New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-14
Is ACTING AN ART
ou1DA,s ATTACK UPON ITS CLAIM TO THE
TITLE.


REPLY TO HER CONTENTION THAT 1T is NOT
WORTHY TO RANK WITH PAINTING.
SCULPTURE. POETRY OR MUSIC.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: /. is told Of Nine de la Rame that when
q mere child certain positive intoerant expression
Of hers "ou-da.' Eyes. thereD earned for her the
nickname which later she adopted as a nom de
plume. 1t would that this characteristic OF
the girl has been preserved in the Woman, for Ouida
r. nothing If overwhelmingly assertive
She has a brilliant article in the May number OF
1.-The Nineteenth Century" magazine on irving
on the Art Of Acting" in which acting as an art
Is found to be quite unworthy OF a place pesioe
painting. sculpture. poetry or music ana lor
reason as curious as vulnerable when closely ex-
amined but about which her eloquence has thrown
q drapery which gives 1t specious resemblance 10
truth itself Some English papers accept the argu-
ment as final. quote at necessary length:
The why acting has not been placed DE De-
tsialy because It lacks and must lack spon-
and that qsy Mon hs text
of his part the actor were dumb GIVE 10 'h he w
ed nss and or as
to the painter blank Panel I ana or ia Rape Of
ssrhs he T create n tS. scupor lump Of wet cay
and an iron rod and he will make AphrId ner s', ink
anna psper a0 and he will with other cabalisc
signs those Of the alphabet! Siye you Me,ser
have an already existing creation distinct sue He
must have the already invented and perfected work
81 another in his hands before he
had improvised ohcllo on the boards of the Globe
the actor would haye f fnea 's Simultaneous art
The actor must. before acting MAKE ths , nc
Of another, in order to graft his own creations on
the creations OF that other ont me lac than
questionably take acting into anothcr Category IMAM
that OF the arts. 80
As matter OF fact 1t were well TO no''ce 'nd''
though sculptors have had mountains OF cray
through their fingers. the LAGOON has found lev"
any, rivals in the affections OF connosseurs' anu
also that though poets have had easy access 10
mems and paper we are still langusshing for the
s.cond midsummer Nights Dream and II I'M
provisation Is to be test OF art, then we must
conclude that "gag scene between TWO variety
men is higher than the studied ana nhsheo "o'N
Of a Jefferson Irving But why SHOULD acting
he 90 tried and the other arts not? Consider tne
s~ner,mentaI models Of the sculptor. the premi-
nary sketches OF the painter the constant recast-
ting ~ the lines OF the versifer. the much playing
over and rehearsng Of the nventng musician ~
Is absurd TO make deep thought disquaiihca'ion
OF art Why may not part OF the actors WORK oe
done at his "dggings" though the last process must
-. In hs s,udio the set-scene Of the theatre? lhs
e one instance OF prevalent misunderstanohs IT,
rsrd,nr acting the home work Is seldom recos-
nized. - 1,,rrp,oN
And 90 II comes that Ouida judges ana COM
mares as all the world judges and compares quite
n.trra,,v even inevitably but most unJustly' the
art Of acting by the recollection OF Few or'naN.
examples obscured by the everyday experience VI
mediocre presentations while judging OF All the o'"'
arts by specimens from their most suohme eHpo"-
ents in all history and even prehistoric ua.'
'.Would you learn what sculpture Isl? cries the
enthusiast Come to Rome, London behold these
marbles from the Parthenon the WORK OF "u'aH'
Would YOU revel in music? Hush, listen, hs.e" "
that organ: Beethoven chants again. Wouio you
he stirred by poetry? Stretch forth your hand 81"
wears: there is your Homer; 300 years ana mere Is
our shakespeare-read Would you realize the
blessing and delight that painting is 10 the chiureh
of earth? Follow to the ratonal gaher'es. s"
hands with Raphael, Titan. Nelasquez lup'V
enjoy their gathered fireworks. the pest Oh ese,s
class and kind from Venice to Paris. from Mau'iu
IA Antwerp: they are yours: enjoy enjoy
But for our much-belitted art OF acting what
can we show? Nature Is nggardly OF her genius.
How shall compete at one time against all l'mes
The actor throws his few ringing words INTO the
air flash of the eye in anger or twinkle IN
fun: a sweep Of the arm, tear gasp OF agony.
and his work has ceased to exist. The genius OF
acting Is too delicate spirit to be set in stone or
brass or paper But what II 1t were the nature Oh
stone to crumble after once being gazed upon as
sculpture Of canvas to shrive,. and pigments 10
unprinted: OF the music sheet Of the composer 10
noat away in the air with the last strain OF the
anthem? No repetitons but by the composer. no
pianos In the home, concerts, no orches'ras' no
church choirs ever proclaiming and Insisting that
music is grand and beautful-that music !. art.
LET those who would pronounce fairly and wisely
upon the right OF acting be called an art sum-
mon from all ages and from all countries It's nnest
exempars (as best they cam; cast all these stage
Titans in their best parts; give them lie Tor
thonu ho
an art before whom her sisters would stand
abashed. while the old gods grieved that they had
not more honored her.
But TO return to Ouida's central theory that act
ing is not art because its creations are graft
ed upon another art. that Of playwriting. know
not by what mysterious alchemy OF sophisry she
could arrive at such conclusion. am constrained
to oppose to 1t emphatic honda
PERFECT" AND IMPERFECT ART.
II were more logical surely to call playwriting
an imperfect art, because 1t requires another art
TO complete 1t. than acting imperfect. because 1t
builds upon another That which arrives at per-
lection is more exactly called perfect than that
which merely starts for 1t. II an art dependent
upon another is true art. then. OF course. the
art OF Paderewski or Ysaye Is no art. Their
notes and the duration Of each fixed for them and
the music staff Is decorated with fringe OF nstruc-
lions regarding crescendos. al.egros. pianos and
fortissmos. That Of the orchestral composer who
ampnnes the siinPe Heious 10 "o 'ue "i'' "ous"
ne brings the greatest genius and a lifelong study
10 the task But the clearest OF reduction to
an absurd.ty OF this proposition Is that OF the
music to an opera. here turn against the art OF
music In its grandest products. the whole torrent
of eloquence undammed at acting (Which have
uuoted), and rule the masterpieces Of Mozart
Counod, Wagner. out OF court as true art. because
they are 1.-The distinct suggestion OF some other
mind" because the composer 'had the already in
vented and perfected work OF another in his hand"
before he could begin composition. His work is
undenIably a supersructure upon that Of the H.
brettist whether Goethe or Gilbert matters nothing
and II Is therefore true art according 20 Ouda.
or we are confronted with the startling paradox
that the actor inspired and instructed by the H.