The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
STAGE ORATORY NO MORE
1T HAS GIVEN WAY TO NATURAL
METHOD OF ACTING.
Otis Skinner Says There Is No Reason
Why Shakespeare Should Not Be
Realistically Done.


Stage oratory died with the old tragedi-
ans and the new school of acting endeav-
ors to reach the sympathy of the audience
by different means-by gaining the eli
makes which so much stress is laid on by
a simple and more natural method. OF all
of the old tragedians Edwin Forrest held
the laurels as far as elocution was con-
oerned. and the reason for this was that
he took for his principle the theory of DR..
Rush. of Philadelphia, who devoted his life
to the study of the voice and who con-
tended that the speaking voice and the
singing voice should be trained along the
same lines. Forrest mastered DR.. Rushs
theory and was the only actor that ever
did But now Rush and Forrest are both
dead and what memory remains of them
is very meager and indistinct.
The actors of to-day contend that while
it is necessary for them to be able to
enunciate with clearness and 6istinctness,
all of their tones must be natural. And
they also depend more on their acting,
scenery and music to produce the desired
effect, instead of depending chiefly on their
oratOry They say that by this audiences
appreciate their efforts fully as much as
they did those of the old actors. Some or
the leading players of to-day hold that the
disposition of the audience has so changed
IT. the last few years that were an actor
to go through his lines relying principally
on his oratory to gain the desired erect
people would not listen to him. And, then,
the style of plays has changed to such an
extent that they are not nearly so difficult
to read as the old tragedies which were
written in blank verse 1t was in these
that the actor had the opportunities of dis
playing his powers as a reader as well as
those of an actor
Otis Skinner, the well-known romantic
actor, when in this city recently, talked
interestingly on this subject of stage ora
tory, and in the course of his remarks sald
The actor or to-day creates as mucn erect
by what he doesn't do as by what he does
90. We find that there is more power in
the way of illusion than there Is In orator.
The Oratory of the stage is entirely differ
ent from that of the desk, pulpit, platform
any other line of speaking. 1ou See
the actor has mingled with his eloquence
the facial expression, scenery, lights cos
tunes, music, and all of those things which
go to make up the picture. The meaning
of reading is that the orator or the desk
platform forum has effect upon his
hearers other than that gained by his eio-
quence. The so-called stage Orat0ry does
not exist so much as stage art by THIS
you see. it takes the music, costumes
actors work. and to embelish II with
those little side things which are essential
To make the illusion complete 10 the audi
ence.
What the actor endeavors to attain now
is not great achievements in Oratory. but
the reproduction of life as ii is, and to do
this very often a pause or slight gesture
Is sufficient TO gain the effect. Frequently
an actor can make the climax or scene
much more effective by silence, mingled
with what facial expression is necessary
hon lr INT fT1cr hfeauf no a -
ing the climax with great oratorical eff
forts
Doesn't the actor have the advantage
over the orator in the fact that he can
become colloquiaI while the orator can
not?' MIR. Skinner was asked
Yes" he replied. I'VE can become col
loquial while the orator seldom is. The
time when an actor reaches nearer to the
bounds OF the orator is when he is reading
blank verse, and this of course. he must
necessarily read in rhythm, which gives
his voice more opportunities OF course In
reading the old tragedies one does not
come as near being collOquial as in the
modern plays. In the tragedies ne relies
10 certain extent on his oratory. II such
Il might be called. Nevertheless there Is
no reason why these tragedies of Shak-
Speare and others could not be played with
as much naturalism as any other dramas
1 don't see why these men and women
should not be brought as near TO nature
as the characters In other plays are.
Oratory is not for the actor 1t Is his duty
10 imperSOnate the character, ana an audi
ence does not want 10 see TWO men come
upon the stage and hurl chunks OF elo-
quence at each other. II is entirely out OF
the question.
be colloauial in the old tragedies. When