The times., 1898-12-11
TINY TALKS.

One fine day last week a Times man
called at the Arlington and sent his card
I'D TO Madame Modjeska, who was stop
ping there Within due course of time
word was received that he might walk
into the parlor, and shortly after his
arrival the Polish actress appeared.
She was dressed in becoming morning
gown, but looked tired and somewhat i'll
at ease. 81 never permit myself to be in
terviewed nowadays" she remarked,
upon finding the object of the call. There
was a time when ! said and wrote a great
deal, but my ideas of art were seemingly
too pronounced, and they got me into
trouble with the managers-particular
those connected with the syndicate.
Since one cannot afford to quarrel with
those from whom she earns her daily
bread, i have learned to keep my opinions
to myself. A few weeks ago, however. 1
read with interest a report of Mr.. Zang-
Wills lecture on the stage, and felt con-
strained to express in how great degree
] agreed with him. Shortly after we met,
and l had the pleasure OF telling him all
this.
THE stage of this country is not what
1t should belt is not the stage of Europe.
Stupid trash has taken the place of the
more legitimate plays and seems to sue
ceed where they do not. The American
public works so hard all day that it does
not appear to desire anything but recrea-
ton in the evening. Still, one is never too
weary to enjoy beautiful music and cam
not help thinking it strange that so great
an art as that of the drama should have
come to be mere method of entertain
ment. The theater has a higher purpose
than to please. l dislike the use of the
word amusement in connection with per-
formances of the better sort. Mary Stu
art certainly does not amuse, and Ca
mile does not amuse-they edify and in
struct and elevate.
''The newspaper OF today has the power
to do much for the stage but / suppose
that the literary portion of journalism is
held down by its commercial interests
even as the better part of the drama is
stunted in the same way. 1t does seem,
however that this great Government
which pays for schools and libraries and
art galleries, might spend some portion of
it's wealth in endowing the theater. My
heart aches to see how the stage has
fallen and how little i can do for it.
Though we blame everyone else, much
of the degeneracy of the period is due to
the vanity and egotism of the so-called
stars themselves. Most of these people
are so anxious TO succeed that they forget
the better side of their work completely.
Play. playwright and players must give
way to selfishness that detracts from all
concerned. These aspirants forget that
they are but interpreting-that on the
stage the author is the soul and the actor
but the body. They cease TO care for the
perspective in the pictures presented and
endeavor to make all the interest center
about themselves. In brief. they are not
content to translate, but must be, and in
being destroy everything but those SYM
pathies which they desire to dominate.
'Then too, the theater is undergoing a
period of ultraism not unlike that marked
in painting by the passing of Aubrey
Beardsley People strive for novelty rath-
er than uniquity and for effect, without
caring how it is produced. They want to
be more natural than nature-morc realis-
tic than real. Humanity is heir TO many
varying emotions and reserve Is created
by man instead of God.
"Only one who has cultivated extreme
mental force can kill signs of feeling and
there is as much ranting in speaking in
the ordinary tone when the victim of ex-
traordinary passions as there is in shout
ing at the top of ones voice when moth
ing unusual has happened. The average
actress reads line and says to herself
not, how would anyone else say this,
but, how would anyone else not have
said it, Forbes Robertson has been re-
sponsible for this school and it is already
diving. But the American stage is in a
bad condition and something more than
the natural course of events will be re-
CURED to place 1t back on that plane to
which 1t belongs"
Madame Modjeska became quite en-
thusiastic toward the end of her talk
She spoke quickly and with pronounced,
though anything but unpleasant accent.
Her gestures were few, but she stopped
often during the conversation to initiate
people whom she regarded as being rep
resentatives of that work of which she
was speaking. The subject was by that
means made doubiy interesting and would
have been convincing even had there
not been so much truth in her remarks
by reason of the wonderful feeling that
the speaker exhibited while giving vent
TO her opinions. Before the tete-a-tete