New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
PLAYS WITHOUT WORDS.
HOW PANrOMIMEs ARE MADE AND
ACTED. -
THEY ARE WRITTEN LIKE ORDINARY PLATE
AND THE WORDS DISAPPEAR AS THE
REHEARsAIS GO ON.

say that he Is forty-ive years DID, has been on tho
stage for th.rynne years. has played leading parts
for twenty-seven years and has never spoken .
single line in a play. That Is the record Of Paul
Martinetti, who is playing just now at Roster q
Balls. 1t is scarcely necessary to say that MI:
Martinetti Is pantomimst. For some reason pam
tomme seems not to be appreciated here. Audi
ences seem not to understand It, Three attempts
were made to get NEWCOMERS to come to see the
beautiful and pathetic 'Prodigal Son." few I'M
derstood II, were fascinated by II at once and went
to see 1t over and over again, but there were not
enough OF them. and the house was seldom more
than half full Mr.. Martnetti's acting In Robert
Macaire' at Roster & Balls was enjoyed, no doubt
but 1t did not find the appreciation that 1t deserved
1t is difficult to how any could sit and look
at 1t without feelings of growing wonder and delight
at the actors ability to tell story that was at nrse
comic. then thrilling. then pathetic and finally he
roic. with no means of conveying the thought but
the lines Of his face and the movements of his hands.
his arms. his feet and his body The exactness with
which all must be done. the mnuteness Of detail.
the precision Of study and the finish less
than marvellous
The old accounts say that the Italian pantommists
could make their audiences weep by the use OF
gestures alone. their faces being masked. The state.
ment is hard to believe. but it can be understood
by who sees Paul Martinett In Robert Ma
caire." or Mile. Piar-Morin in THE Prodgal Son.
The Italian pantommists of to-day are worthless
lot Mr. Martinetti says. They keep up succession
of random and uninteligent gestures. which might
Just as we'll mean anything else as what they arc
supposed to When Mr.. Martnetti moves his
foot his finger or his eyebrow 1t tells something.
and the audience. II 1t has any power Of apprehen-
sion at ALL knows what II is Mr.. Martnetti does
not despair of full recognition in New-York. ana ne
SAYS that he hopes some time to play The Duel In
the Snow" here 1t has been done at the London
Empire and those who have seen 1t there say tnes
NEWCOMERS have missed a good deal.
Tell how a pantomime Is made, said IT'D
une reporter to Mr.. Martinett the other evening"
as he came around from his dressing-room to the
front Of the house at the end OF HE performance
Il write all my pantomimes myself" said the
actor except some that my father used. Robert
Macaire' for instance. In the first place. l have
to get the central idea for my play and work IT ous
and determine that Is one that Is suitable lor pan
tomme OF course, there might be many gooo
play with words of such nature that II couIo
not be expressed or understood without the words
have to take care that the pot select can al %
expressed by action. When am sure that my plot
Is all right In this respect, write out sketch OK
the action, putting In the main points OF what Is 70
be done. all the entrances. exits, etc.
Something like the scerario OF a pay?' the IL
tener suggested.
"PANTOMIME WORDS"
Just like that. Then, when have that done sat
isfactorily / write the pay. / write 1t just as u
It were to be spoken. with full dialogue. all the
again in its final form. This time the speeches are
not given in full. but only their 'pantomme Words
as may call them. l mean. OF course the woros
that can be acted Many words can be acted ana
some cannot OF course. and know exactly WHICH
ones can. In this way a speech in the first form
of the play might read, You and Will go there'
In the second form It will read. 'You-l-ther~'
These are the words that can be acted. and when
the actor comes TO that speech IN the n6 pay to e HIM
self and then he will point over there l write ous
all the separate parts ioa ,ne nnS IN the pay that
cannot be told by gestures at AL. and these mos.x
Of the pantomme words the actors part has a a.
rection, such as with feeling OF sorrow: Inc
telling exactly where the actor go and where he
is TO be at every minute Of the pay. % ,soo, IN.
play goes on, speak the words Of their partsmtnG
speak the last words OF each OF my own speecSnes.
to give them their cues AZ tne nng more and
more without the words being spoken anc' az iastJ
as the stage manager of a spoken drama does.
expect everybody TO be able 70 do everything Win.
always ready at every rehearsal and al every per-
Torrance TO set any one right who forgets any
thing
THE HARD WORK OF REHEARSALS.
1t often happens in Mr.. Martinettrs pantomimes
that there are a dozen more people on the stage
al once and that they all flying around ike
hens with their heads off. 1t looks like hopeless
confusion but 1t all comes out straight at the END
and everybody is in the right place The tnousnt
OF this led the reporter 10 inquire II the re-
that OF a spoken play. Certainly. said Mr.
Martinetti. 1T much easier TO learn play IN
words than In action Everything must be done
with the greatest care and the greatest precision
in every movement must be ACQUIRED SO tnas thers
pantomme has special music. 80 that every move
TO the proReT The Te
pantomme for instance that we did IN bru hS
musical score like Wagner opera. and everything
in it had to DE made to nit exactly to the music
How many rehearsals does 1t take for new
Wen we rehearsed The, Dead every day for
three months in London, and then We had forty or
more rehearsals Of it in Brussels, at the rate OK
day finally
And do mistakes never happen IN the PERFORM
ance, in spite OF everything! -.
ION. yes sometimes but the actors are ready for
them For instance, you remember that n Robert
Maca.re' the policeman hangs his cloak and hat on
post and see them ana think mat t my are ING
think that have succeeded Well one night the
had fallen over before l went the stage so. in:
stead Of h% as the n so
gone to Sleep! and then went on and stabbed him
just the same u. ,,,, ,,. y, vour nan
TONNES "A Terrible Night for instance. there il
a good deal OF rapid acrobatic work. There is one
the stage and lands on the top OF wardrobe %
bookcase or sometime Suppose he should mis-: IT,
oh no. II he misses that he does something elss'
gets under the table, perhaps"
But doesn't II confuse the other actors? Doesn't
their action depend his?"
Yes, but they know what TO do in case OF an 40
cident like that"
Hoy DO they know How can any one of the"
why, Il has all been rehearsed."
The accident has been rehearsed?'
Certainly we have to rehearse accidents Just IKE
anything else Then. when one happens the actors actor:
know Just what is to be done In place Of what ought
to have been done. and the play goes on without
break"
So there are more things in pantomme Just a. 10
everything else, than dreamed OF by those VINO
see only the results OF IT, and not the means II
a pity that II cannot be made more popular ana
more common here Pantomime OF the right SORT
a lesson to both actors and audiences
uOTVEP-OF-pEAPL HOCSE.