St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-04

was suddenly darkened. CHATTER of
hoofS was heard, and when an instant
later the lights were turned OH again,
three thoroughbred race horses, with
jockeys mounted, were revealed neck
and neck and running like mad. They
were really running and they did not
vanish from the view of the audience.
The same principle which was utilized
in horse power threshing machines was
applied there. The horses ran upon
great endless belts, which were moved
by electric motors, and the horses had
to run 10 prevent being carried off the
stage backward,
This tendency for some years past to-
wards the realistic in the drama may
mean much or may mean little TO the
future condition of the native stage.
Some writer's have repeatedly claimed
that the plays that introduce thrillinglY
realistic scenes are dramatic aSortionS.
But such statement doesn't seem 10 be
quite fair one. 1t seems thatthe cynics
who insist upon trying to make their
readers believe such things have hardly
the correct idea OF what the elements of
good play should be. Then. too. what
may be one individuals idea of a
good play may not coincide with the
ideas on the same subject of another.
Sir Walter Scott defined a drama
as aspoem or fictitious composition rep
resented in action and words. l should
say that good play is dissection of
the paSsionf, as evoked by series of
incidents. There is perhaps better
definition. 1t is story of human life
revealed upon the stage, every incident
of which has direct bearing upon that
story; every action a distinct motive,
and every character of which is related
to the main theme. A good play is one
III which the interest is never allowed
to flag for moment; the characters are
all interesting; the incidents novel, at
least III treatment; the nature of all the
characters clearly impressed upon
the mind of an audience in
action rather than words; the
intentness of the audiences curiosity
multiplied from act to act; the curiosity
OF an audience extended, but never sat-
iSfied until the last speech just before
the final fall of the curtain; the emo
tons of the play, and hence, those Of the
audience, constantly varying and al
ways steadily going n the direction
interestingly to the final climax. In a
perfect play there should always be an
alienation of comedy and pathos; due
regard being paid as to the proportion
of each, the latter being far less than
&c of !,
questions frequently asked by the STU
dent of the drama, and as to what are
the elements of Il good play, the above
answer is about the best the writer can
give. Another question asked frequently
is what means should all actor pursue
in studying a new part.
He should first of all study The rela-
ton OF his part to the other parts of the
main story. He would then obtain an
idea of Its relative Importance. If it is
a subordinate character. he must keep
il subordinate in tone, otherwise the
harmony OF the play would be ruined
and the acts would be anti-cltmaXed.
An actormu be unselfiSh Ill his inter-
polation to avoid making himself con-
SpicuouS when the interest of the play
demands that he should remain in the
background. One of the best actors in
this country, not a star, has ruined
every play he has ever appeared in. al
though he may be said to have scored
an individual success. But this success
was obtained to the utter ruin of the
plays. BY by-plays and extravagant
acting during those passages Wien the
Interest of the play itself demanded
he should keep in the background.
this actor has spoiled more plays
than one. Actors have to be very
carefully watched at rehearsals lest
they fall into this fault. A stage man.
ager must be acquainted with all the
tricks OF the profession. and they are
many and subtle. l knew of two old
women once i'll a comedy scene in a
play who. on the night of the first per-
Torrance, although both were expert
enced actresses, neither would allow
the other TO get laugh. Instead of
humoring each others lines, and each
assisting the other to make a point,
they both "trod OH each others cues,''
and thereby rendered the whole dia-
logue entirely unintelligible to the au-
dience, at least as far as the authors
intentions were concerned. The au-
thor Immediately notified both of them
that he would call special rehearsal
for their scene every day till
they played it to his satisfaction,
and this doleful threat had a beneficial
effect. though it did not entirely end the
conflict. On another occasion veteran
actor who had been a star and knew
perfectly well the results of his action,
ruined climax of the third act of play
on the first night by remaining in the