The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-06
SIR HENRY lRvING'S VIEWS.
says the Bacon-shnkerpeare Theor,
Is. Nonsense.


Is Nonsense.
LONDON. Aug. 5.-sir Henry Irving. In
an interview yesterday. made the fol o. ling
Interesting statements regarding himself
and his art the first general remarks Of
this nature that he has given to the public
for long time:
There is no need for me to speak of nv
career. | dc ret wish to talk OF myssif
VI many things converse can be held ard
IL you think anyone Is Interested In what
may say, the words are for you to use.
nave been termed natural and unnatural
Now, what is nature in the theatre? II w
are to act upon the curious advice Of some
OF our friends and play Shakespeare with
out scenery. and just announce This is a
wood" or This is a palace and thereby
tell deliberate tarradidile Is that nature?
think not. Nature unadorned, we have it
on authority. is the best. But all will
agree that il is best not to carry that
smile too far. We who present so many
hours traffic on the stage OF the master
pieces OF the worlds literature, strive FOE
the poetic and true. We do not seek 70.
merctrfcioiis show. We desire TO let the
piaygoer see the play as 1t should be- ard
therefore we mount u as well and as &C
curately as we can.
AS to acting? Well. what Is actingg Is
an actor born? Perhaps; he is not exact
| made. yet many actors have been made out
Of unpromising material. The point Is that
a man who fssiiss Re is an actor almost IL
yariably succeeds In convincing others that
he is right. So much depends upon temper
amert. Every actor who plays tragc parts
has mis- theory about Hamlet. Every man
who thinks is Hamlet. Hamlet was a
vacillating thinker. dreamer. person o.
inaction. who, like SO many of US mortais
meant we'll. but, practically did rot
achieve overmuch.. So. every actor who es-
says the part on the stage. being somewhat
of thinker himself plays Hamlet as he
feels him; and the part can be played a
hundred-nay. a thousand-different WAYS.
And no one can say whether any one PAL
ticular reading Is right or wrong; because
VI each and all Judge the part from our in
ward temperament and theory, and crit els.
accordingly.
By the way. this Baeonian theory. 1 be-
.iieve it Is not dead yet. Hamlet was III,
creation of poet; Othello was the creation
Of a poet and dramatist combined. al
the dramatist was an actor. There are GER
tain situations in Othello that could havs
. only been born and nurtured in an act rs
BRAIN All the E,nssnse about Bacon bel
food for laughter. The egg. pardon me, has
been badly Matched. Tennys5n said fins "
! in discussion upon the subject-for he
was woTshiper of Shakespeare-.'S Some Ok
| these folk would pluck the Iaurels OF the
brow of the dead Christ. Shakespeare
added Tennyson, was the master. To him
| bow, as all men bow who appreciate all
! that was. that is. transcendertal in the
genius OF man.
do not pretend to teach my feilo IS Whit
acting is. for acting is greatly an outcome
and example OF temperament To speak the
! words as they are set down-yes, that is
/ right, but each man must deliver them IS
he feels them. as he apprehelds that thsy
| should be spoken. He must get into the
part and portray as much of IL as be can
express. Each man reads a part as be seas
it. Forty different men will act one part
| forty different ways, and all may be COED
renderings. Temperament. temperament.
temperament-that is the beginning and
the end. You need not term it the artistic
temperament. but call ii the natural tenn
permanent, because every mans tempera-
ment is natural to himself To critieise an
actor and play. a little knowledge OF the
details Of the methods and the art of the
{ player would not be amiss. To spelk
naturally. conversationally, and yet so that
/ everyone in large house may hear you Is
not 20 easy a matter as may SEEM Forty
| years ago Charles Mathews, then not SO
| young as some who have the privilege to sit
I in judgment at the present day. taught me
e lesson. He always talked as though his
speeches were conversation, and conse-
quently charmed everybody and created for
himself high position as a natural actor.
If girl wants to study acting. let her
study an actress like Ellen Terry who is
school in herself. But the most brilliant
| youth of either sex cannot hope to achievs
theatrical fame without work, work. AID
again work. Young actors who want to
! learn should watch good acting When not
engaged they should see every per.o nance
/ they can, and if they are at work and only
/ playing minor parts. let them observe their
] brothers and not initiate them. but improve
upon them If they can Tradition is some
times excellent, especially tradition OF
manners and customs. but let not tradition
hamper US too much. Traditions in acting
robbed of the spirit that created them. are
apt 10 be misehievous. What was natural
to the creator is often lifeless in the imi-
tator. Each man plays his part according
| to his lights, and the effect that one actor
may achieve by the simplest expedient5
I another may have to labor for, elaborate
his details. even exsggerate, and yet be
highly successful. II is all temperament.
! Study detail, BE sincere and natural. ard
follow your temperament, only don't let
| either overmaster you.