The herald., 1898-03-06
Modieska

At the annual benefit of the Twelfth
Night club held at the Empire theater, New
York, recently, Nine. Modjeska delivered
an address dwelling upon the clubs inf1u-
cnce and value in the profession. In the
course of her paper, which was loudly ap-
plauded, the distinguished actress said:
"There are strange ideas current about
women of the dramatic profession which
are both unworthy and untrue. In the
minds of some singularly miSinformed peO-
pie there has been fostered the opinion
that we women of the stage are essentially
different in our moral makeup and in our
ability to follow lofty aims. from the rest
of the human race. We are not. Among us
are the same frailties ana shortcomings
that have made human nature In the nine
teenth century counterpart of what it
was a thousand years ago, but among us
also are the noble aspirations and the same
high qualities that have made possible the
best achievements of modern civilization.
do not let us forget that in the ancient
world our art was considered worthy Of
the inspiration of two goddesses, Thalia
and Melpomene; that in the first ages of
Christianity our profession has been sane
titled by the blood of martyrs, and that 1t
possesses It's early patrons in the persons
of Saint Gemisius, and other actors, and
lastly that the modern world honors
among its greatest geniuses two followers
VI OuI CulliuS-SHdkeSDeti anu MOlle1e.
For a long time the members of our
craft were tabooed and were looked upon
as tramps. Today, happily, the case is
different; in great part the personal
prejudice has disappeared. Actors and ac-
tresses can enjoy common social rights and
even respect. But one point remains dark,
especially in this country. and it is the
most important. To a great number of
people the stage itself does not represent
n n nv,1V t1frar MIA 1f
amusement. An exhibition of trained
monkeys and dogs, or a grand artistic per-
formance by Mansfield, or jefferson, by
Irving. by Sarah Bernhardt, Duse, Coque-
lin, and so many delightful actors or ac-
tresses, all alike are considered as shows
of a higher or lower degree. The reason
of this sad prejudice lies probably in the
increasing Importance of material and
commercial considerations which over
whelm the modern world, and which have
come to react also in paramount way
upon theatrical matters. heard lately that
a we'll known speculative manager eX-
pressed the opinion that dramatic compan-
les or dramatic stars ought to be treated
in the same way as so many pieces of dry
goods in n shop. I dare say that the man
may be right from his own business stand
point, but confess that it is humiliating
prospect for us artists to be valued at so
much n yard.
"Now | appeal to the women of the stage
and to the women off the stage. and in par
ticular to those who form our audiences,
can we not combine to put forth our COM
mon efforts to remedy this state of affairs;
both from the inside and from the outside?
The former, l mean the actresses. to ele-
vate the standard of our art so as to have
it float together with the other emblems
of higher civilization and the others, our
sisters from the outside, to help us in the
struggle by exerting their own refining ac-
tions in order to protect what is best and to
taboo what is unclean or inartjstic in the
theatrical world.
II hope my words will not be misunder-
stood in narrow, exclusive sense. 1 be-
lieve that the stage, in order to be a factor
in civilization and in modern life, cannot
be treated on the plan of kindergarten,
but must touch all the vital interests of
life, and cannot even keep entirely aloof
from the delicate subjects which, though
not pleasant to talk over in polite society,
have important social bearing; but there
is measure in everything, all depends
on the treatment, and there is higher in
stinct of good taste and of nobler ideal
which ought to be decisive in this regard
'In these times of encroaching realism
when modern imagination needs material
help to transport itself into another sphere,
don't let us forget that realistic methods
are only the means, but not the ultimate
aim, of art. which must always be true to
the ideal, If 1t is to remain art"