The Washington times., 1903-02-22

those who attend the performances
OF Z. S. Willard that his voice is
the most musical TO be heard on our
stage today This is nearly always re-
garded as the chief merit OF his acting.
1T is a delight to hear him speak the
English language" says one critic. or
binary prose becomes poetry from his
lips" says another. The tribute is we'll
nigh universal and the chorus is so con-
sistent as 10 disparage the other quail
ties of most excellent and experienced
artist
How much of this encomium is de-
served everyone who has ever heard Mr..
Willard will attest. II is truly a de-
light TO hear him use our much be-
labored and abused tongue. Ordinary
prose does become as musical as poetry
as IL falls from his lips. His voice has
a wonderful charm. Yet enunciation and
voice receive at all hands a degree OF
credit far in excess Of their actual
value Clear ehunciation. good delivery.
splendid elocutiOn-in the best sense OF
the woodland fine infection are not
enough i'm themselves TO create all this
furore. Some special and extra cause
underlies IL all. and that cause is. as il
nearly always is. merely the premium
put upon rarity everywhere.
In these days our actors seem to forget
the necessity OF making themselves I'M
deTstOod before they ornament their
speech. Naturalism has so infested the
stage that whispers. elided syllables.
Easps and an ovcrwrought use OF the
broad a" turn the English language into
accustoms itself to this special speech it
is impossible for the general run Of thea
tergoers TO understand half what is said
This is rather an understatement than an
eXaggeration of the truth. Those who
have gone much to Washington theaters
in the course OF the current season will
bear b strong support.
There was play called THE Mummy
and the Humming Bird" which was sup
pOsedly managed by an actor Of long eX-
porience and fine training. Yet when the
curtain arose there was so much talk
with muffled tones so much whining and
indistinctness. that il the play had de-
pended greatly on this preliminary dia-
Ioglie-which il did not-half the audience
could never have caught up the threads
Of the plot Miss Barrymore's Carrots"
suffered the same fate How many who
heard Mrs. Langtry this past week un-
derstoOd the first act2 The Way of the
World. 20 The Wilderness "A Rose o.
Plymouth Town" and dozen others
which might be cited If it were worth
while. all emerged slowly and reluctant
j.. as the plot grew. out Of a cloud Of
mushy pronunciation and indistinctness.
II Is TO be said OF course. that most
Of these plays do eventually emerge.
Even today IL is possible ultimately 20
understand such fine sentiments as you
HeI" or You coward II that were not
the case there would be no ''virility"
in the play. no situations" no anything
at all worthy OF the actors attention.
But the greater part Of the converse
tion oftentimes and the early scenes al
ways. are lost.
Now the fault for this is somewhat
dincult TO locate. Like nearly every
thing else. il is product OF more than
one cause IL is. so to speak, conse-
ouence OF mixed emotions. Who is here
so base that would not speak as Eng
Hshmen speak? Then we must perforce
say extraordinary" Who is here 50 rude
that would not use the broad a" wher-
ever ST occurs in the word and whatever
the word? Then. perforce. we must say
"Iond" and "hoppy. Who is here so
vile as TO arrive al the theater on
timer Then we must. perfOrce. proceed
10 our chairs with auricular demonstra-
lions OF cur late dinner. None, Brutus;
none. Then none are offended, save only
he few unimportants who care 10 view
the play intelligently and judge 10 as
its author expected il 20 be judged.
4 century ago. according 20 the lexi-
cographers. there was a strong move
ment among persons Of fashion toward
the fat "a" In those misguided days
land was 'gaand. and ask was
"aask" Culture. good breeding. family
position. intellectual distinction counted
Tor nothing against those two words.
You went 10 your Landlord" 10 'aask'
for his bin or you did not move in So
cicty. Today we have progressed This
is an age OF progress So IL is We go 70
our "Iondlord" and are "hOppy" 10 re-
ceivc his statement. Next year we shall
talk blithely Of "longlords. the year
after that OF "lonlords, and the year
after that perhaps OF landlords II
is ali a matter Of progress. and actors
are nowhere II net IN the forefront OF
progress.
With this bounden duty TO fashion
there is an equal responsibility 10 use
ofhand. as to the mar Ter born, phrases
which are characteristicaIly English.
This is pereolating Tendency. The
broad "a Is democratic II is univer-
sal. indeed But English Orthopoedic
laws are harder TO learn. so only the
elite can accomplish them readily, and
they must soak through 70 the under
strata. Yet hoi polloi does. fairly we'll.
In the vaudeville OF another city not
long ago one OF the sketch artists" OBJ
served with most proper accent He's
Tothor a good chop. ykno." Il wa7s q
fine achievement ana was manifestIy p
preciated by his ten-twenry -thirtsv
hearers. But on the stage which fos-