The times., 1897-06-13

how proud i was, with the pride that
goeth before q fall. The fall came on
the very first night. Father and mother
and all my friends were In front.
played the second spy to the Doge, The
stage manager gave me two covers and
sheet OF paper bound therein On that
sheet was written 'Gallieno Falieri, on
a Spanish vessel That was my part III
entirety. After seven days Of hard study
thought had those six words well menl-
oriZed. / appeared In the secret chain
ber OF the Dodge, and he turned on
me with the real Venetian Dogeish yiriiity
and half snarled, and half shouted to his
poor second spy: Who did the deed?' That's
where L was to say: 'Gallieno Falieri. On
a Spanish vessel But didn't | couldn't
any more have said that than to have re-
cited .Peter Piper without tripping. My
worthy companion, an olG-timer. playing
first spy, spoke the line. In fact, he made
my debut for me, and went to my dress
ing-room to cry it out.
II remained in Frisco stock companies
for ten years suppose in that time
I played at least 400 parts. David Belas2o
and Clay Greene, the dranatists; Ben Teal,
the stage manag ger. Mrs. Adams and her
(then, little girl, Maude Adams: Annie ana
Minnie Pixiey and myself, were all boys
and girls together then That was IN the
seventies. Since then l have played IN
THE Professor Widow Bedott,' The
Rajah,' with Aimee, for year; then back
to California for two years; at the Lyceuin.
in New York; created roles in 'Shenandoah,
,The Girl Left Behir.iMe,' 'TheCouncillor's
wife, The Gay Parisians, "A First or
fense,' and His Little Dodge
Mr. Barrows is not delicate on the subject
OF his age If, as it is said, a man is
as old as he locks, he is about forty, or,
as old as he feels, then twenty; or, as old
as he ats, then any old age, for this
actor plays the seven stages, from juvenile
to senile. As matter of fact and per
sonal confession, ne is now enjoying Ills
fort " second summer.
And the present summer is a season Of
real, hearty enjoyment to him. He dearly
loves stock work, and he speaks very
forcihly and very entertainingly when The
discussion of stock companies is broached
He does not harp on the good old days,
for. though fond OF the past, he believes
there is no time like the present, but he is
attached 10 d system which he believes is
the best thing in the world for his pro-
fession
There is no training in the world for
all actor" satd Mr.. Barrows, like the ex-
periencc he gains with a stock company.
There isnoform OF work for inexperienced
actor, who really loves his art and reveis
in To- expression. like the stock company.
1t is hard work at first. this constant
study and rehearsal, because the mental
mus les so to speak, are not flexible. and
ct faculties rpliIgp N
respond readily But newness soon wears
Off, and then comes the fruitlon Of the
he It that is In man. The constant change
of chalacter keeps the faculties alert. tie
mind active; there is no methodisrn NJ set
way sToitaniety is continually in evi-
dence, and ali the while the demands Of
varying roles call on and draw out every
ounce OF versatility in the actors make
up.
ITO my notion tie specialized production
is a bad thing for both actor and public
For tie actor, because If he Is new he is
trained and diilled into mechanical
groove, which restrains him instead Of de-
veIoping iiiui, and if he is a senior, be-
cause the spontaniety which comes OF first
conception Is driven from him In the
tedium OF the long rehearsaIs necessary
need be untaught all they have learned
before they can fittingly play the smallest
part The public is naturally the loser in
having to witness a cut and-dT!ed perform
apce When an actor gets into one of
these special ca SITS he stays usually for the
length Of its life. Thus under this system
an actor in ten years plays perhaps ten
parts In scarcely one of these is he thrown
Ttr.
stage managers think for him, and Iobs
him of the refining effect of spontaneity
ssThis happened TO me in Shenandoah.
/ played the sergeant, and made bit. L
played it for three years. There was an
idea current that no one else could play
it Then another idea was creeping in
The part Is an Irishman, and people began
to think ] was merely an Irish comedian.
The result was that when the Girl Left
Rehind Me- was produced l was put up
for the Irishman again. II hadn't played
everything else under the sun before that
/ might have even thought couldn't do
an nything else, and would always after have
sought Irish parts. Observe young actor
in that predcament. without previous ex-
perenee to contradict the claim every
manager to whom he applied would have
slated him as no good for anything but
irish parts. The actors whom you see
returning year after year with the same
personality are victims to the bl ght OF few
parts. They play part one OF two years
and the personality OF the character, in
a way, desseminates itself "a then own
veins. They are always engaged to play
the same line, and eventually they can't
play anything else. This is because their
personality is overcome instead OF their
mastering their own personality, for IL is
one of the first principles OF chara cter-
ization to con ttol self, If necessary oblterate
self-fulness. an d be able toexpress the versa
tility OF personality. Instead OF having to
engage men whose personality fits parts,
the profession should foster a state Of
affairs which will breed actors who can
create out OF self the character demanded
The latter is an artist, the former an acci-
dent.
.sOur own company here is proving this.
Week after week we are learning each
other better, we are coming into team
work; the constant change is bringing out
the energy, the capacity and the versa
-tility OF the actors. Without desiring
to pay tribute to myself, or so much TO my
fellow-players, as to the admirable and
befitting system der which we are
working, may say that before the season
is over, you will see better, ffesher, more
original. more spontaneous predictions of
new plays as well as old than most Of the
specially selected company give you in
the winter. 1t is merely matter OF sys-
TEN. Under stock work a player is broad