The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-18

glish, as all my youth was passed In Scot
land. As soon as was old enough be-
gan 10 'go on in the tragedies playing
the pages. Most of the time ! msekly
walked around or stood about, but some
times had a line to speak, and the inn
portant difference between these duties
to me was that got shilling whenever
had anything to say, and only sixpence
when was only q super, so from my ear
liest days 1t seemed perfectly natural for
me to be on the stage. i got to act just
as other children went to school,"
After he had served his apprenticeship
with his father Mr.. Stoddart branched out
for himself. He went up TO the A aberdeen
Theater and stayed there four years.
playing old men parts, although at that
time he was only 81 For six years he
travelled through the British provinces,
gong once TO Halifax. In 1854 ne came
TO New York aud acted in the old Wal
lack Theater.
81 have always rememb bered the actors
who were at Wallsck's Thester then as
the most brilliant performers have ever
81 went there after some experience, but
/ was perfectly willing TO place mysel;
among them as beginner and learn
from them. In those days the managers
never had TO busy themselves about get
ting new plays. We played 10 months
out of the year, and after we came back
from our vacations there was never any
worry over finding a new piece to COM
meuce with. We usually gave either The
Rivals or The School for Scandal and
every body was satisfied. During the sea-
son we gave very few new pieces. But
we kept busy with the constant prspara-
tion for the production of the old plays"
Two seasons spent in Baltimore and Mo-
bile led Mr.. Stoddsrt 10 believe that the
stock companies there in those days were
better than any we can boast OF now. But
he looks upon the stage methods of the
past with regret, and Gays so more frank
ly than some OF the older actors.
81 hate to be found comparing the
past and present TO the advantage of
the former" Mr.. Stoddard said. "snd /
have often heard actors say that II Les
ter Wallack were reincarnated today with
all the attractiveness OF his youth and
good looks, audiences would no longer
think him as great as his reputation.
Besides / believe that there is as much
talent on the stage as there ever was. Ii
is only the system which Is inferior. In
the old days young man went on the
stage, and IL he showed promise he was
carefully watched. He had great many
parts to play, and a success in one did
not lead him to believe that he had
learned all that experience could teach
and could thenceforth be a star actor. /
don't see how actors or actresses today
are ever TO get enough experience. For
merly when a man had been on the stage
for three or four years, be might not be
a brilliant actor, but he was certain TO
be an experienced one. Now an actor
plays one part year, and II he plays it
we'll, probably will be engaged to play it
for another year. Then he finds part In
which he makes a success, and immedi-
ately he becomes one OF the well-known
actors, who in the future Is to be regard
ed as having learned all that there Is for
him to know. ] remember how Macready
used to insist that ease and experience
were the most important qualities in an
actor's work.
"One day at rehearsal" Mr.. Stoddart
said, rising from his chair and striking
an attitude, "a young actor came up to
Macresdy and as he began his speech held
out his hands before him. 'Put down
your arms,' Macready roared at him.
SHOW that you are enough at home on
the stage to stand still ana look me in
the eye while you speak without moving
muscle. "It is experience alone that
gives an actor this repose and finish.
There may be some that are blessed with
such tremendous self-control that they
are liable to dispense With the training.
But most of us neeo it..
Mr.. Stoddart had always been best
known as a comedian until he was en-
gagged for the Union Square Theater. When
he went there he found that Stuart Rob-
son was the comedian and had tho mo-
nopoly Of the comic roles. So Mr.. Stod-
dart was pushed into the serious char
acter roles, and he has acted them since
much more frequently than the comic
parts, with which he was so long identi-
fed. He says that but for his training to