The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-29


his hands and bushes when one looks at
him. The trait of conceit does not appear
10 be essential to success on the stage,
though in my short experience / have no.
ticed that most successful people-that is.
leading people-striye TO be themselves
rather than the characters they portray. On
the other hand self assurance and self
appreciation seem to be necessary. One
certainly knows whether he or she is doing
well in a part, and yet should yield to
criticism and suggestion. On the whole
real egoism would be as great a drawback
10 success as lack of confidence. There is
happy midground which one should reach.
if possible There lies the path of true
triumph
My pen is so much better a servant
than my tongue" remarked Lillian Burk-
hart the other day with quick wit that be-
lied her assertion-''my pen is so much
better a servant than my tongue that I'm
going TO ask permission TO answer your
question in writing" And so it was that
on last Thursday neat envelope arrived
at The Times, and that in it was a neatly
arranged communication for the public eye.
What the purport of the reply was may be
ascertained by perusing the following:
Before taking up your query l must
object TO the statement that most actors
are egOists. / don't like the word; il has
an unpleasant sound. The literal defini
ton of the word egoism, ! believe, is SELF
exaltation-speaking much of ones self.
Perhaps there are many members of the
theatrical profession who put themselves
and their art on a pedestal, but, with the
inevitable exceptions, the greatest actors
of the present and past generations have
been men and women who possessed little.
If any. COnceit, and who needed constant
encouragement and praise 10 reach the
heights their genius permitted them TO ap-
proach. One cannot have faith in self
and yet be afraid. Confidence only comes
with success. and egoism is not essential
TO success. \ player may have the neces-
sary intelligence. the nervous teTnpera-
ment, the fire and passion requisite 10 por-
Traying great role, and yet be self-Con-
scious. This detriment only wears away
bit by bit as the public and the critic ap-
Tlaud and approve.
The two greatest egoists | ever met
were not actors-one was a noted physi-
clan and the other a newspaper man.
The doctor could speak of nothing
but the number of serious operations
he had performed with the latest and
most scientific way of saving off a leg or
an arm, as the case might be. And the
journalist was playwright who fayed not
alone entertainers, but other newspaper
critics who dared aspire TO literary hon
ors. OF course. / do not mean to infer
that there are not egoists in the theatrical
professiOn-quite the contrary Only
few weeks ago while sitting in the green
room OF one of our Western theatres / was
approached by man who had once been
farce comedy star but whose position on
The vaudeville stage had greatly deteriOr-
ated because of his lack of enterprise and
application. Referring to a manuscript l
held in my hand, he asked what / was
studying and when l replied that the OBJ
!ect was sketch. He asked to look at il.
After a moment Of examination ne re-
marked in a tone of surprise. Why, it's
typewriter, amt it,?
Yes ! replied, the author sent 1t 10
me that way
' DO you mean to say that you paid
someone for that stuff
- 'Nes-why not?'
He gave me a plying, cOntemguous
glance and walked away remarking as he
went, Paid guy TO write it-why, | write
all my own things. This was an instance
Of the harm conceit can do. 1t had never
occurred TO this fellow-ignoramus and
egoist that he was-to pay 4 man or wo-
man with brains to supply him with pre-
sentable material. And so. | think, / have
answered your question. ] have told YOU
that in my opinion most players are not
egOists, have allowed that some are. and
have shown that instead OF being helped
by the condition many passably clever
chaps are seriously hurt. Could one do
more2"
Mary Hampton without her big hats
would not appear TO be Mary Hampton
The young woman was just donning her
immense velvet headgear when a Times
man was introduced and propoundsd his
query. She replied: Quite 10 The con-
uary. Egoism is a hindrance to success.
not the cause of it. Conceit is also draw
back The egCtist will not listen TO the
suggestion of a well-learned critic-Hho
Is compensated for his opinions By that
great American institution the forerunner
of civilization, the newspaper. Few great
actors-I use the term in its generic sense
are true egoists. OF course. self-conA-
dence is essential. l am confident OF my
self, else / would not even now be expect
ing TO star alone next season. But ! am
not vain, or would anticipate marvellous
success. Merit. not egoism, is the true
essential, and neither the public nor the
reviewers will permit the substitution of
one for the other"
Leo Wheat was just finishing the last
Strains from The Soldiers Chorus Of
Faust" and Alice Shaw had risen 10 full
ill presumable promise that she would
contribute to the general entertainment
in return when The Times man entered
the parlors at the Regent. Upon the re-
porter making his errand known u her
Mrs. Shaw was courteous enough 10 ex-
cuse herself 10 her guests and accompany
him 10 a corner of the hall where the sub
1ect in hand was mentioned.
In speaking of egotism," quoth the
hostess, "one must discriminate batween
self-confidence on the one hand and con-
ceit on the other II You alude to egOisnl
place myself on record as saying that
such sentiments are more likely TO bring
failure than success. Self-confdence is
altogether another matter and must b.
so treated. Certainly without faith in
ones own ability one cannot very well be
ambitious. and without ambition enc can
not labor FOR triumph. Take my case as
an eKample-had ! not always been sure
OF myself l should never have had the
courage TO undertake what ! have under
taken and to undergo what l have under
gone in consequence. And yet I am not
cOnceited. since every day / find some new
possibility in my art and realize that /
have yet to perfect myself. Bat faith in
self has given me the temerity TO work as
Ie~ people would work. / have p-acticel
daily until my lips have been stiff and my
facial muscles sore-practiced as q singer
could not practice without running her
y0ics. ! have made my tongue an obedi-
eHt servant and have so magnetized my