The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-27
ubdnOla
nFNTTOW DR.. A. e. BUCHANAN
OANAANA 32-33 When Building.
ADJUSTMENTS.

After a week of serious work in char
acter in which she was not given one single
opportunity to smile, Miss Shannon will
blossom out tonight and all this week in
a part thoroughly congenial to her, namely,
that Of Mrs. Hillary, the dashing and good
natured widow, in 1.-THE Senator" The
love scenes between Mrs Hillary and the
difhdent Lieutenant Schuyler (Mr. Patton)
are among the most attractive of the play.
me stock company seldom has a play so
well suited to it as THE Senator" or so
Well adapted to show off the good points of
the various members of the organiza ton.
The cast comprises so many excellent char
acters that everybody is provided with
good one.
Madame Modjeska, whose engagement at
Englishs begins tonight in Macbeth" is,
perhaps, less inclined to seek newspaper
acclaim than any artist now before the
public. Once in a great while an interview
with her is reported, but the Count Bozenta,
her husband is almost invariably her
mouth-piece. Madame Modjeska arrived
yesterday in her private car, as
usual, and, among other things, said:
my success with Antony and Cleopatra
leads me to believe that further revivals of
the lesser known Shakspearean plays ought
to be successful. 1 have two plays in
view though 1 have not decided which
shall take up, They are "A Winters Tale
anu 'hl0B JOnn.. 1Oln are QnIdmlIlar TO
the American stage. though Mary Anderson
concluded her stage career in the first. My
personal preference is for that one. Her
moline Is such beautiful part, and l should
like to play 1t, if we can secure some one
who can adequately realize Perdita.
tory?"
play part that is not TO my liking. No
artist can do good work in anything that
is distastefuI. To me an unsympa thetic
part that is, one that does not interest me,
Is impossible"
What, in your estimation, are the pros
poets for the future so far as the American
stage is concerned?'
The future is not overly bright, because
the system at present in vogue is wrong.
Tors and actresses nowadays are stars
ore they know how to walk or to talk
VIII ease and Intelligence. It seems as
II there were always somebody ready to
feature any one who shows the slightest
ability. Evolutionary schools lead in spoil
ing those who have the requisite talent.
They speak their lines well perhaps and
then turn into statues. We have some
very fine artists who, | think, will make
sweet Annie Russell how I like heri and
Maud Adams, another delightful woman.
clever and artistic in every way. Annie
Russell has not yet had her opportunity.
Her greatest success will come when she
appears in the higher drama. Blanche
Bates i'm another splendid artistic, full of
natural grace and the keenest appreciation
of what is good in her art. l really think
she is the best of our younger actresses"
Madame mOdJeSka IS a great admirer of
Israel Zangwill. She thinks he has struck
a blow for better theatrical conditions
which will be long remembered If ii has not
great influence on the stage art of the
future.
At dinner party in Washington recent
ly they were discussing acting. Should
actors feel the parts and emotions they por-
tray?" some one asked Otis Skinner.
Now, you are opening up an old dis
pute," replied the actor that never has
been settled. I take the negative side, my
self, and for many reasons. Suppose you
simulate insanity. Must you be insane to
give the portrayal greater truth? Should
you be drunk to properly represent intoXica-
ton? / fancy that under such conditions
the acting would be apt to suffer from an
overdose of realism. l saw drunken man
once try to play a drunken part, and,
strange TO say, he wasn't a bit like 1t!
"Of course, you say these are extreme
cases. How about the proposition of stage
murder and suicide? Do you suppose the
actor lives who would really feel the pain
of wounds and the final throes OF death
agony? I think not"
Eyes, but Mr.. Skinner what about the
emotions OF sorrow; anger and 1oy?
, "I'n tell you a little anecdote of Edwin
Booth" was the reply. Il presume you
won't dispute the fact that he was a great
master of the portrayal of passion. 1t was
one night when we were playing The Fool s
Revenge / had gone down to the place of
my entrance in the wings when / saw the
parentiy laborng under intense excitement.
He paused for a moment and covered his
face with his hands, as If TO pull himself to-
gether. Then, seeing me, he said
- Skinner, / don't believe l ever played
that scene so well in all my life.
1T had been a scene with his child. FiOrde-
lisa, IN which he had been called on to por
tray grief, sorrow, revenge, hate. and, with
sudden transitions, TO paternal love and joy
Gus exultation.
'' I swear, it seemed real said Mr. Booth.
i forgot myself. Look at my hanGsr
Indeed they were trembling as If he had
been entirely unnerved, and there were
traces of tears on his face.
Stranger he continued. I never had that
happen TO me before. / believe / was the
very character
II believed him. for Booth a man of great
reserve, rarely spoke OF himself. ard espe-
cially to a member of his company. Just
then his daughter Edwina, who had been
sitting In box, came hurriedly towards
him.
{" Father she said, what is the matter
with you to-night2 / never saw you play
that scene so badly
Gentlemen, said Mr.. Skinner to his list
eners, does that answer the question:"
The Parks attraction this afternoon to-