Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-18


moderns. And the companies TOO
we're great Year after year we band
cd together IN New York 60 play NE
works of Shakespeare and sheridan,
ard out OF that close association we
grew to an understanding of one an
ether. The performances sparkled
they were Informed, charming Nerl,
slmllitude aud ensemble were words oil
fun meaning
"Yet even In those days, MIR Stol-
dart, you must have had Opporluhltlea
To go out on your own and star
But / preferred the association ana
atmosphere Of the big companies. IL
was always my ambition not TO fall
we'll. we'll say, behind the times. 80
rather than be the prominent one IN
some provincial place, | preferred 70
stay among those people that stood ior
the truest and the best; doing my most
for any part, big or little, that came
my way"
And now. IN the absence of such
good company you've been driven 70
the center Of the stage in a play writ
ten for that purposef
mo no." he laughed; II shouldn't
Pit II that way For 20 years played
with Palmers companies and consld-
cred IL an honor The last time you
saw me | was here with Henry Miller $
company, and considered that an none
TOO Miller ~ an actor manager WIN
tie true spirit; he knows the value OIL
barmonizIng every part No became
the featured one OF this company nc
cause Kirke La Shelle wanted me (the
venture Is his, not mine); because DE-
Watson was good enough to let James
Macarthur dramatic The BonnN
Rrier Bush land assure you we mao
10 promise good Job all hands ROUND
before we got the cleTgyman's consehO
tecause the part OF Lachlan Campbell
made a strong appeal to me- ana pc
cause. between you and me. ! was tlIeu
CT studying new parts, and RANGED
that in this one could spend the pal
1rce of my wording days. I've tackleu
everything from vaudeville to
Tell me about the vaudeville" 1 IN
corrupted.
There's not much to tell, jumper
INTO IT for a brief season about tOul
wears ago when Barrymore and RoSr
CDPhlan and number of good peopl
succumbed to the high sums offered. !
ilaved a condensed version OF It;
Long Strike, and liked II very Well an
except the dancing bear
II don't remember a dancing bear IN
| The Long Strike
mo: he gave a little performance
hy himself al Keith's In Boston W
Fact | followed him in the bill, ana
every night OF the engagement VIC
stare manager used TO knock on my
| door and shout, Now, Mr. stoddarl'
.-.,,,, 4t,,,, "a taV the hear
He chucked at the recollection, ana
went on .,,- T.,
"Otherwlse vaudeville at Kelths Is
not at an unpleasant, you are delight,
| uuy treated. and my engagement OF
Eve or six weeks was just short enouF u
not TO wear the novelty OF the expert
| ence.'
He chatted for an hour, and ! an
COW culling from that conversation t'n
| romparatively few things he said ABOUT
| himself He talked of actors, iroii
| Nacready to Nat Goodwin, The la'-
| Ter he recognized as one OF the fore-
| most Of the day. Goodwin brlms WIN
mognetism" was one Of his observa.
lions. lie praised Jefferson for What
would occupy a page. And he talked
| writer's. especially Of William WIN
ter the dean of the dramatic critics a
man thar can be both poet and critic
lie told me how. when those remark
ohla stoddart "reminiscences OF the
etaga that appeared IN the Century
MAGAZINE some time ago were suH'
oeeted TO him. he asked Winter To
write them ,
err,ber information [ could give him.
ne said II told him was not liter.
airy man. and that the articles Wou l9
look much better II written ana slsneu
hy him bnt he said No. Stoddart; you
! do your own writing lust SIT down anu
imagine you are writing letler 10
friend: commence with your rrst APP
pearance in Glasgow at the age OF I'VE
and talk on the way you nave talked 10
me. and the people will read It, so |
did az Winter advised and'-he paused
an instant before continuing with al
most boy-like modesty-"the articles
will come out I'm book form In few
months. and there's one part ia like to
have you read.
"You can't find a part, sir, / haven't
read already said |.
"Oh, yes, 1 can said he, the intro
ductlon by William Winter In which
he analyzes the old school and the
modern way o. doing things
"Mr. Stoddart, II Winter puts you In
the old school You ought to sue him for
libel All that that term, old school,
means for the present generation is
bad acting acting that is inhuman and
defes credence, Might-have- beens like
some could name are apostles
of the old school. and any man
that puts you--as modern and straight.
away and honest an artist as ever lived
TO be Is years old 20 repudiate the 'ac-
tor-r-rs that would make US believe
Booth and his predecessors chewed soap
and ate scenery-any man that puts
the libelous label Of old school on you
sir, should be sued'
Stoddart was amused by my earnest
ness. Tin sure he said. through a
good-natured smile. "Mr Winter does
not mean to DO me an unkindness."
Not Intentionally. OF course not; but
I'm equally sure that you are one OF the
most modern Of players, that your
method IS the method OF today; sharp
concise. unaffected and that for all
your seventy-five years you would hate
TO be reckoned as six months behind
the legitimate development Of your
art"
"Well. I have had 10 move on with
the times" said he, more seriously
1--WE had to tackle almost everything
In the way Of a part. and I've always
tried TO be natural People sometimes
say I'm not audible and emphatic
enough in Lachan Campbell's pathetic
scenes-but / can't shout pathos; |
simply can't do IL. II isn't natural"
But you are; 80 Is your friend. Jo-
seph jefferson. That's why you and he
can succeed today In plays whose value
lies solely IN their explorations OF your
natural personaIiues.'
"Tve always been a believer In per-
sonality even when people have said.
The only trouble with Old Man Stoi-
dart IS that he's always the same man.
because I've noticed that the great peo-
pie never completely sank their person
alfles. no matter what the parts. Hem
rs Irving has the same choppy manner
OF speech that marked Macready Mans
field has something Of the same. I'm
not putting O. premium on mannerisms
but on originality. out Of which man.
nersms possibly may spring had the
pleasure OF acting for two years with
Edwin Booth. a great and very modest
actor wlthal: and IN all the variety Of