Of
artisanship?" This Is answered by
tho statement that Mt present the
histri1nic art occupies the position
last indicated, at least In the
estimation OF the multitude. Except
In few instances, says our colempo-
rary, the modern playwright Is looked
upon not as an artist, but a- a crafts.
man; his product Is not called nrt
(which, Of course, II very v'ton isn'i)
even whom II IL merltorous. 1t Is re-
garded IN technical contrivance In
which lath and canvas OF various
shapes, rouge, costuming aud a certain
mysterious greeu.room conBpire In
common with the author to amuse the
public.
Actors are not always consistent, any
more than they are always artists. The
rule now Is not to "h1ld the mirror up
TO nature,o bat TO make distortions OF
nature aud have such departure from
the primal rule labeled "a genius. 1t
Is everything to captiyaie the populace,
nothing to be- consistent and faith.
fully, intclllgently aud capably
portray the meaning OF some great
author. A few years agoan actor played
Othello Ia this city, and gave US n pre-.
senlatlon Of the Moor with a face
shade lighter than the average Mon
golian! His text at times was strange
but npt accuser, bringing up the charge
OF Inconsistency with wondrous force
and making 1t hold. Such passages from
the Moor's lines ~ "Hap'ly for I am
black, Gas blacsoned and begrimei
rs mine own face, issuing from IL face
the color of new law book may be
what IL accepted rs an improvement
onthegrand conception OF Shakespeare;
but In painting, the old mastars, whose
execution, tone ami finish arc not con.
sidered susceptible OF improvement y
modern methods, are let alone.
And yet the actor complains about
his calling having to plough
its way along and labor to make every
point, ipstead OF being recognized aud
carried forward on the high tide oil
popular appreciation without such
drudgery!
The incident nalnel IA not m
isolated one by any means. II Il
rather the rule than otherwise. II Il
not that the work OF actorS and authors
OF bygone days Is superior In every
case, but because II was performed
within legitimate lines as rule AM
admitted OF no sacrifices In order to
gain the favor OF the unthinkiug. The
greatest OF all cur American tragedi
ans, Eiwin Forrest, once went to sc,
his llluslrous English rival Macreaiy
play Hamlet, and whom the latter
perhaps Observation-Disclosures o
distinct iucongrulty In the shape OF 9
dance with handkerchief waving
, (pdS dc m1uehOir It ia known by IN
professional citcles) MIR. Forrest be
came indignant AMI hisssI Shak.
, spearo's cOuntrymsn roundly for the
latter's lack OF Judgment and rever
ence; and many tn ere were whC
, exempted the American from tn,
charge Of spite or ,allusy, because
OF the circumstances, who were la
from being his personal friends. Ii tina
) Kind OF thing were to be done today
tho critics might be- astoundod for
moment, but on recovering woulJ
doubtless pronounce II n "oharming
departure from hackueyei customs"
with substantial unanmi,y. This
would M AXE the actors ease beyond 1
doubt, but 1t would not elevate him a.
an artist in the estimntion of Ia,
juiicious, nor would 1t place the art
hishor or on a more secure pedestal
! Than before.
, Actors as class have but little t
complain o.. There are more interio
workmsn am ong them in proportion
, 20 numbers aud the pay rec eiyed thar
ia any other calling in the world; il
/ act, with some excep tions that nigh
! be told on the fingers OF one hand
} tuere are no great actors now, TIT
% last hls.gionic cycle, liketha. Of oratory
/ was in tho generation lmmedlatrl.
preceding this-a generation mad,
famous by the two giants of the pro-
iession named, with the elder Booth,
, | Keau and several more; as a pattia