Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-06
MAKING AN ACTRESS.
David BeIasco's Dramatic Account of
His Work ON Mr.. (nrter.

David BeIasc0's Dramatic Account of
His Work on Mrs. Carter.
David Belasco, the playwright, is trying
to secure Judgment against y. X. Fair
bank, the well-advertised Chicago packer
and speCulator, for the sum of SGl.eop,
which he declares he earned IN teaching
Mrs. Leslie Carter how to act The New
York Journal gives the following account
of Mr.. Belasco's testimony:
MIR. Dttenhoefrer Mr.. Belasco's counsel,
doubtless feeling that the jury did not
fully realize how hard II is to manufacture
actresses, got Mr.. Belasco to describe his
methods Of training Mrs. Garter. The play
wright and teacher of actresses wiped his
forehead carefully, curled his handkerchief
into a rope, and said:
" Mrs. Carter was crude. | had to show
her how to walk, how to sit, Low 10 make
an exit, how to return, how 10 open
book, how to turn a page. L taught her
how to act when detective arrested her
for murder; how to turn to him and say:
Il beg your pardon" / taught her how TO
weep, and had to weep myself for hours,
till l was like a wet rag. ] had to tear
and scratch myself
Mr.. Belasco looked as II he were about
to DO it Then and there, and the jury
seemed greatly interested.
why, he continued. L taught her how
to weep so as to express different emo
tions. Nearly all actresses have but one
way Of weeping That's stupid; there are
many ways to weep. ] pulled her around
by the hair as Bill Skies pulls Nancy. i
was sometimes obliged to thump her head
on the floor
Mr.. Belasco sprang up, seized an mag
mary head and whacked il on an imaginary
floor just under Mr.. DemIng's nose, ana
good Mr. Farbank looked on in utter
amazement, and exclaimed, Dear me-
- threw her down and dragged her
around continued Mr.. Belasco. not notI@-
k,Rr 1gF,l- In he
jury. 1 taught her how to look and act
when some one said, This man has wrong
ed you" This man will not pay you what
he owes YOU" by heavenr' by hell!' /
took her arms and trained .he muscles
from the hands up i kneaded her into a
condition of pliabllity. l educated her
limbs. | showed her how to control her
eyes so that she could take twenty minutes
to transfer her glance from the ceiling 20
the floor l wrote special scenes for her
to appear in, such as Grace Darling, in the
lighthouse. You know turning to the jury,
Grace Darling was expecting her lover,
and there was a storm and a shipwrCck,
and she learned that her lover was on the
wrecked ship. That gave chance fora
woman TO show many emotions, and made
Mrs. Carter perfect in the scene. j sat Up
night after night writing scenes for her
to appear in.
81 showed Mrs. Carter how to be Lady
Macbeth, Ophelia and Juliet. / coached her
thoroughly in forty-five parts, including
Geraldine, Nancy Skies and Emilia. /
can't remember them all-Leah, Fedora, La
Tosca, Mrs. Honeyton, Lady Gay Spanker.
Julia, in the "HunGhhaIk," Medea and Lady
Isabel 1t was wearing upon my nerves,
for 1 was trying to.give her in a short
time the experience sof fifteen or twenty
years l would say to her: Il remember
when the actor did not have six weeks to
prepare a part. Imagine that l have
stock company, and by next Monday you
must be ready to go on as Camille. would
say: Oh. that won't DO. We've had
week, and yet you don't know your lines.
Now take 5IeIea and be prepared In three
days / worked with her till she could 20
GA at " enty-four hours notice. This last
ed fifteen months, five days a week, nine
to ten hours day
Mr.. Fairhank chewed his uulit cigar
and bowed his head apparently in deep
thought"