The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19
ACTORS AND THEIR ROLES.
TIVE Inst ances Of Careers spoiled BY I'm
suitable Parts.

suitable Parts.
The actors ina bility to choose the parts
that suit him best il proverbial. even though
it maj not be true that most Of the TRACE
dians would like TO pls y comic roles and that
the comedians all cherish equally inappro-
priate ambitions. This state Of things is
especially surprising in view Of the fact
that an attempt 70 play the wrong kind
of role may have a serious effect on an actor 3
career.
Two instances OF the unfortunate way in
which an actor may be treated In the cast
have recently been observed In this city.
In one q &c the sufferer was young man
who YVES several yea n 90 graduated from
ono Of the dramatic schools. after ne had
sttn cted unusual sttention by his pla ying
BY New York mana ger and the part OF
sentimental Ither priggish youth In an
English comedy was given him to act.
Re was selected for this role merely on
account Of his youth and had 10 other
qualification for II. since his previous sue
cerses had been ms de in de shing, heroic
che n cters. Naturally. he failed COM
He disc ppeared from New York and has
not been seen in any important procuc,
ton since. He has talent, OF course, and
this ff I've start did not end his career. But
il put him back at le- at five years.
The actor cannot count on the sympathy
OF the mana ger in any such sitln- ton. The
ms M ger will not 60 to the actor and say:
Il did you an injustice In CO sting you for
q p ri not In the le ri suited to you and
therefore hf rmed you ertistically TO con-
siders BILE degree. but l will soon give you
an opportunity to pb the sort OF a psrt
that !. suits sdt, you and thus retrieve what you
On the contrary the manager quietly
let's the actor 90. for he has lost confidence
In him. He will say that the actor failed
ito make good In certain part and that
he therefore has no more use for him.
II told that the part was not suited TO
the actor, the manager will say that no law
required him to act II. And he will add that
II the play had been a success the actor
would have had a long engagement and
shared In the favorable results OF having
played for Q long time In hit.
There Is. OF course. some reason In the
managers view Of the case. No actor Is
compelled to act a part to which he IL I'm.
suited, and It rarely happens that he is asked
to do 70 now that actors are engaged on
account of their adaptability for certain
parte- =,
II he thinks that he Is not suited to role.
he may decline II and the engagement.
The possibility that he may make hit
after all. the chance Of good engagement
own ability all combine. however. 10 lead
him into the mistakes that may have 20
disadvantageous an effect on his career.
Even now the actors who have reached
the place Of stars are not always at liberty
to say what parts they will act. Most of
them have practically no voice In deciding
in what roles they shall appear Their
managers choose the dramas and assign
them TO their various stars.
1t occasionally happens that these stars
allotted TO them. One striking instance Of
this kind In now on view In this city. But
managers usually fit their plays TO the actors
In q way that shows them In the light that
the public admiree.
well a. the actors do Their stars have
fixed commercial value, and they cannot
AFFORD to decrease that by putting them
forward In plays that the public will not
like.
There may sometimes be n difference OF
opinion between the star and the mann ger
as TO play. Then the opinion OF the man
eger Will prevail In nine q res out OF ten.
Only the abeolute refusl Of the star to
act a pk y win avail, and II the manager be
convinced that a drama glands good
chance Of success even that will have no
effect
But II In the beginners that are most
likely TO be seriously Affected by the I'M
suit blen ,s Of their role: Nobody sty
who attr~cted attention 90 . student and
later be0 me the most discussed young
actress Of the day. She had an experience
Of q year with one actor-ma na ger and
followed that by an enga cement as leading
n dy with another.
No young woman apparently ever bad a
better opportunity. IL seemed 40 her
future vas ssured. BIT she happened
to get part that was not suited to her.
she made her first appearance In that
role aud failed. She wi Q 20 little suited
to the part that her mann ger revived how
necessary for the success OF the play II
would be either for her TO change radically
her method OF pla ying Il or to engage
another actress for the part. Tho success
Of the play was In jeopardy:
The actress rcfused TO play the part In
any other way. The result was her de.
have been beginning a career that promised
70 he brilliant. All this happened two
years ago and she has never acted since