The courier., 1899-01-14


the table rolling the bread crumbs up
into little balls and stacking them up
like reserve ammunition, and talked on
end on in that hard, dry staccato which
can outmatch in it's wonderful effects
the most sonorous elocution. "Of
couise no one can act who hasn't lived
tremendously; and yet people who act
well can't afford to spend much time
living. But the little Of life we get we
take very hard, we have hungry palates
and our taste is keen. The mere sug.
gestion OF an experience is enough to
make us realize it fully. This faculty
makes sad havoc of our lives sometimes
but that doesn't matter. In fact, the
work is all that does matter. think
that we often live again moments Of cur
own lives on the stage, experiences
wholly different from that which we por-
tray, but alike in kind. One has per-
haps at sometime accidents tally hurt an
auimal, and then one knows how it
would feel to kill man, the nausea, the
physical revulsion which would follow.
Yes. think we feed our art with every.
thing in our lives. Other things come in
for moment and we pursue them and
clutch at them, but in the end we come
back, always back, and in one way and
another our experience colors and en-.
riches our work. You see the work is
all. or it is nothing. One gives body
and brain and soul, or one is diletta , to.
And then there is another thing; it
sounds rather absurd, but believe that
TO play well one must have suff cred.
Sometimes think that it was sorrow
which first called any art into being.
Such statement savors OF sentimen.
tality when it is made boldly, but l be.
lieve that the trouble with the work of
half our yourg players is that life has
been too easy for them
The talk drifted to the new play
which Mrs. Fiske is to bring out next
year. the dramatization OF Thackaray's
"Vanity Fair The adaptation is by
Langdon Mitchell, son OF DR.. S. Wier
Mitchell, Of Philadelphia, the Hugh
Wynne man. Mrs. Fiske Is already
studying her part-need I say that it is
Becky Sharp?'-and will be hard at it
all summer. In October she will put
the piece on in New York, afterward
taking it to Chicago and Boston only.
The following summer she will 90
abroad to remain one or perhaps two
seasons. The production will be sump.
tuously staged and the cast will include
thirty five people. The scenario calls
for five acts, the first is laid in the home
of Mrs. Crawley, the second at the ball
in Brussels closing under the cloud OF
the impending battls. The third and
fourth acts take place in the Curzon
street house after Becky's marriage with
Rawden Crawley, the fifth is concerned
with Becky's life in Pumpernicl le, after
the fall of her fortunes.
The second act" said Mrs Fiske" is
one OF the strongest. The scene in which
Becky, who is quite without irresistible
personal charms, makes herself irresist
able to George by sheer force OF will.
seduces him by intellect, as it were, is a
very great opportunity. Throughout
the whole novel, Thackeray never allows
you to lose your respect tor Becky's
inte ligence for moment. In a sneak.
ing sort OF way, you even like her, at
least l do. This regard is just what
shall try to keep for her. In the old
English comedies You ara made 10 aun,.