The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16
ACTORS TO suit The PARTS.
PHISNiL FITNESS DEMANDED
on THE STAGE NOV.
Difference From old Meihods-Actors Nc.
CURED 10 Look Their Roles ~ We'll
as To Be Able 10 Act Them-N0table
Instances-Fat singers Are barred.

MS "reminiscences lays stress on one diner
cnce bet wecn theat rical methods Of the past
and those now in use. He says that in the
days Of his apprenticeship every actor was
required TO make himself a. much as pos
sible like the character he was called on to
protray That necessity may be recog
ni2ed now, but actors are selected to-day
more for their natural fitness TO act certain
roles than for ability to represent them
through their skill.
One instance will illustrate the extent
To which this practice is followed. Two
years ago one of the most successful plays
of the season was produced by star who
had selected as his leading actress a young
woman Of beauty but Of no special talent
lie said that she was his exact physical
ideal of the part, and that was what he
wanted. He considered this matter much
more important to the success Of his play
than a more decided talen, and the possess
sion of greater technical ability
The wisdom of his selection was shown
later. The Young actress married and
left the stage. Her temporary successor
was woman of much stronger dramatic
instinct, but the scenes in which she APP
prlred were not nearly so effective a. they
had been When the time came to choose
an actress permanently, beginner was
selected with little or no skill, but the per-
son and manner that suited the art best
II j. a familiar theory in the profession
that any actor Of fairly good appearance
and feet of height is predcstined to be
a leading man sooner OF later. Yet the
force of physical attractiv,n"-s in man
and women hos ALWAYS been potent on the
stage and /, auty must have been Just
~ valuable in the traditional palmy days
a. 1t is now
II l. not that managers think more of
that gift II is simply that they Naiue
talent without beauty l'-s, and least ofall
will they admit that skill can overcome
physical disqua LITIGATION for a part
The importance of this belief il proved
by the universal agreement withlt. Arthur
Plnoro, who il without dIsputh the first Of
English dramatist-, il one of those who
insis, most strongly on the physical fitness
of the liyer- especially the women, al
though ne. too devotes some attention to
the MEM no are 10 create his characters.
He kept The Second Mrs Tanqueray"
for two wears before he found woman
who filled his conception of the horoines
physical aspect. When Iris was acted
in London, he insisted that the title role
W. pdNtu ny -ukIl lIdRlP "'lildil, ds
he thought that another would make the
effect Of some of his SCENES quite different
from what he intended them To be.
Thus the managers and other authors
han Mr.. Pinero look now for the person
who can physically represent their charac-
tiers. They want men and women who
will indicate in appearance and manner
the qualities Of the I0les they play.
An actress Of dc d d personality and
positive nature will not b. selected 10 play
the part Of a clinging and arectionate
heroine, however great her talent may be,
The managers know that no amour, OF
ability will eyer 10 SO satisfactory To the
public as these natural qualities.
Look the part l. the first requisite,
and the second il 10 he able to suggest it
Then EXPERIENCES il considered.
Two recent instances will further illus
trate the grounds hat managers have for
this belief. In play recently acted here,
the Coincidence who had tho Leading roe
was supposed to I've very robust physically
and even strong enough 10 get the best of
ono or two men in struggle.
The actress who played the roe had
every qualification hu' the physical APP
pearance of strength and the manner that
went with IL She wa amusing svmpa-
'hetic and an admirable sr,i st in her line
But she was essentially feminine. The
result of this important quality was COM
plee failure of the play so far as it depended
on her.
Another instance will prove how inn
portant the personality of the actress IL
even when she l. not physically untitled
TO "A part. One was recently called on 10
enact a young wife. She was pretty and
graceful in the part She was supposed
to he genial philosophical and TO show
toward an erring husband wi, h an ineradica-
bic weakness for all pretty woman kind
Of good fellowship which ult imately won
him altogether 70 her.
But 10 save her life she could not express
those qualities Her nature was antagon-
istiC 10 them. so she acted always the in
jured wife and uphraided where she should
have been archly tolerant.
She knew perfectly what she should do;
but il was beyond her power to accom-
plish it. SO she seriously injured the
chances Of the play
We all know" said the manage who
cited these instances 10 THE SUS reporter.
that the public is first struck hv the ply
steal fitness of a man or woman To l0,e.
The audiences think of that first
Some parsons may find great delight
in an actors ability TO overcome absolute
natural unsui'ahleness to part. But
that is not true Of the great theatre going
public.
Its heroincs must look like what they
are supposed 10 be. Of course there are
great geni,ses occasionally that are able
10 rise above physical limitations But
there are not many Of them and il il much
more difficult for them now than II used
To he. II IL NOR" and more necessary every
year for the actors TO be suited To their
parts.
This demand has had much To do with
The disappearance of the stock companies
and the growth Of the practice Of ergag
ing actors especially for the parts they are
10 play. That system practically prevails
without exception to-day.
Even those managers who retain the
stock company plan never think Of giving
actors parts for which they. are entirely
disqualified by nature. Sonnet lines actors
get parts they have not the talent to play.
But rather than have them act parts for
which they are quite unsuted managers
will engage outsiders
"Of course, II was necessary in the old
stock compa MES for the members to try
to act as well a. possible the parts ASST gned
10 them, whether or not they were able to
look like them, because there were no others
TO he engaged And the public was much
less exigent than il il to-day.
Nobody need decrv the new system and
see in II a fall from high standards Tho
present way IL much more artistic II
tends to present the authors idea much
more exactly; the men like Pinero would
not be careful rs Ia the physical Illness
Of all the actors who are II rat to act their
Play. ,., ...,, 49,, ,,,
happened a few years ago In this city
The woman, who may he called the most
famous act re-s in the world, acted here
in a play thu l. was written for her, the part
of a youth Al the same time a popular
young American actress who was exactly