The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-13

it was good and essential to have q
school of oratory and acting In connec-
ton with musical college.
Mr.. Jefferson arose at the mention OF
his name and advanced TO the table,
upon which was bunch of carna tons.
The reception ended, he ran one long,
thin hand into the front of his coat and
the other into the tails. He looked into
several hundred smiles, and from the
very opening was in the happiest OF
moods. The theme he announced en-
braced some reasons why many people
who try the drama and its art fail, and
several suggestions concerning thins TO
avoid and troubles to anticipate. There
was to be opportunity at the end to ask
questions, the lecturer admitting that
he might answer them in error or re-
fuse to confess his lack Of knowledge
by graphing with them.
Importance Of preparation was the
first tonic. This, he said, was more
marked in his profession than in paint
ing, oratory, sculpture, or literature
1t was possible for the artist with the
brush, pen, or chisel, to remodel, erase
and change before the finished product
was presented ITO the public. The sculp
tor might use new clay, but the actor
had no opportunity to recall his bad
work. There was no chance TO halt
the action to allow him who had STUN
bled TO retrace his steps. The work
began, progressed and was completed
in the presence Of the public.
His suggestion was that no man or wo
man should endeavor to portray human
passions and characteristics until such
person had been most amply trained.
The actor should know his own indi-
vidual capacity TO feel and to impress
others that he did feel. No musician
expected to be successful without care
full rehearsals and years Of study, yet
many a tyro hoped to strut at once into
the very heights of dramatic art. He
deprecated the plodding study. which
made the parts and speeches old. The
successful tragedian or comedian was
he who recited each night his lines as IL
he were uttering them for the first time
and the replies were coming from sallies
first given.
Mr.. jefferson argued that il was hard
er to be good actor than a great ora
tor. Men who did not realize this had
tried to make the professions inter-
changeable, but had never succeeded.
The orator had only himself to consider.
He need notice only his effect upon the
audience. The actor must keep watch
of his reception by the people and must
lHe RlItCI Ills hearers were nav
ing upon him. The actor must also
attend the conversations of those in the
play and, with his head thus crowned
with anxiety. make his speeches as If
they We're spontaneous. All the sue
cess Of the actor lay in his own indi
viduality, while the words and senten-
ceS Of the orator might win him the re-
wards of the world.
Genius and art had always gone hand
in hand when great actors had been
made. He recalled a galaxy of promis-
ing stars who had entirely disappear
ed because they trusted wholly to an
inhereited capability.
Art was the handmade OF genius.
Genius died as the hues of the rainbow;
art saved the colors. Art should not
be carried to excess, least its rules make
the actor weary. a tired actor rare
ly failed to produce a tired audience.
1t had often been asked Of Mr.. Jeffer-
son which he considered the more diff
ficult-comedy or tragedy. His reply
usually was that comedy was a very
serious thing. The comedian must
know the humor of the situation, but
must not allow the audience TO know
that he knows II. He must be himself
and the character at the same time. No
man could be an artistic grave-digser
in Hamlet" VINO did not appreciate
the unotuous folly Of the lines, with
out showing to the house he was any
thing but the ignorant shoveler. It
was easier to be tragic and genuine
comic, but the fields Were so wide apart
that it was difficult to say which re
quired the greater genius. Certainly
more great tragedians had won worthy
laurels than comedians.
The star system, in comparison with
the old stock company arrangement,
was not the pernicious thing some peo-
pie alleged. Mr.. efferson then laughed
as he admitted he had certainly come to
this conclusion at present. He denied
being the inventor Of the one-character
play. This belonged to Shakespeare,
who made the example some 800 years
ago. His plays were written for one
star. save those in which the prevailing
theme could not be acted by one individ
ual. Hamlet was all Of one; Corolonus
was likewise exclusive in another; I'll
mon in a third and even Macbeth
and Romeo and Juliet" the husband
and wife, the lover and sweetheart,
were constantly appearing together and
acting as one great double star.
A cool head and a warm heart, was a
rule, Mr.. Jefferson said, which had
done him much good in his acting This
was in response TO a girls question
whether the people on the stage could
cry real tears. There was no iron
clad rule. ne said, to determine how
much the mimic should really feel and
how much he should feign. The French
school denied that the actor must weep
rs over his own grief; the English took
an exactly opposite view. The speaker
believed that the truly greatest artists
lived their parts.
This was illustrated by an incident in
he lives of Mrs. Cibber. Barry and Gar
lex The men had acted Romeo to the
Juliet. All London was di-
-ided as 10 the merits Of the two RO- !
neo portrayals. One side clamored !
he praise Of Barry, the other Of Gar !
lex. A company Of professionals de- /
'ided to abide by the decision Of the Jul /
let. She refused to make a choice, and I
n giving her answer, told the secret Of /
he greatest Of the three. 1t was that 4
me was 50 furious in his actual living .
u the love part that she always found 4
le would scramble beyond the require /
nents and climb into the balcony: the /
'ther was so infatuating as an actual !
over in another school that she always 1
cared she would scramble out OF the
,alcony to join him in the garden. II
would he we'll to follow such examples,
fr. jefferson added.
Another girl in the audience wanted 1
q know why SO few people who tried I
o elevate the stage were never heard 4
z the second season. Mr.. jefferson
aid the failures in drama were not
more numerous than in the other arts.
{ would be bad thing were il possible (
or all actors 10 be great, since there
you'd be no one 20 fill the minor parts.
fe eNtolled the man in the walking
haracter. and told how he used 10 lead
chorus for SO a week in an opera
Omnauy