The herald., 1897-04-04
| 4 TALK WITH GEORGIA CAYVAN

Ho,,,,a,,s lief of successes while with the
| Lyceum company was a long one one
is one of the most popular Oh American
actresses. and now that she mas a coih-
pany of her own, her fame mas the more
| increased. The critics have often
praised this actress for her simplicity
| of method.
she is lust herself, on the stage and
off. and that is why she fascinates the
public.
Speaking of her present company, Miss
Cayvan says she is very proud OF II.
She gathered together her support in
New York short time ago, in the midst
of the theatrical season, very difficult
time. Every member of her company is
enthusiastic. The most subordinate one
is full of eagerness to do justice even
to small part, and to preserve, as far as
possible, the artistic effect of the whole.
One rarely meets a band of people so
fond of their work and so devoted to
their leader as are this company One
member said to me: II have been with
Miss Cayvan two seasons now, and have
found her always the same. always fill
ed with love of her art, always KIND to
all who come in contact with her.
have learned far more by seeing her
than I could have done at the best
dramatic school in New York"
Miss Cayvan says; Il intend TO snow
lne pubic WHdl d WOliidi Sdit Nio. PhN
has already done so by organizing her
own company, attending to all her stage
business and looking after the thousand
and one details incident to such ven-
ture. Like all successful people. she
has supreme confidence in her own abil
ity. and believes that with all the vim
and energy she puts into her work, she
would be able to make even hackneyed
play go we'll with her public. But her
c nnt q stale The
plays she has chosen are all marked by
the delicacy and simplicity of their style.
The language is natural and fresh, and
the situations such as appeal to the lover
of romantic realism, to coin an express
sion.
Miss Cayvan was particularly graft
fed to see how we'll Squire Kate" took
with a California audience, as was evil
denced at the performance on Thurs
day night. When this play was produced
in the east it did not take so well be-
cause its simplicity did not attract the
apathetiC easterner. who longs for sensa-
tion and prefers an exciting melodrama.
1t has been Miss Cayvan's experience
that western audiences are more appre-
ciative, as a rule. and are quicker to
catch the artistic suggestion of a piece.
I mentioned to her that Mrs. James
Brown Potter put herself on record re-
Gently by saying that in the small towns
throughout America the people take
their pleasure sadly, and look at dollar
a long while before they can make up
their minds to part with it for amuse-
ment's sake. Mrs. Potter declared that
in English towns this was not the case;
that there the poorer classes were much
more pleasure-loving and liberal than
was the case this side of the water. 1t
seemed odd that a woman who owes so
much to her native country and
to American audiences should speak
so ungratefully, and I wanted to get
Miss Cayvan's point of view in the mat
ter. She does not agree at all with Mrs.
Potter's remarks, but she remarked
that what Mrs. Potter said might be ap
piled in measure to eastern towns, but
that she found the people in the west an
artistic pleasure-loving folk, apprecia-
tive of all good things. From which
compliment it is evident that Miss Cay
van loves us westerners.
She is an artist in more senses than
one, for the beautiful violet poster which
has attracted so much attention was de-
signed by herself, and, as she says.
looks as if a woman had gotten it up"
Unlike the general run of posters. the
head of Miss Cayvan on this one is ar
excellent likeness of herself. She is
just as pretty off the stage as on it, and
when she looks at you with those big.
dark eyes of hers and smiles in that en-
manner she has one does not
wonder that the public has fallen in love
with her. She reminds me of what has
been written concerning long dead and
gone Peg Wellington, that great English
actress who had all hearts laid at her
feet and charmed the whole world
There should be harmony observed
in gowns worn on the stage" says Miss
Cayvan. I'm the first act of Mary PEN
nington. Spinster, wear fawn- colored
gown, next a simple white ball gown,
then a lavender costume and lastly a
green gown. All these soft colors suit
the piece. The selection was an un-
conscious one on my part. but 1 have
observed how admirably the colors fit
the play,which is quiet and harmonious
one" In stormy and passionate part
Miss Cayvan says she would have the
colors clash and produce discords, and
so heighten the effect of the piece.
The old. old subject was touched upon.
as to whether it is necessary for an
actor to feel the emotions he portrays
in order to be true artist. Every mem
ber of the profession has his own ideas
regarding this matter. Coquelin says
the actor should not feel. but simply
portray. He says the highest art is that
an actor should perfectly express any
emotion without himself feeling 1t at all.
Some Other great lights agree with his
views, while many do not. / mentioned
to Miss Cayvan what Minnie Maddern
Fiske recently said on this topic-that Il
is art to act an emotion, but genius itself
when the actor is carried away with his
part. Mrs. Fiske said tkat an actor might
perform certain part night after night.
going through his work faithfully and
artiStically, yet never once feel the sor-
rows or joys he was expressing before the
public. This might go on indefinitely,
but time might come, when he had
played few or perhaps many times, when
he would suddenly feel ii all. If it were
pain or sorrow the real tears would
suffer. This latter Mrs. Fiske calls
genius. Miss Cayvan agrees with her.
She says if an actor cannot feel the
emotions he is not an actor. By this she
means that each one must have ex-
perienced in his own life at least once
those passions of love, joy, sorrow
and hate in order to accurately
reproduce them in his art. He
must have his eyes turned in
ward, on his own nature, his own ex-
perences. She related the story of a
famous French actor, who, on hearing of
his fathers death, gave a terrible
scream, and then Immediately said: Il
must remember this cry, that I may re-
produce it on the stage" 1T is easier"
said a member of the Cayvan company,
Ito simulate ange" than sorrow. Anger
is an everyday occurrence in ones life,
while grief is more rarely felt. 1t is
much more difficult to control the facial
muscles and make them express sorrow.
1t may also be mentioned that the actor