The herald., 1898-03-20

World, who desired to extract from the ia
NOUS actress statement of her method
of exciting the lachrymatory glands of
her audience or, as 1t was briefly and
uaively put, 'How to Draw Tears" The
subject is not entirely new. 1t has, In
fact, been discussed by Diderot In his
"Paradoxe sur lie Comcdien," and by hum
dreds of others since, as to how far an
actor should allow his own sensibility to
govern his functions on the stage Never
was a question of the kind argued with
greater divergence of opinion. 1t Is, there
fore, extremely interesting to note the
opinion on this subject of an actress of
the first rank who is admired by ''end-of-
the-century' audiences, and to learn how
she views the demands of her art upon
her own physical nature. She Is reported
as follows:
..Technique counts for nothing when
an audience is to be won," says Modjeska; /;
"an actress losing herself in the part and
feeling the passion, the despair, that she
u endeavoring to interpret, forgets all
things on heaven or earth but the char
acter. AS to stage business, as 1t Is
called, 1t has for the time being vanished.
.How to get tears? What is the secret
All, yes, 1 have it. The secret is-sym-
pathy. Sympathize with the part, Nnd the
audience will sympathize with you. Cry
with the character, and the audience will
cry. never knew 1t to fail. I never yet
failed myself with even the most phleg-
matte people who had hearts to feel.
How to get tears? Well. that is a
difficult question-an impossible question.
xl,ok 1tx-a1 sfrAt
that is to say, no actress can win them
by effort or stimulation. Tears come of
themselves. Her tears are the tears of the
audience-if you understand me. I will
try to make my meaning clearer. A wo-
man portraying the emotions must feel;
to feel she must have heart; If her heart
has been tried by fire, so much the better
she will be the greater actress. The possi-
bility of all this, therefore, is born with
her. There is the secret.
Therefore, give me the play with hu-
man heart interest; give me the actress
who can realize and bring herself in
touch with the idea of the authorize use
trite phrase, lose herself in the part
and there is no audience in all humanity
that she may not win to tears. will admit
this much-that good elocution is neces-
tonation may mar the effect of her acting.
1t is well that she should learn stage busi-
ness, as you call it--how hate that word!
that she should know how to move cas-
fly and gracefully about the stage, but
that sort of thing comes from long habit.
but what becomes of all these triv-
ialities in the face of that great audience
of men and women. born with love and pity
-k, =
void of Imagination, measuring all things
by his narrow. little two-foot rule. may
tell you to stand in such and such posi-
tion, to make your exit or your entrance
thus and so, but he cannot imbue you with
the divine sympathy. the intuitive percep-
tion Of humanity, of how or what your
audience may feel, by which you can in
vest part with warmth and color and
life.
"Thus in the tempestuous rush of emo
tions aroused by the character, all these
things are lost or forgotten. She remem-
bers only that she Is the woman; in re-
membering that, she moves the hearts of
her audience. To carry them with her,
there is but one thing to do-abandon all
thought of the stage, follow the instinct
of the moment to plunge headlong into the
story, and leave it with God Almighty to
get you out.
There are cases, of course, in which
one is helped by the author, and where
one may accurately gauge the effect be-
forehand. For instance, where in Mary
Stuart 1 utter the line, My son-only one
thing remains-my son. I know that If
there is mother in that audience she will
cry. Yet the woman playing Mary Stuart
must be convinced. And here let me say
that If I were asked to define in a word
the meaning of pathos, should say con-
viction'-the actress must be convinced, or
she strikes a false note-a hollow, shallow
note-and the effect is lost. An action
without words will frequently touch the
audience where all other things nave
failed. For instance, in one of my parts
many years ago the mere act of placing my
hand on the head of a little child was suf-
fcient to bring tears from those in front
1t also frequently happens that a little bit
OF 'business'-again that hateful word!--
may produce an original and unexpected
effect. Until l played Portia with Edwir
Booth, 1t had been the custom for actresses
to stand little away from Shylock ant
simply speak or recitc those marvelo,l.
lines OF appeal for mercy. I was playins
Portia with Mr.. Booth for the first time
when as I reached the first line. TN
quality of mercy like an inspiration. It oc
Cured to me to step forward and Law m,
hand gently on Shylock's shoulder. plead
ing with him as man and a fellow crea
ture noticed that Mr.. Booth shrank ,
little, but at the close Of the act he cam,
to me and said: AT first thought vou,
little innovation was wrong. But watched
the audience while you were speaking. anf
they told me that you were right-ouitt
right
again I say, In conclusion, the secre,
of true pathos is to be found, If at all. ir
these two words-sympathy and convic
tion."
o o o
Anna Held will appear here for couple
Of nights this week. showing her fascina.
tions in the last act of farce comedy In
which she appears doing a speciality turn
which comprises the singing OF songs