The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-28
RICHARD MANSFIELD on ACTING.
An Actor Can BE Taught What to
Avoid. but Not to Act.
E~verybody's Magazine.

Everybody's Magazine.
1 don't believe you can teach a person to
act-that is to say, to really act You can
teach him what to avoid, and you can tell
aim what TO do, but you can't teach him 10
do it unless it's in him. We have people
who speak words and go through arm ana
leg exercises every evening on the stage
who are not actors. / dare say the so-called
schools OF acting accomplish some little
good but the neonle who have come TO me
after studying in them have been always
obliged TO commence, like those who have
not studied at all, on the lowest rung OF tina
ladder, for the reason that experience alone
begetS confidence.
The actors school is a pretty big place.
First, second and last, there is the voice
the use of it, it's care and retention. Then
experiment and manners. But no, L cannon
go into the whole matter just now; its
much too big for me TO express There's the
soul, and the heart, the mind-they've got
a lot to do with the art of acting, and the
art of moving and swaying an audience.
never saw a creature that had never sut-
fered or did not know the meaning OF sur
fering act-really act. And you cam make
an actor. You can advertise him. and man
age him, and puff him, and skyrocket him
sooner or later he'll come down "a stick"
An actor is born. not made. After he's
once born he can be cut and pohsned' put
he's got TO be a diamond, or a ruby, or a
sapphire, or even only a topaz 10 be worth
the process. / am sorry to say that lots or
the material much admired to-day is only
glass or even paste. Some people prefer IL.
but it has no lasting value; 1t doesn't ring
true. and ii can't cut CLASSIFY that |
mean lrluInpu over the SnOuuy anu iIut-
tation article. There seems to be a good
Zeal of featuring Of late years by actors-in
Nact, some of them do more lecturing than
acting. L, my poor self, have declined IN
vitatiOnS to talk TO universities. L haven't
the slightest doubt it amuses the stu
dents and the professors, and everybody
there gets a free gratis entertainment. but
you can lecture yourself blue and black in
the face. and you won't teach anybody
anything about the art of acting.
MY dear Fyles," Mr.. Mansfield resumed.
rubbing his glasses to hide a twinkle In his
eyes, you know very well that l cant act;
so it's useless for me to tell you where l
learned how not to do 1t. l Travelled with
small companies. and for 80 shillingS a
week, all over England and Ireland and
burg or a hamlet that hasn't suffered
something at my hands. l kept that up
and avoided punishment for seven years
and more-and then descended upon the
coast of America, and-you can tell the rest
1 am not making my confessions yet. And
before / ever ventured upon the stage 1
had knocked all about Europe, and Europe
had knocked me about. / had seen and OBJ
served and suffered. It's truly awful for a
man to take up the profession of acting who
doesn't know how to handle a knife or fork
properly! My dear wife also learned all
she knows of the art in the school OF ex-
perience, and I-being a bad actor, and
therefore an excellent critic-taught her,
and she was my greatest pupil, often ad-
mirable and always good-the best actress
compelled her to leave the stage because
she was never appreciated at her true value
and because-but that has nothing to DO
with your subject. and is another story.
The actor is nascitur non mt: I'm sorry
but it's all your fault. for asking me ques-
lions, that I bore you thus. Still, after all
these years. twas pleasant TO be remem-
bered. B'ism Illahi"