The sun., 1897-01-03
HOW T0TEACH PANT0MIME.
pILIR.MORIN SAYS 1T rs THB
RiSIS or An STIGE Effort.
A Talk by Comeiy Young Woman ~
whom New York saw Much Few
Munths Ago-ture for Awkwnrdness.

From the Chicdoo Chronicle
According to the French School OF Dramatic
Art pan tomime is the basis OF all stage erprt.
II is the fundamental principle Of the education
OF the artist In portraylng nature. Hence 1t is
that all the great actors and actresses OF the
French stage who have come over to thiu
country have made use OF this skill In making
tho face and hands tell what s meant without
words. The men and women who practise
the dramatic art in Paris mover Get above
pantomime. but In America. for some reason
unexplained this necessary branch OF tho bus-
moss has always been considered suitable only
for children. Christmas plays for the little
ones In pantomime. after the English custom,
wcrc fashionable for time. but even these fell
into dsuse and lost patronage ns soon as tho
fad wore itself out. The American on the stage
and Off seems to think that he can tell his story
better with blunt words than by any gestures.
Not so with the Gaul. Ono can see that he uses
gestures instead OF words IN the ordinary con-
ycrSation OF everyday life. The signincans
shrug OF tho shoulder and spreading o: the
hands mean something to him. II : fellow Gaul
understands but the American only doubles .
hugo fist and wants to mix war medicine be-
cause he does not under-tand. On the stage
this custom is carried to the extreme. Even the
civine sarah, the great Bernhardt. commenced
her stage career as n Plerrot n pantomtne boy.
None Of her predecessors or successors has sue
ceeded on tho stage of France without this
schooling. PLntomime tells tho whole story. or
is "a very useful adjunct. The teaching OF this
branch OF the art is in Itself no considerable
part OF the du'y OF the teacher and to see a fair
exponent OF the art in its com pleteness is rare
treat fl practical America.
This Sas possible last week. A young woman
produc cd piece OF pantOmne on the stage ofa
west ID" theatre. which was n complete an exc
post on OF the possibilities " the pantomlme as
coulu be given In. say. ten or fifteen minutes.
she was Mile. Pillar Norm. tho woman whose
production Of "Orange Blossoms" was the
cause OF 30 much discussion in Sew York. She
is Spanish BY birth, and, although educated in
France. has been unable to disguise tho fact
that she is from south Of the Pyrenees. Her
gesturng Is modelled on the French school. but
there Il also an or ginality In mot on which
comes ouly to the Castilian.
II found when came to this country" she
said. "that you Americans knew nothing Of
pantomme. Why. over in France that is the
first thing that Is taught. II Is as much "a para
of the business as the matter OF co.tnmlng.
There the actress who hopes to make a hit must
be able In her beginning to tell the whole story
OF the play without one word. simply by gesture
ana pose, before she Is permitted TO speak .
line. When she can do this she takes speak,
ing parts, but uses her skill in pantomlme
10 increase the truthfuluess OF her per-
formanccs. BernhRrdt was n P.errot. or
moon boy, long before she ever attempted
to do anything more ambitious. II she were not
skilled in gesture and pose she would 10; bs
able % tell n story to those Of countries whers
her language Is not spoken. Yet she does this.
You Americans rave over her performances.
when the fact is that not one in n hundred un-
dcrstands what she says. Her acting. her ges-
tures. and her poses, tell the story without tho
language. or course she speaks. but II the Lam
guage Is not known what does 1t convey to tho
mindr Nothing. Her acting, therefore, and
not her words, tell you what she Is doing. and
the whole story Is made clear by this means.
"One Of the FIRST things teach when school.
ing artist for this line is that she has tive
hands and two feet ana that she should be able
to use bo'h. Now II may sound queer. but IL IL
= taft, That most per,ons nSye no control OF tho
In ord nary lie ono - enough. All the gestures
and motions are made with one eide. That i.
person viii become accustomed 10 using
hand for nearly eTerytni: :; .ub9rdinnt.ns IN,
~ gesture with the left hatd she al
Ways WAY says O "a, at frss th.i 1hs cannoi;
is 10 succeed She must have com p!cte control OF
cie. That is the ficrrot. lie +, Is m" f N boy " Snd s
can make graceful circles with both hands and
feet and blend the Woe holy with them 'hen
ut would asionish YOU t. know now awk-
ward a person can be by nature ana how this
succes-iuI actress oil the stage aid see how
nature has sighted her. She may have broad,
coarse hands, hut II she Il an artist. he never
lets her audience see lhi;. Her Gesturinr ais:
Guisrs the defects. We lcnru tn bend each OF
hand are shown. The palm should never bs
shown TO the audience. for IL s the IyHst attrac-
TIVE TIVE nortl9n q the hand. The gesture wh.ch
turned that when II ends the back and only q
poriinn OF tina, Is shSwn, while all fve OF tho
learned. hut dinlCult to one not schoocd.
In pantomine. VII Oh, 10y THO way. In France
sponsiyc TO the slightest thought. The tale 10
told by the motions Of the body. the motions of
motions are soon acquired. but it lakes great
dc'l OF hard work to school the feNture. 10 ex-
press the unfamiliar sentiments, When 10
comes to mirta anybody can rSprsss that, but
when II comes 70 the portrayal OF grief anger.
Rudencs just what Is meant. II tina actress
cannot do this, what is the ynIuc of SPOKEN linesr
conhdes her woes to the audience with a smii-
ing countenance or stulid face, does the speech
helpf Not Bit 1t makes the whole thing
Wien one has mastered the art of making
Jar as these can 10 so, tIen the zeal work OF tho
pAntOmmst begins. Df course. | would not
think u teaching facial expression to a person
who did not know what her hands are for No
matter II she has the most mOtIie and express
sivc features in the world II she stnmhlcs over
OF the girl who has just discovered that she il
woman aud consequently does not know Why
she II earth. she Cannot be trusted To portray
feeling by her face. she must Nud out that sho
| j. IA composite being and that every portion OF
her body Is responsive TO some other portion ana
that the entirely can be made to do whatever
| the mind demands
DO read the lines Of play nut on in
pantOmmeY Yes. In every case we must learn
the story from the spoken ines aud We must 10
lcttor perfect. too: tor everyt hing l. told TO tho
strains OF topical music, and each performer
must occupy only his or her uu,,o. You see. N
there Is break in the lIur~, due To- Ind memory.
there Is 10 ready SPEECH improviScd 20 cover tho
| defect The whole story may he spoiled by one
persons lack uf memory or inattention to study.
| We say the Lines in our minds and act them,
| but never emit word, Tais is more dfcun
| than II appears. One cannot judge OF the dim
| Guilty OF repeating lines in the mind. giving
| them nppropriat" action, and stilI controlling
| the voice and lps 80 that neither may give 10
away. This takes great fortitude aud skill. I
| assure YOU.
| Nv nile it's true that YOU Americans do not
| teach pantOminr AS n fundamental rOrion OF
the dramatic art IL Is also true that your artists
| are giving more and more attention to business
| where nothing is said. For instance, 1t is quite
| frequent In the m0d'rn PLAYS to have the hero
| or heroine 70 through live or ten minutes OF