The times., 1899-10-29
CHATS WITH THE PLAYERS.

lington slightly past noon on last We'd
nesday, Mrs. Leslie Garter had not yet
risen. Ask him if he will come to the
theatre" she said to the boy who took up
card. And, consequently. the reporter
made it his business to drop into the Ma
tional that night in search of the woman
who, since last Christmas. has been con
sidered one of Americas greatest actresses.
The stage hands were Just striking the
music hall scene when the visitor entered.
and some difficulty was experienced in tell
ing what belonged to the real and what TO
the mock playhouse. A toilet table cover
ed with paints and cosmetics stood in the
wings and served to temporarily prevent
the downfall Of a large portion OF dress
ing room, which was leaning against it.
Rain and wind machines were near by,
while the chandelier of the Dufrene home
reposed on the locr, to which it had been
lowered in order to prevent its coming in
contact with the roof of the Saint Etienne
cottage, which was Just making its APP
pearance from the flies. Sections of cell
ing, sides OF buildings drums and fur
niture we're mixed in a promiscuous mass.
from which a dozen men were managing
to extract the sembIanee OF a setting One
OF these pointed cut Mrs. Carter's i'm
prOmptu apartment sort of artists
Iean-to constructed Of bits of carpentry
and property draperies in the first entrance
on the right. Finding nothing on which
TO knock, The Times reporter announced
himself in a conventional butler-in-the-
irst-act tone, and was admitted.
Mrs. Carter, who is an Intensely ner-
vous woman, had hardly finished her
makeup for the coming fifth of ''Zaza
but she greeted her guest cordially and
gave him a seat on a trunk near by. 4
an exceedingly sorry" she said TO ave
been Obliged 10 request that you cone
down here after me, but it was quite ne es-
sary. l live between hotel and theatre
never go anywhere else. When I am at
home l am either attending TO the ne-e-
sites of everyday life or studying hard
This is my place Of business. and, since
everything I do now is in a business line,
| was forced to beg that you would accept
OF my hospitality '-,auglingly noGding az
the trunk-"in the National,
Il have not lessened my labOrs since the
success OF 'ZaZa. Neither Mr.. Dave nor 1
has yet reached the heights of our amhi-
tions. 1 expect to do more with the piece
now being adapted than / have done with
this vehicle II would be Impossible for
me to give you the plot Of the Eew drama
at present l am not sure that Mr.. Dave
has settled on every point He was here
for space this week, and to me several
of his intentions regarding the work but
some important questions are still 10 be
decided. As you probably know, the origi-
nal of the translation is from the pens of
Pierre BertOu and Charles Simon, who
were responsible for 'ZaZa.' No plans viii
be made for the production until after the
farce Naughty Anthony has been put cn
at the Columbia, but Of course, the pre-
miere viii occur in Washington. Mr. Dave
regards this city as a sort of mascot. and I
has really gone to considerable trouble for
the sake of local openings.
Mrs. Carter who had been taking rapid /
ly-almost excitedly-stOEp-d and b gan /
pacing up and down the three or for feet /
of space in her imprOvised dressing room. /
The Times man took advantage OF the 7
silence TO say. There was no maiGee /
this afternoon"
No, replied the actress. resuming her [
seat. I cannot stand the strain Of two
performances a day, except On Satur-
days. when I have a whole twenty-fOur
hours rest coming to me. The roe OF Zaza
is one that calls forth the entire strength /
of mind and body. And / feel the part so
strongly that the effect is almost the same
that it might be had 1 been Zaza and suf-
fered in an evening what she did in three
years. l don't believe that a real impress
sion can be made with character unless
the impersonatOr feels what she is doing.
The emotions of such a woman as the one
whom NM. Simon and Berton created can
not be simulated. Agony can be imi.AJed
and happiness and even tears. but they
are merely lines that need shading. There
are certain tones Of the voice that can only
be gotten through genuine anguish, certain
gasPs and sobs that can only come from the
physical condition resulting from genuine
anguish. and certain expressions that are
not forced, but involuntary. For example,
frequently in that scene in the fourth act
my throat seems TO close and my voice is
altogether changed. I have tried TO pro-
duce the result mechanically and have
failed utterly.
Il know that there are persons who are
very skepdcal on this subject. Some one
has said that did player really lose her
self in her part she would also lose her
speeches and become Unreservedly the
creature whom she was piCturing. This
appears sensible and yet it is not necessa-
riIy true. After one has studied q role for
months the lines are spoken through habit.
as the fingers OF a pianist touch the KEYS
he does not see-aud this even il they do
not portray the emotions Of the character
so we'll that they would come first to the
lips anyway. One learns the manners and
maunerisms of her assumption through the
W
But the sentence was left unfinished. The
curtain had risen on the second act.
Now that you have printed your criJi-
cism Of In Paradise and your humble
servant" laughed Robert Patton Gibbs last
Tuesday II don't mind telling you that
yester- evenings performance was my first
in the role Of the lion tanner William
Bonelli left the cast On Saturday in New
York and l took his place without having
mad a single rehearsal. had never even
seen the play. While it was being done
at the BICu 1 was striving for iaurels {
with The Ghetto at the Broadway and mad /
had no opportunity for watching Mr. Bon
elu By the way you may have /
observed that the single rebuke 7
administered TO LIE this morning /
was on the score Of my makeup {
One of your c0utempoT suggested chat /.
my legs were tGc small fer those II a man .
i'm PicC's profession. And yet, this point .
Of my appearance was most carefully .
thought cut. and. because Of that thinking. f
I girded my lower limbs wiJh extreme en- F
ergy. Did you ever see one of those fell +
lows who ride in cages when a circus pl- /
rsdes2 Well then. you must have noticed +
that their deveiopmeu- is nearly always iu /
The chest and shoulders. Their legs are (
muscular and sfneuy. h-, so trained as TO /
contribute 60 their agility Ny horns are !
beautiful bat my Ie-s get me out # Jrou- /
hIa' said the deer Tca. is the principle /
ON which / dressed for the part OF Fic1-
10 vou not think that I was E5gHt2"
The conversation was personal one
and. perhaps The Times man had not the
rfrrt to make mental notes regarding It. |