The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
THE STARS THEN AND NOW.
THExTRICLL METHODS PAST AND
PRESENT COMPARED.

The Old Stager was talking. The memory |
Of the days he was accustomed to call palmy had
been revived in him by q visit TO the theatre |
the nigh, before.
I'll tell you, my boy" he said, "tbings were
different in my day. A man OF a woman didn't
become Al star unti ,herciwas some excuse for
for his or her taking prominent place before
the public Men were stars In those days after
they had gained their regulations by experience
and the revelation Of genius at least groa, talent
A woman was not selected TO become star be-
cause she had great beauty. could act gracefully
and had made a success In a few exacting roles
She had 10 play the Shakespeare heroincs II she
we're serious actress, to be able to thrill her au.
diencos as Juliet, Imooene, or even Lady Mae
beth or the other standard parts. such as Ju'ia
MaridndL and Pauline n she were Coincidence
Rosoiind, Constance. Lady Teatle and Miss Hard
castle would be the sort of roles she would have
TO play before the public would look upon her az
| one Of its stars II would not be enough for her
To attempt such parts az these after shc became
a star II would have been looked upon as n
strange proceeding in my day " a woman who
was considered one Of the leading actresses OF
her time should undertake one Of these parts
| after her reputation was made II she had never
| previously proved her ability TO play them. she
| could never have become star. II was the same
way with the young They could never
| they became stars at the head Of their own com,
| rancs and ranked among the hes, actors Of their
time. They had TO prove their night to be- consd-
cred stars by acting these parts before they took
| their places among the great ones"
Tho Old Stagcr sighed at this point But he
had In reality rid himself Of the resentment which
the performance he had aroused in him
| The young woman saw" he wen, on, was
attractive. pretty and intelligent. She played
well enough the part written for her; but by the
standard that used to be decisive she would never
| have been selected star While watched
her ran over in my mind the great characters
that used 10 he thought the ties, OF actress and
| could not think Of one which I thought she could
g., act with any success She appeared Ia adv an
tagc in the part she played as II was written with
an eye To her ability: hut that sort Of thing never
| could have made star IN the old days Talent
| then had In be OF much higher order to make
star The members Of our stock companies, who
assigned 10 the semi serious roles OF the comic
soubrcttcs. called IN those days chambcrmaids.
would all have compared fnvorably with what
YOU call stars TO day. Yet nobody ever thought,
OF them as possible stars They were accepted
rs a matter Of course. and any manager would
have laughed at the idea Of making any II these
young women a star Sometimes one Of them
developed great talent az a rough soubrcilc and
gained her place as star But these cases were
not frequent and they began recently enough
belong rather To the present day than to the past
Even these women possessed more talent than
one finds among the stars ~ the day II seems
Ia take only years Of more or less conspicuous
service IN make woman star Whatever
her abilities may be she is going to be a star at
the end Of a certain period II she only has a Ger ln
amount Of beauty and enough charm That
has come 10 b. the most inevitable aIc of the quon
dam leading ladies' When their managers de
eide that they want change IN the personality
OF their leading lady and engage new one, tho
former incumbent nearly always becomes star.
There is nothing else for her TO do To accept a
place IN any stock company would be benea III
her dignity
opinions and the Old Stagcr vas treated With
! tie dclcTcnce due lis ycars |, WAS chiefly has
, had sine ideas ct his own ON the subject and
had begun his theatre gulhs carly enough 10
, have sonc memories a. 10 the Comparative quail
tiles 81 TIE theatre now and IN the days oi which
the old Stagrr was talking
, How then does II happen nowadays that an
actor ur an actress becomes u star he ask"d.
decided 10 give his iniurman one more oppOr
,unity 70 display hI knowledge. 'nry seen,
to flourish pruspcruu,ly huU 10 please u" public
, IN spite oil what yuu cal lSrir ncN 81 ability"
1t IS very easily mra"c"i., my boy. was
many other detail, Of the mUIcru tnCa.Tc.
' W"mc; r'nrN axe very popular In a good play
a will aid iurCc 10 god play anu help Irn- one
: so the vnman star = IN demand \ play j. OF
r her TrCuHriti"s ur II the nsi.aE"- is toriu.atc
he may hnd n play az TINT suits her talent
9 | IL engaged the posters az AL pEu.trd ana the
. woman star IL made II her play Is succrs, II
= I'll" - !iNr most young women star" ~! tn" .Hy
she la> II her play d,-N and l. not Erard IT agGu
as star after several attempts are I.Hic t. 'slab
: llsh her IN I"n, way With the star to-day :,
4 is likely 10 b. determined By It Win thr youna
men IA" pi'.rNs !. !ui W 'amlc The az" les
o ana the average masculine star needs muri
:. stronger play Hut Ike the young woman M
/. il MOI made n star b.Caus" his rrwhclm.ng
talent requires !; aud because the public demand,
Ia 'rc him AT the head oi list uf actors but II
J., 10 play TIA, nddiuoual value which comes rol,
/. the presence Of II popular acinr IN he prlncp.
II role II u Tins me'hrI "i s."oinn winch ma
,e taken away much "' tho distinction "i hciEg
IL star. | am never surprised therefore that IN
/. or that young actor OF n"rcs is I" b"crmc star
shu-t time and tho only great compliment tina
!, such distinction can b's,o~ comes from b,uI
The Innocent thought he had been as rcspcctfu
II a. thr rlrrumslhrrrs required and his own "pln
"m" S M I" h" na 10 'T have ''s sb @I,
10 so you think tina, tho stars Of To day are II
frrOr IA thUSc OF the past he asked, and are u,
n able 10 act the great heroic OF Ella seal plays
d. they did And you concIud" from thai the
=, with the paImy days as you are because | "a
d only the last oi them ltni do remember cnoug
~
il, situation AS II exists to day Even II some ,
y the greatest actors AT that time more gli,e
X In certain respects than their SUCCESSORS alway
a. are, there has been more than enough imprnv,
10 mcnt in other respects Ia compensate for liIat
Il" The Old Stngrr WAS shocked at this one
n revolt and stared at the speaker who va
e. so little To admire In the methods Of the palm
a, days
No Il remember we'll" the Innocent went on ''wh,
e. manner Of performance these great stars used
vi give, with their poor companies II youthful III
nj trained actors tho miserable maklLn srcnrr
w. they were IN the habit II using taking anythin
h. that the theatre happened To provide whether
in was appropriate or not dressing we'll sometime
~ themselves hit allowing their actors H. ,"ct
n whatever they could afford however cLrar ,
~ inappr priar II might b.. That In the iii IN
n star a. | remember him, and il seems f., M
is that the star Of the day is better from .ycr
bs artistic point II view than his her predec~sso
10 except in the occasional possession Of rrall
ia great genius don't know single respect
iy which the stage has not improved generally,
H. acting costumes. scenery"
Those Rrc always thr things tho young ma
is Of the day talks about murmurcd the Old ST. U,
n rcgrctfully; Scenery and costumes. as il The
a were all the stage meant Where arc dctior
elocutiOn and such nj N a NJ Tho .rio,