The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03


with propricty, step out of his character
and appear as the man. not the player.
If your audience. in the kindliuess o. its
heart. insists on seeing you at the END
oe n scene the actor should construct
another tableau-a little something that
hapDens in the action OF the play-and
let the audience see that with MN IN II.
But he shouldn't step out OF his canvas
to bow his appreciation-he must not, II
he is an artist disillusion his audience, no
matter how strenuonsly 1t insists.
''The actors mission is to educate no
less than to amuse: and when II comes
to a question of curtain-calls, the player
might as well commence to educate ms
there as anywhere.
THE audience is a most worthy object
of study-I mean in the way audiences,
as rule. differ. Nor do | mean that
what | am about to say should be taken
as direct opposite to what have al
ready said-that an actor should not no.
tice his audience. The applause is the
telepathic means OF determining the
class of person sitting in front.
You can divide audiences into two
classes. those who come in the spirit "
children. to see and hear with all their
eyes and ears and those who come to
watch how the actor does things. the
method. the trickery of voice, gesture. ia
cial play. no matter what the subject or
how the treatment. The second audience
develops its critical faculties ottentines
to the detriment of its enjoyment. 1t Is so
engrossed at times in watching the
wheels go round that it misses the poetry
of motion.
clear sailing. Evils spring up, but, be-
ing evil. they can't last. The one de-
plorable tendency of the time is the ORA
matist who plays tailor-the man VINO
thinks of his audience and not OF
his art certain actor or actress needs
a play. and 10. your tailor-made dramat-
list gets to work He measures, dTaits,
cuts. sews, fits, and. just as your tsii 20,
builds you a suit to your measure, the
tailor-dramatist builds play to MT your
talents or your lack Of them.
And so your tailor-dramatist Is one OF
the evils OF the stage today, but ne IS hot
an abiding evil. for art isn't the warp
and wool of his texture. He Will pass
away. just as the ranter and the tearer-
Observation-Disclosures passed away.
broader intelligence Is born into the "orlu
every second and the stage Keeps pace
with every other artistic movement
with all due Difference to Nine. Duse,
the drama is not degenerating: IL HAS
far less evils today than it had in Snake
speare's time and will have far less
century hence thar 1t has today.
There Is no calling so Indifferent to
the considerations of ordinary business
life as that of the actor, remarked
Charles B. Hanford recently. Some time
ago / met a manager who was about to
close his season. He hesitated about no.
tifying the members of the company L
hated especially to tell my leading man
about it, he confided to me, because ne
gave up a good engagement In order to
secure the part | offered him. But l maj,
~ broke the news to him as gently as
could What did he sayg He merely
remarked that he felt like taking rest
anyhow. He had been wishing for some
time that ne could get back home ana see
how his folks were getting along lmag
inc an employe in any other line OF busl-
ness taking his discharge so coolly.
Viola Allen. with Lorimer Stoddard and
F. Marion Crawford's romantic drama
I'm the Palace of the King" has made
one of the solid hits of the season in New
York Miss Aliens receipts for the eighth
week of her engagement at the Republic
Theatre were Sl0175. and this is the small
est of the Broadway play houses me
immense popularity of Miss Allen mas
been especially demonstrated at matinee
performances, when the houses nave peet
crowded to the doors
The voting contest instituted few
weeks ago by the managers of the Lafay
cite stock company has aroused an I'M
usual amount of interest among the com
pany's large following. and has served tc
call attention of many disinterested peo-
pie to the fact that there is something
Going In a theatrical way up on Lafay-
cite Square.
The idea is an old one in other cities, bu
has proved a novelty to Washington iT
that for the first time local theatregoer.
have been given an opportunity TO make
known their favorite plays, and. as /
We're to hold the managerial ribbons il
their own hands to small degree. Tina
1t has been appreciated and approved,
wonderfully increased mail delivery bear;
witness. not to mention the ballot boz
which has stood at the door of the thea
tire, and which has had its capacity TESTED
almost nightly.
During matinee performance of Ca
mile by the stock company last week,
representative of The Times sought oil
Mr.. Thomas D. Long, whose name figure
on the bills as associate proprietor of tn
, company, with Walter Clark Bellows, an,
on enquiry at the bOxotiice was directed Z
a room upstairs which when reache
looked more like a small section of tn
general postoffice than a theatrical man
{ ayers sanctum. Several clerks were EN-
ployed in opening and asserting NAL
typewriter keys clicked vigorously. and a
air of unwonted activity pervaded tn
| place. Long was discovered behind
| table covered with small slips which toll
their own story. but to which the Lafay
| cite Companys manager added not fey
! facts of interest.
You see, said Mr.. Long the peopl
have their own ideas as to what the,
want. and the secret of a companys sue
q
patrons. 1t na<tlrally follows that tn,
proper thing to do is to learn what thei
fayorite plays are and to give them tn,
/ best productions possible. That is VIVA
We are doing. To say that we are graft
fled in the result of the voting contes
puts it mildly. The plan has succeede,
far beyond our hopes and has convinced
everyone connected with the Lafayett,
company that the public is more than
ordinarily interested. Ii stands to reason
that when 2 person will take the troubl,
to cut a coupon from paper. fill ii out
seal and stamp it, and then walk to tbs
mail box with it, he is undeniably inter
ested, and every mail brings us hundred.
of such suggestions. The total number
of votes cast amounted TO II .26i, and tn
kno Wedge that the company counts it,
admirers by such a high figure is encour
aging. to say the least. We have received
votes for any number of plays which wer
not on the list, from "A Happy Pair L
Hamlet" In fact there were fourteen
plays named in the contest and thirt,
additional ones figured in the returns
Some of them were made in good faitl
and some otherwise. very probably. How
ever in making up the list. We selected
from standard successes of recent dat
those plays which are most available 70
stock purposes, and in all cases irrespec
tive of royalties.
tc-cs TO the number of 1925 decided
the contes, II favor of sydney Grundy'.
great play, Sowing the Wind which
has not been seen in Washington for som,
years and which is one of the stronges
works this prolific playwright has fur
nished the English stage. Between nov
and the end of the season the four play!
which We're most unanimously called fo
will be numbered among our productions
The plays which, judging from the recen
contest. lead in popular favor are thos'
which appeal 10 intellectual and refined
minds. showing that the tendency i.
toward the higher class of dramatic lit
oraturc.
This plan is really the best after all
and 1t is the only means of satisfying
popular choice Individual opinion is no
without it's value. but it would neve1
solve the problem. For instance, yoI