The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
ROBSON S VIEWS ON STAGE SUCCESS
Veteran Actor Does Not Believe In the Modern Dramatic
Schools, and Tells Why-Way to Learn to Act


Stuart Robson, whose long experience
familiar figure to theatre-goers, does
not believe in the so-called schools of
dramatic art. Robson was trained on
the stage in the days of Forrest and the
elder Booth, and he is Still of the opin-
ion that the theatre is the most efficient
school of acting
There is only one way to learn how
to act, he said, and that is to go on
the stage and act. In all the history
of the English-s speaking stage there
have been only two great opponents
Of the dramatic art whose success has
been won in any other way. They were
David Garrick and Mary Anderson, two
commanding geniuses whose powers
were so great that they were not
obliged to walk the path of ordinary
mortals.
DO not misunderstood this. I have
known many talented persons who
have been able to act acceptably after
being taught in the schools, but what
ever they have attained of true success
has been in spite of their teachings in
the schools and not because of. it, Act
ing is different from most other profess
sions. The principal of law, theology
and the sciences may be learned in
pies is the main thing with those who
become lawyers, divines, teachers,
chemists and the like. You may, after
a fashion, learn what are termed the
principles of dramatic art, but their
application can be learned before the
footlights only.
Il was led to comprehend this truth
years ago, when only a young man. 1
was playing with Ben De Bar, after
Mr.. Burton, one of the most capable
comedians of modern times. had rea-
son to hope that / was getting on, yet
| was far from satisfied with myself.
So, one night, after a scene in which
1 had been on the stage for some min
utes with De Bar, / thought 1 would
get some instructions. [ told him 1 was
not pleased with my bearing in that
scene; that l was especially disturbed
about the way managed my hands.
Don't worry over your hands, Mr..
Robson he said Forget them
You see, I had been thinking, of my
| hands all through the scene. And, of
course, [ had been doing something
with them. Now it is not so easy as
one might think to do nothing with
your hands, and it was some time after
| that before I could compass it. One
night realized that 1 had not thought
| of them from the time the curtain first
went up to it's final fall. I hoped I was
| getting on before that night. Then I
knew it.
LEARN TO ACT BY ACTING.
eff you were a young man, deter
mined to go on the stage and anxious
to get advice from me as to your best
course, L should say get a place in a
company and begin. 1t would not mat
ter how insignificant the role, so long
as you secured a chance to go on If
you had it in you to act it would come
| out. No, I wouldn't advise a prelimi-
nary course in any of the dramatic
schools, so-called, for on the stage you
would have to unlearn most of what
| you had been taught. We are constant
! Iy showing young actors and actresses
how to forget what they have been
| taught in the schools.
after you had got your chance to
! tread the boards, [ should say pay
close attention to the instructions of
the stage manager. The success of
zach production depends on the conduct
of each and all the actors, and it is the
stage managers business to see that all
appear to the best advantage possible,
both individually and as company.
Next to the stage manager, the
/ young actor will find older members of
the profession the best sources of in
! struction. Actors generally delight to
help each other, and I have yet to learn
of a player of experience and ability
who would not go out of his way to give
points to an inexperienced actor of
! intelligence and ambition.
| ROBSON AND EDWIN BOOTH.
'In way may say that my earliest
instructions were received from Edwin
| Booth" continued Mr. Robson, but
they were not very elaborate, since we
were both youngsters when they were
| given.
Most of my boyhood days were spent
in Baltimore, though L was born in An
napolis. Our family was not very pros
porous when we removed to Baltimore.
and my mother opened a general board
ing house, which, in time, came to be a
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