The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-06-22
How i.IUIII'S HIS GU,
HE DC.G%'T Hear ITEM, EUT "piLK5
ln-,.i VI" PROMPTLY.

A New Toyk Actors Way O: Overcoming
a Physica. Ecfec.-rEc Studies the Faces
to Tell When to Speak.
Perhaps the most important detail for
all actor t. master in stage teclEicalities
is the trick CT picking up his cue ouicL-
~.
Every stage manager knows how I'M
portaut it is that that should be done.
The slightest hcsitancy in q quick CON
versatiOn between the lines spoken BY
different people will surely spoil the
scene.
The regulation way for actors and &C,
tresses to learn their parts is to also
learn the cce, as well as their W lines.
Perhaps it is well to tell the uninitiated
that the Il consists Of the last few
words or the last sentence spoken BY the
other actor. Every part net only con
tains what the actor is to speak, but
also the Ut Nest stagefol1 will tell
you that it is more difficult to learn the
cues than it is the lines, as they often
convey no meaning to the mind.
Everybody il New York who goes ia
the theaters knows or has seen Joe Hol-
land, as he is familiarly called. No one
would suspect, to see Mr. Hollands rem
ditlon of the parts he plays, that he does
not hear the cues.
However, that is a fact. Nh. Holland
Inherited deafness. His father wa deaf,
and his brother, Mr.. George Holland,
the Philadelphia manager, is also slight.
~ affected that way.
1t would seem to the average thinker
that Mr.. Holland would have found hi;
lntirmity a serious handicap in the dra-
matte profession. On the contrary, SO
cleyerly has he managed it that it has
been almost an advantage to him. Triv-
ial noises do not disturb him, and in
consequence he is able to give his whole
mind, unaffected by any Interruptions, "a
the work i'll hand.
OF course Mr.. Holland is not absolute
" "stone deaf, as the saying goes. Ho
is what is generally termed ''hard OF
hearing"
Now as to how he picks up his cues
when he doesn't hear them.
He studies not only his wv part. but
also the entire lines spoken by other peo-
pie when he is on the stage. He com
mlts these to memory perfectly. So DWELL
does he learn them that he knows lust
how long it takes for them to be spoken.
When he Is facing the actor Of whom he
is 10 get his cue, Of course he can readily
tell when his turn comes by the move
ment of the others lips or the express
sion OF the face. He says, though, that
the expression of the face is what he re-
lies on most. he pays very little atten-
ton to the lips, because most people
have a habit of moving the lips involun-
tarlly even when they are not speaking.
a trick that would easily lead him
astray. The expression of the face, how
ever, IS a sure cue. 1t never fails him
and always is the same.
His main reliance, however, is Oh a
system OF counting. He Knows Just how
long 1t will take for each speech to be
SAID. He times that speech by a certain
number OF counts. When he has counted
the right number Of times for the speech,
he knows that it is his turn to speak.
This is absolutely necessary when his
back IS turned toward the other actor.
As, for instance, Mr.. Holland comes
on the stage, his line is:
We'll; I've returned"
He then turns around to lay down his
hat. and the other person says:
But you We're very late in getting
back"
As soop as Mr.. Holland turns he he
gins to count. When he has reached
eight, he says IL q nonchalant way, no
matter what is happening:
We'll, aren't you glad to see me
back"
Long experience has shown him that
III this way he picl-s up his cue Just as
promptly and perhaps more 50 than
though he had heard it.
Mr.. Hollands adroitncss in this line
has been TIE vendor Of New York man
ayers. Proba3lxuo one else knows of it,
for, as is natural, 3fr. Holland is a tciie
sensitive on the subject.
The only drawback that he ever finds
to his system arises freIn other faults