The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-01-12
ACTORS OLD AND'N
TIMES HAVE CHANGED. AND THE Au-
DONATIONS HAVE GONE.
Nowadays Performers Endcavor to Under
stand the Author and to Learn tho sto-
~ and Object Of the PIsy-wiiiiam H.
Crane Comes TO the Rescue.


stand the Author and to Learn tho sto-
~ and Object Of the PIay-wiiiiam H.
Crane Comes to the Rescue.
At a gathering of men prominent in
the theatrical world the other night an
author who has had some success with
one or two plays brought up the old argu-
mont that motors were, In a great measure,
little better than automatons.
A star wanted play In b hurry. What
no was using was not to the public taste,
and the author sent him one of the many
which were knocking about in his trunk.
Some three weeks after the piece had been
produced he ran out to q little town in
New Jersey and saw the play. 1t was not
bit like the play he planned and wrote.
The situations were all there, and so were
the lines, but ideas he had never dreamed
Of In connection with the play were being
conveyed by the actors. This made him
furious, and he rallied at actors In gem
eral, saying that they had no ideas of
their OVID, and there was not one actor
out Of ten who could tell you the story Of
the play In which he was appearing.
The poor actor has heard this claim re.
peated many times. When Henry Irving
was in this country, the American dram
atists gave a dinner In his honor. In
responding to the pleasant things said
about him the English actor told how he
had been an actor for many years before
he had ever given any thought to the
general character of the plays in which he
was taking part. II had only been after
he had risen In his profession that he had
understood the work Of the author and
how close relation one scene boro to an
nj ar hs 4,
made study Of these things, and tho pro-
duction of play meant great deal more
TO him than the memoriziug Of his lines
and of his cues.
To strengthen his argument that most
actors paid little attention TO anything but
their own lines, Mr.. Irving told story
about the famous Frenchman, Frederick
Lemaitre. The latter had made gigantic
hit in new play, the name of which
cannot now recall, and had been giving 1t
steadily for nearly two years In PARIS.
While dining ono afternoon with friend
the latter as u joke asked him what was
the story of the play In which he was be-
ing seen. 10 his amazement the actor re-
piled that he had only remote idea.
This will strike most people as being
decidedly odd, but Mr., Irving's word is
not to be doubted. Lemaitre told the
truth, and while many actors of his day
might have answered like questions In the
same way the actor of today who would
say the same thing would be looked upon
as curiosity.
Actors are not automatons, and the
man who could not tell you the story of
the play in which he is appearing would
be an imbecile Such man l do not be-
lieve exists In the profession. What Mr..
Irving says and what my friend the au-
thor holds was true in measure 10 or Is
years ago, but 1t is not today.
Years ago, when l was a member Of O
stock company. frequently appeared In
plays of which i knew very little. We
used to give four or five different plays
week, and We rohearsed every day. OF a
Monday morning would be given several
parts and fold TO memorize them. Some
of these parts would consist of 85 or more
pages, and all of my time was put in
studying rehearsing and playing had
no time for recreation.
There was nothing but work and worry,
with a small salary thrown in and hopo
| that would pull through with the help
Of heaven and the prompter. Had some
one asked mo in those days the story of
any one of the plays In which was ap-
| pearing | could not have told him. In
that was required was that / should know
my lines. But, to use very old and mil
dewed expression times have changed
The production OF plays today Is reduc-
| ed to scientific principle. II Mr.. Daily
or Mr.. Frohman or any Of our big man
ayers decides to produce new play, a call
is posted notifying the company to meet
ut the theatcr at a certain hour The au-
thor is present, and it Is his or her duty
| to read the work To tho assembled company
and explain to it his or her ideas and where
and how he VI she desires to obtain GER
tain effects. Every point is made clear
| The stage manager has already cast tho
/ play, and, the reading over, the parts are
handed around. The next day the really
hard work begins when the play is placed
| in rehearsal.
1t is tho authors business to be present
at all these rohcarsals. Bronson Howard
rehearses all of his own plays. He takes
scat down near the stage with a copy of
the manuscript in his hand and directs
every little bit OF stage business and cor
reefs every mistake. Clay Greene, David
Belasco Augustus Thomas, Paul Potter
| Sydney Rosenfeld and all of our promi-
mont authors attend all of the rehearsals
of their plays, for they have learned the
J lesson that 1t is to their interest to do So
My friend the author who complained
| SO much about actors being automatons
and being devoid of ideas, had neglected
to attend the rehearsals of his play and
was surprised when he saw 1t to find that
all of his ideas had not been carried out
The man who staged 1t drew his own do
ductions, the most reasonable perhaps
that he could and then gave the ideas to
the company. Snch cases, however, are
very rnre.
To my mind, the actors of today are nm
enlightened body, and most authors who
have been brought in contact with them
will bear out this statement. William Ii.
Crane In Now York World.
| r1,o CO .,.-.., ~,