New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-05
TEMPERAMENT IN ACTING.

The subjoined remarks on acting were recently
made by Henry Irving, to a representative OF Tia
London Era" and were published IN that paper:
There is need for me to speak Of my
aay things sc converse can be held and K you think
any one is Interested in what l may say. the words
and unnatural Now what Is nature in ire the
az some Of our friends and pIay shaesDeare i
out scenery. and just announce This Is a wood
tarradiddle, is that nature? 1 think rot. Nature
unadOrned, we have It on authority. is the best.
But all will agree that II Is best not 20 carry that
simiIe too far. We who present 80 many hours
9II5 o HterauTe strive for the poetic ana TN, Jns
we do not seek for meretrieious show We desire
and therefore we mount it as well, and as accu-
AS to acting? Well. what IS acting? Is an actor
born? Perhaps; he IS not exactly made. yet many
actors have been made out OF unpromising ma
teriaI. The point is that who feels he Is an
actor almost invariably succeeds In convincing
others that he is right SO much depends upon
temperament. Every actor who plays tragic parts
thinks Is Hamlet Hamlet was Vaciilatlng think
er. dreamer, a person OF inaction, who, ike
did not achieve overmuch- So. every actor who
essays the part on the stage being somewhat o.
and the part be played hundred-nay. thou
sand-diferent ways. And no one can say whether
any one particular reading is right or wrong. be-
cause We each and all Judge the part from our IN
ward temperament and theory, and criticise ae-
cordingly.
Is not dead Yet Hamlet was the creation or poet;
Othello was the creation Of poet and dramatist
are certain situations in OtheIIo that could have
only been born and nurtured in actors brain.
Shakespeare's plays is only food for Laughter. The
egg. pardon me. has been badly Matched Ten
nySon said finely, in discussion upon the subject
for he was a worshipper of Shakespeare-' sons
OF these folk would pluck the laurels on the brow
of the dead Christ. Shakespeare added Tenny-
son. was the master. To him bow, all men
bow who appreciate all that was, that is trans
cendental in the genius of man,
L do not pretend to teach my fellows what act
ample of temperament To speak the words a.
they set dOwn-yes, that is right, but each
man must deliver them he feels them. as he
apprehends that they should be spoken He must
get into the part and portray much OF IL he
it. Forty different men will act one part forty
different ways, and all may be good rendertngs-
the beginning and the end You need not term IL ths
artistic temperament but call il the natural tenn
permanent because every mans temperament q
natural to himself To criticise an actor and a
pay httIe knoWledse or the details or the meth
0Gs ana the art OF the player would not De amiss-
To speak naturally. cOnversationally, and yet
that every one in a large house may hear you Is
ago Charles Mathews then not so young as some
who have the privilege TO sit in judgment at the
present day, taught me lesson. He always talked
as though his speeches were a conversation. and
himself high position natural actor.
If a girl wants 70 study acting, let her study an
actress like Ellen Terry who is school IN herself
But the most brilliant youth of either cannot
work. and again work. Young actors who want 10
gagged thev should see every De-fo-rnance thev cs3
and il thew are al work and only DIaving u,f1or
parts let them observe their brothers and ini-
Tradition is sometimes excellent especially ira
ditiOn of manners and customs but let tradition
of the spirit that created them are apt TO be mis-
chievous- What was natural TO the creator y
part according TO his lights. and the eject that
one Setor may achieve 6y the simplest expsGienSs
tails, even eXagSerate. and yet be highly success
full 1t is all temperament Study detail be sin
cere and natural. and follow your temperament,
only don't let either overmaster you.