The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-30
(: An ACTORS MAKIAS. !:
. Nuies That Eace Contributed 10 ne
: jefferson Saccess.

tae fFG'a x cc,1tains - of the creates, i'm
p~Ftance 10 everyone DESTROYS If WINNING
ana keeoiog place uYon the stage We,
IL should by 10 means be understood tina,
ne would ady,se against A Young ae+,r
studying The work. 81 a true artist. ON IN.
contrary n believes such study very ben.
raeiaf, providing ii IS properly directed
He explained as views upon this p,int N
detail last fan
Mr.. jefferson took greatest interss, mar.
maps, IN preparing Tom for the rim Van
Ntak.e scene. In which that rharactar
iesaIAs consciousness after a sleen ~
twenty Years. just before the ,irst "a.
Hearsai the elder man explained his nlan
Of action; ''''
Now. Tom VIII lie down as II as,een"
ne SAID IN effect Then | Will awaken.
A".sH - would II were performing
on the Stage az a crowded theater yon
mast watch me ;ntenty, But yo,, mnst
net Try 70 catch the gestures or the saeFat
changes. Never mind ,he outer man. I. 10
me inner nan YOU must observe, Rv that
| mean 'hat you must try 20 discover n.
workings ~ my mind. For when hee,,
70 "aken aS Rip Van Wln<lc I strive "a
pa. myself IN the mental attitude thst
"edid nave been as on recovering himself
after half q lifetimes slumber | try "a
express tae uncertainty, the confusion tho
hopes and TIE fears that would crowd ina
inild 81 a person passing through such an
extraordinary experience
III ISN'T necessary that YOUR in,errrets.
zion should be ogtwsrily like mine: In fact
should be extremely doubtful of vour
success II II were. There will surely Ia
some resemblance. since you, Hike myself.
are a jefferson, and so, no matter how
you cry to Il, otherwise, you viii probably
he somewhat initiative But The great
u hs ~
lhousiis and emotions of the Weakening
Rip Van Wrinkle in Your own way. Never
mind Just how You do this. and don't try
10 produce the desired effects In the ssme
way every time. the thing you must Ia
concerned with is your own notion of tho
part and your personal feelings when Won
are playing H.
VI hen II comes your turn 10 do the
Weakening act will watch you critically.
and can certainly tell whether YOU have
succeeded IN feeling the part or not"
six Rules for Success
Here are more OF Mr.. Jefrersou's maxims.
as given by his son Charles r. e., named
after the late Charles Burke half brother
Of Joseph Jefferson and his predecessor in
the Part Of Rip Van Wiukiel - the writer.
Never act to or al your auditors; always
act for them
Never try 10 gauge the intelligence OF
your audience by the price OF the seats"
Always keep the promises you make to
the public"
Always do the thing you can do best"
IL Is evident from his lifelong insistence
upon The value Of his maxms six In all.
including the one given AT the beginning
Of this article and aIs well known rule
never TO allow y.ilgartty or impurlty to find
place In his performances, that he con-
SidcrS their observaDces a potent factor
In his success. With regard 10 his rtlta
about keeping faith with the public. he has
said many times that refunding the money
al the box office does not satisfy disar-
pointed audience. and he prides himself
that no considerable number of theater-
goers was ever disappointed by him until
last fall when his Illness made II utterly
impossible for h,m 10 go on with his en-
gaSemtnts.
But Joseph jefferson may not properly
he spoken OF as IA slave 10 rules On the
contrary. his art has always been I'm
state OF evolution. He has been constantly
on the outlook for new ideas as 10 effective
business and many OF the quiet touches
that have made him so strong with mo
pubic have been the result Of accident,
pure and simple
On one occasion. at least. however, an
accident frGm which he expected satisfac-
tory results did more harm than goo1. He
was playing Mr.. Golightly In Lend Ne
Five Sh,linss" his son Charles II. being
also IN the cast. In that play Mr. Golight-
~ wears a butterfly neckiie fastened 10 tho
collar button br loop Of rubber string.
One night the loop became unhu,toned and
The butterfly fell 10 the ground, jefferson
was unconscious OF the mshap. but no
knew something had happened. for scat
tered auditors were laughing all over the
house in that heslating way which shows
uncertainty as 10 whether the cause Of tho
laughter Is designed or accidental. Charles
b saw what was the matter. OF course.
and made Signs which conveyed the truth
10 his father. When he understood the slit
uation n complicated and highly comieai
look. expressing surprise. annoyance and
relief. passed quickly across his face. At
sight Of this the audience, now assured
that the whole thing was part ~ the "busi-
nesK" and so legitimate cause for laughter.
burst into q hearty guffaw. Jefferson then
picked up the lie and huttoned Z again 20
his collar. whereat there was more laugh
ter and a round Of applause.
All this happened In less time than u
takes Ia write II, and. tho result being a
hit jefferson determined Ia introduce the
same business regularly thereafter. and
tried IL next night. Rat Il was not In any
sense a success. II seemed utterly infos-
sibie for the actor 80 counterfeit the facial
expressions OF perplexity and impaftence
followed by whims comprehension
that had been apparent when the business
Was really an accident, and II had 10 DO
abandoned before the week was over.
The RIP Van Wrinkle Idea.
II IL one 81 the traditions ~ the Jefferson
family that Boucicauit did rot believe
phenomenaIly successful piece could Se de-
vised from the Rip Van Wrinkle idea. TINS
view % the situation he placed definitely
ard frankly before Mr. Jefferson wh"a
asked 20 begin the WORK. When the piece
WAS finished the playwright begged the
actor not 70 attempt Its production.
''Y0u see" plsaded Boucieauit. almost
IN tears. ''the Rip Van Wrinkle ~ TIE play
though young and lusty In the arsi act.
is old. gray-haircd decrept and wrinhied
later or, and ira fact. through all tae p*ss
part 81 ,s4e piece. New. have studied the
preference If theater-ReFTs closely eh7hSa
ia know that they Will not acc+pf sou ~
an cid man. snd ! am sure you VIII play
80 disaster whenever you attempt thar
part"
I3ut this sort ~ talk did not shake Je'-
fer~on's faith and AT this late date u ~
hardly necessary ~ say that the houc'-
~