Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-03-16

that of the shrewd, kindly. prosperous.
self-made man with a kocn apprecia-
ton OF the ludicrous, a ready wit, and
a quick sense Of justice shown Ia his
capacity to enjoy a Joke turned against
himself equally as well as one turned
against his neghbor David Harum,"
beyond all else, Is story Of humanity,
ana VINO Is not acquainted with him?
always recognized as a man whose
tender heart and curious sentimental
turn OF nature temyers his faults and
| eccentfcltles into a sort of robust low
ableness
When | was called upon to Interpret
the title role in the dramat2ed version
OF the book / Of course felt II neces-
sary 70 seek every available source of
Information that could possibly give a
| clue to the conception, foundation, and
| inspiration Of the character If David
| Harum had been a Photographic copy
| OF any one person Of the authors ac-
quaintance, II would have been SIM
| pie matter to have made a study Of the
designated individual and to have re-
produced his idiOsynCrasies as correctly
as 1t lay In the power of my art but |
soon discovered that SO numerous and
so varied were the original David Ha-
runs that ] reached The conclusion
that the genius OF Mr. Edward Moves
Westcott had not confined itself to
single man, but had created a composite
IA type big enough and broad enough
to embrace humanity In all times and
all places,
II has been repeatedly asserted that
a David Hannah Of Homer n. Y. re-
gpplhl4l mimic ba
creation. Undoubtedly he helped TO
make the portrait: but II is related
that when Mr.. Westcott was a young
man living In Syracuse, he would spend
much Of his time in little depot eat
ing-house, listening, with the quiet and
Intense enjoyment that was one Of his
most striking characteristics, TO the
never ending tales with which the jolly
and garrulous innkeeper RECALLED his
customers, This man was perhaps one
of the many who suggested the future
creation. Years later, in Homer, when
the story had taken root and was IN the
process Of formation, II was always
a matter Of surprise to the tOwnspeo-
pie that the gentle. ultra-refned poet
author spent the greater part of his
leisure in the presumably ungenial at
mOsphere of certain livery stable
whose proprietor had the reputation OF
spinning yarns and dealing In horse
flesh
Personally | never play the role OF
David Harum without being possessed
Of the deluslon that | am bringing
back, in the body and spirit, an old
uncle Of mine dim memory Of my
childhood. He was a country deacon,
very irascible, but looked upon as a
model of religious propriety by the
people of his neighborhood. ] remem-
Der following him 20 the barn one day,
at respectful distance as might be
expected Tom troublesome boy apt
TO be ordered away at any moment
Suddenly one Of the ponies stepped on
the good mans equity foot; uncle was
not profane, but his muttered Bob
lam, the Jam thing a. jelll" was a
never-to- e-forgotten episode in my
childish mind, and for years remained
my standard Of blood -curdling an
athena,
Within short time Of taking up the
study Of David Harum ! threw aside
all idea of delneatlng an individual
whom | might initiate, and confined
myself to the book and to the develop
ment of type that would appeal to and
enlist the smiles and tears of mixed
audience or, to use a better term, a
human crowd. II David Harum were
TO be a success. ! realized that my lis
teners must laugh when he laughed,
and furtively brush away tear in uni
son with him.
1t was extremely difficult to obtain
the exact effect / wanted to produce,
for It Is to be remembered that David
Harum" is the record Of common
Mace country life as seen through the
eyes of jolly, laughing old man. at
once tender and obdurate, a sort OF
human paradox The situations are not
dramatic or stirring, They are simply
the lights and shadows Of an ordinary
day passing over the quiet by-ways or
q little village,
| was not satisfied with the results
of my wXxk upon the company during
our initi&ye rehearsas I could not
imagine where the fault las, but was
oppressed by the knowledge that the
keynote had not been found. Suddenly
the idea came to me, In one OF those
midnight vigils so familiar TO the
actor studying a new role, that one
should not laugh at David Harum,
but with him, At the next rehearsal !
changed my tactics and made David
Harum chuckle unctuously over MS
own Jokes. The effect was encourage
ing; in a short time ] found the com
panv beaming in Irresistible sympathy.
This decided and modified my entire
presentation Of the role.
MANY and enlgmatical are the in
fuences brought 10 bear upon an actors
final rendition Of any character he Is
called upon to interpret. The first
week before the audience Is one OF con-
tinnal revision and absorption of new
lights and impressions. II Is, indeed,
the audience who gives the artist his
final Interpretation.
remember that my ultimate decision
of the impression David Harum.
transplanted from the page TO the foot
lights, should make upon the public, |
was that the play must call for neither |
great meriment boisterous applause, |
nor frenzied weeping. Its allotted !
snhere being one OF honIely environ |
mert, its aim Is to create a ripple or |
ouief enjoyment, a sub-rosa murmnr OF |
laughter. startled every now and then |
into unobtrusive tears During the |
first week Of the performance there was
an iuvariable burst ~ applause when at
the close OF my interview with Widow
Cullom produced the ten-cent piece.
saying. "The same one that Bily Y.
Cullom gin me that dav.' This dis
turhed and disappointed me. The eff
feet 7 wished 10 produce was one OF
nathns and not ~ noisy appreciation,
! knew the fault somehow lay with me,
and worked over the part night after
NIGHT. changing the incubation of my
voice. until one evening. instead OF the
usual clapping OF banda, was reward
"a hv a moment Of suspended. breath
less silence knew then the exquisite
pleasure Of the artist who has strug-
gled and achieved.
7 found some difficulty too, in catch
ne and retaining the quick. sharp ac-
cent characteristic NJ the cornirvmen
from central New York. II Il almost
/, dialect 20 man who has the habit
n speaking with the broad Bostonlan
a" n was quite easy TO remember
he difference OF pronunciation IN the
more deliberate speeches, but. once my
motions got the better OF NE, ! would
an back into the familiar 'co-antf for