The times., 1897-04-18

Wilton Lacla ye starring and Maurice Bar
rymoTe in vaudeville, the first place is open
Kelcey's day is ever as jeune premier
james r. Hackett and Charles Richmar
stand IL the race with Mr. Hartwig II
these three men seem To be ceuteret
the hope OF the next ten years for its hest
Interpretation ef the standard stock roe
OF the legitimate drama.
After all. the people who contend for the
value OF personality in actors are right, II
using the word right" it employed from
the view point of utility and eXpeJlienCy.
Affectati0n is never art, but it often passes
for art, and when it does it is much wei ght-
ier in the ma j1rity of quarters than the
simon pure article. All said, art is not,
treated alone. the expression OF a canpell-
ing idea which cries for expression. 1t
is the satisfaction of u demand from he
public-a demand backed substantially. Re
move the financial stays, anhthe stimulus
to art eyaporates. SO those artists who
| give themselves personality, accented in
diyiduality, are purpDseful and wise in their
| eSpediency. if aInenable to criticism for
| fracturing the Canons thereof.
| We had a sad example OF public demand
| for the actor with a personality last week.
The Prisoner of Zenda" played to dis
Uressing business atthe Columbia. The same
/ week last year it playcdto record-breal,ing
receipts. Ned Sothern was in the cast.
Where was the ,!ifferencee II was the diff
| ference OF a personality.
Howard Gould played Rudolph with az
tiS:ic intelligence and finesse But he
| played il without tricks, sans mamersrns.
Sotnern was wiser. Though we may
quarrel a thousand times with Sothern's
drawl, his queer infections and his Inn
possible readings, they are vet delightful
to hear; they give him the individuality
which cndears him to us. They cn.low him
with the personality which ccments him to
our memory and our affections. aud with
ont which he would be commonplace He
hasn't particleof the real dramaticgcniu
He is only clever He has the aesthetic
instinct strong, and the wisdom to direct
his auditors from other discrepancies by
distracting them with mannerismS
So, Olga Nethersole knows the value OF
personality. She is taking To herself
mannersns by the score She is culti-
waiting the Nethersole delivery and color OF
voice But in her case il is mex pedient
for it covers no deficiency but obsuructs the
direct rays OF a luminous genius She does
not need tricks. She is much too great.
Inspiration floods her work. and inspiral-
tion is contagious
That is the difference between Skinner
and Mansfield Mansfield without his
mannerisms and his subtle little tricks Of
voice, eye, eSit and delivery would be a
sorry spectacle of an actor. But he has
Self-appreciauon, and if he does not bal
ance his deficiencies. he tietracts atten-
tion from them. Like Sothern he has the
aesthetic instinct, and he is able t. sur
Round himself with agreeable accessories.
Otis Skinner. on the contrary, possesses
that wonderful power which is pure. sim
pie, mighty genius. 4 manneTism on his
work would be a blot, as it is on Neither
s1ie's. His action is suffused with the di-
vine quality of inspiration, which carries
his audience oct and beyond themselves
and himself. One forgets as with Neither
sole when She rises superior 10 her man
nerisms, that il is an actor On the stage
The proceuium is peephole, the actor is
the reality of the dram3tSt's conception
Whoever for moment forgot to remember
how clever is Mansfield, how charming Is
Sothern? With Skinner and NetherSolc il
is the wonderfulness of Hamlet and the
pathos Of Camille
Sol smith Russell trades on a personality
The same personal trademark is on every
piece OF his work. How deliciously lie
would play Hamlet; il would be the nIerriest
sort of a comedy. Henry Miller hasn't the
slightest particle Of flexiiility in his art
Expressively he would be sad failure
Sohe duesthe next bestthiug. He reprcSses
himself He gives one the impression
of q slumbeling lion. But the lion never
wakes, and the lOoker-on signs an ndremarks: |
what a noise he would make if he only
woke up" John Drew, knowing that he |
can't act with any degree of inspiration,
wisely trades on his own personality, and l
reaps richly.
Thus il happens that success is studied |
end, and the canons of correctness are left /
far behind with admiration and appla use in |
the fore. In the drama, as in our domestic
circle, the very faults of those we love be- |
come virtues, and only those high and |
mighty characters who move superior 10 |
mundane considerations are loved for their
virtue alone.
Louis Netbersole, brother Louis is !
an admirer Of his sister art. but he doesn't
spend all his time iauding and applauding
Olga To be sure, he would miss a meal I
before he would miss an act, and to lead The
curtain calls and swell their number; but |
he's devoted to other things while the act
is on. One of them is play reading. He
is an assiduous manuscript devourer. And
he buys. He had confidence in American
Not only the fame crowned
hat the hoi-pol1oi of the scrib-
blers' ranks. He has bought three plays |
here that is, in America-which he will /
take to England and produce over there.
He will change the scenes from America
to England, and the nationality Of the
characters, SO the doughty Brtons may
not he led away from their stodgy ideal.
''Aut Briton, aut nit No manuscript !
S too unpronising for brother Louis TO |
read He cites q handful of tremendous
which were rescued from obIiv-
ion, and he believes by reading and reading
and reading that somebody, like the miner
who pokes the mountain side yaloruusly,
he Will one day strike gold and strike it
rich. He deserves too.
Another little money-winning scheme OF
Brother Louis is that familiar device of
the living skeleton in the sideshow and
he humanized ourang-outanE in the me-
lagerie-he sells his attractions photo
.raphs. II used to be that youths went
Up and down the aisles In competition
With the opera glass boy and the vendors
II Maggie Cline's popular songster, cry
ng. photographs of Miss Nethersoie'
Your only chance to get Miss Neither
ole's picture" Correct copies Of Miss
'ethersole's photographs" and much to
hat iik But one morning in Chicago the
apers rode rUugilshod over the rnerce-