The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-10
SUCCESS ON THE STAGE.
Abilities THAT MAKE STARS: AND
THE AIMS or TEACHERS.
Grant change In the Methods Of Schools Of
A~cunx-Frank,In sarsents Thousands OF
Annliesuous-Taient From the East Side
u.,d work Better Than Beauty.

Hard work Better Than Beauty.
rh.r. were twenty-four girls and fifteen
-., IN the graduating class Of the American
..adsnv Of the Dramatic Arts this year. and
a.o,lv all OF tho graduates have already signed
contract. for next year. but. naturally, they are
~, ali ont out for stars OF the first magnitude.
coma Of them may hzzle out altogether and
dron from the theatrical armament. but their
dipIomas are guarantees of a certain degree OF
shnty and A creditable training. and they are to
h.ye their chance. What the first years Of
arsc,,csI stage experience will bring out neither
teachers nor managers can tell
swb,t are the chief elements that contribute
n the failure or success of your graduates a
sry reporter asked franklin Sargent. Presi-
Asnt o., the school which aspires TO be to the
American stage what the Conservative Is to
the French stage
That's a comprehensive question, Mr..
Sargent replied, but | should say that. given
fair physical and mental endowment. success
denand. very largely on the presence or alb
..nce Of that indsscribable something called
ner,onality. and on a capacity or lack OF capac-
ity for hard and ambitious work. Beauty Is a
valuable thing for an actress. but 1t does not
count for as much as II did In the old days.
Look at the most famous actresses to-day and
,ee how many Of them are beautiful. Good
looks may get a girl q place on the legitimate
stage. but Il will not keep the place for her.
and IL will not carry her to pronounced sue
cess.
when Mary Anderson came out she took
ter lessons and then was put on in Pdrthsnia
and tina, sort of thing She created a furore.
hut n she ware a d4butante to-day she couldn't
rspear the experience. Only a short time ago
. Young woman called upon one Of our New
York managers. She was stunning. with a
face and figure and personality even more
charming than Mary Anderson's. The man
sser was delighted. enthusiastic. promised
her great things and told her she must come
up here and put In two years OF hard study.
She wouldn't have II, couldn't do II. Finally.
rather than lose her. he agreed to six months
Of work at high pressure. She Is working
tesperately hard and doing well. There's
the difference between the new stage require
msnts and the old This public. the critics
and the managers demand a higher grade Of
work and greater intelligence In the actor.
and dramatic training Is a very different thing
from what II was even ten years ago.
We can mark the change plainly In the altera-
ton. we have been obliged to make In our meth
ods. Sixteen years ago our instructors were
mere mechanics teaching conventional drn-
matte technique. Now We need instructors Of
higher equipment and ability. The methods
OF work are much deeper. standards Of intelli-
gent study are higher, The old Initiative and
perflnctory system Is swept wa and We have
ssystem based on logic and reason. founded on
the great principles Of physiology. psychology
and aesthetics. For example. look at the study
Of old-age characters. The student doesn't
merely initiate the old persons he sees. ne is
taught the physiological effects Of age. the
change In contour Of the head and face, the
forms OF the bones that become prominent, the
lines that result, the relation Of the bones and
muscles, the effect OF age upon the muscles Of
the upper middle. and lower face. upon the
voice. upon the mental characteristics. upon the
whole anatomy Of the body. the walk. the poise.
the hand. With a physiological and psychology
ical understanding Of the results Of age, the
student can work out intelligent and original
Interpretations Of such rules.
Then there are the life study classes. The
pupils are required 20 select incidents from real
life. street scenes, dc, and TO give, In the class
room. the action. gestures, tones, motives, con-
tasts, pathos. humor OF perhaps half q dozen
persons concerned In the episode. Such study
Develops a literary as well as a dramatic faculty,
hu u EtSultS " tNIllCIlubuSly DtituClul, VI
nothing OF the kind was ever attempted In the
old days, The theory and laws OF color are
studied along lines strictly scientific.
The study Of dramatic literature Is analyti-
cal and philosophical. The philosophy and
history Of costume are thoroughly taught. You
see there is a philosophical current under the
whole course OF dramatic training. and the
modern teaching naturally, turns out, profess
slonals Of broader capacity. higher intelligence.
and finer ideals.
The effect OF the new standards can already
actors or actresses OF the new type. who study
intelligently and have high standards Of thought
and culture, can leaven tho whole tone OF q
company, Our best professionals have always
gained through their own efforts their force and
breadth, but the ouger men and women ncT
are starting in upon the profession with what a
few of their elders learned through hard expert
ence and many lost years"
ID you have many applicants2''
The number OF young people who want to go
On the stage Is simply appalling. I always say
that that tbs II. sS ShS9io Of 10 ours r. c0niers a greater favor
keeps OF the stage than by the number 1t puts
o.. We have any where from 5000 to 1000 ap-
pllcailon every year, most Of them by CORE
take a possible seventy-fve. There are four
times as many women as men among them who
apply, and s5 per cent. OF them have no more
sss snsC1it' LOT M. stage ssuS .S wSr. Sn than they have 2. for
questions TO be answered. and, by the facts
given In the answers and by the style Of the
answers; we can size up the individuals fairly
well, Most Of them we, drop at once, advising
Them 10 give up all thought Of the stage.
Those to whom we give a personal examina-
ZION are carefully studied: and. unless we be-
asye they have real dramatic possibilities, we
decline To take them, and discourage their
stage mania.
Physical qualifications and intelligence cut
nglre Of course, but something more than
tnat Is needed. and the motives that move an
applicant TO study for the stage are an impor-
tant clue 10 fitness"
When did you first think OF this3" I ask. IF
usually settles II; but. II she says. i've always
thought about 1t and wanted TO act I ask her
Nhen she began to do anything toward II. II
sne mas any real talent. she has probably been
SyMs TO act for her own amusement. going
pome from the theatre and trying the scenes in
nr own room. &c. It's an interesting thing
Ma II IS almost always at IS that she has first
started IN on ex experiments Of that kind"
Ought students to begin regular dramatic
study earlyi" asked the reporter.
vo The earlier The better. Child training
mould be a good thing, Il the right, natural
instllled into the child nature; but. since that
seems practically impossible now. II is at least,
az ossIsaoie that students should begin work at II
young somparauysiy few OF our pupils are 50
Hen IS %, and among the women 2a. but We
sa.e pupls OF, "a. and others who are from
10 " years old; The student OF 70 Is barred
from some roles. but there is always a demand
ior good old women and old men on the stage.
most charming. white haired old lady came
strongly 10 study for the stage. She has a de-
ngntill personality and two years or even
Nne years work would At her TO make a good
noihg. There's no other profession In which
10Y set ne value OF what you do so quickly and
Slberally rs you do on the stage.
ne greatest number Of our girls ono rom
we West. but the greatest amount Of talent Is
sup"n oy ne southern pupils They are. as
a rue, pretty. have charming manners and
zee voices and then they usually have tenn