The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-25

went. i was IN THIS country AT Tire ttIh4c
and had an offer TO go with Captain koe-
bucks company and was ready TO leave,
but owing to some differences In regard 70
salary l declined Mile. Beatrice married
Frank Harvey, an author or quite num-
Der of nelodramas, and believe he is sun
carrying company in England
How about the amount OF work STOCK
actor did then as compared TO what ne
'sThose were the days when stock actor
had TO work. not to say that they oon
In London we used 10 put on two new
plays and two new farces the first four
nights Of the week. Then Friday was
what they called legitimate night. some
OF the standard tragedies or comedies We're
played, and on Saturday the most popular
play OF the week was produced. nave
been cast in as high as fourteen different
pIays in one week OF course. these were
benefit performances and were given our
ing the holidays. The people then dlu not
get as good performances as they DO now,
for about all we could do was TO read the
lines"
In speaking of the modern stock company
Mr. Fisher said: 1T is impossible some
times for an actor TO look the part ne Is
REQUIRED TO play. For instance, now, IN
'Trilby' the three men must be especlaily
suited for the characters TWO OF them
must be large, one very tail, ana the oliiei,
Little Billie, as his name implies, should
be very short. New, in a travelling COM
pany men would be chosen who look these
parts while a stock company may nave
small one. But frequently you get better
results from the stock actors experience,
which the travelling actor likely has not
had because he has been playing Ill the
same line of parts for years. 49,
How is stock work for young actors!
'For young actors stock companies can
not be too highly praised. they give MIN
experience that he might not get travelling
season after season with road company.
Sometimes a young man or woman IN
stock work will develop a certain line OF
talent which. up TO this time. they did not
know they possessed. II travelling ana
confined TO one line they would not nave
this opportunity of discovering their Lent.
rs the stock system" asked the re-
porter effective in developing the dra-
matte art, or does ii sacrifice art Tor the
purpose of entertainments?
'As for stock companies sacrificing art,
I should say by all means that they de-
velop it more than anything else Years
ago people had no way OF comparing COM
panies There were no travelling aggrega-
tions. Everything was stock, and art was
sacrificed To produce the plays the pubic
demanded, but now people have the OPP
portunity OF judging the STOCK Dy the traV-
cling company. And / feel warranted In
saying the stock company ranks up with
any travelling organization. We have. or
course, this advantageous scenery Is
painted fresh every week. and We have
new furniture and properties. In TACT, the
stage settings are fresh all the time, and
never look dingy and worn, like those OF
travelling companies"
In speaking of properties Mr.. Fisher
cannot find words of praise enough to be-
stow on the property man he has at the
Grand Opera House.
Sometimes he went on to say, I'VE
wish we could give more time TO charac-
tiers. Some minor detail we would like to
work up little more, or something that
way. But on the whole can say art does
not suffer through the stock company.
THE appreciation of the audience, con-
tinued Mr. Fisher, ''has more effect on an
actors efforts than one might imagine
A little applause, or good, hearty laugh
often warns him TO his work, and he
feels that he and the people he is playing
to are in sympathy. An actor of eXper-
fence knows when he is doing well or Ill,
as the case may be. and If the audience
only knew how some recognition from
them would encourage him | know they
would express their good Will more freely.
The result of the sirst night shows how
the company will work. Sometimes one
scene may have to be rehearsed, or few
words of instruction given to some one
of the players. But generally, when the
curtain goes down on the stage, the cur
tain in our minds goes down at the same
time We throw aside our makeupe, and
/ at once begin to cast the characters for
the new play. The next morning the re-
hearsal is called, and we begin our trou-
bic all over agin."