The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-08
By SIDNEY ROSENFELD.
Copyright, 1908, by Sidney Resented.

The study of cause and effect is of
the most vital Importance to the
dramatist. One is too often mistaken
for the other. In this connection.
am reminded of one of those vagrant
stories, that have found their way into
print, of the little old woman who
looked. awe-stricken. at the thermome-
ter, and, as she watched the mercury
rise, remarked:
MY! To think a little thing like
that can make the weather so hot!"
The actor ought to know which
method to employ in his acting to
produce a certain effect on his audi
ence. Sometimes it is a mere trick of
the voice. an infection, a gesture But
whatever it is, he ought to have it at
his command. Just so the author who
writes for the actor must know what
particular phrasing will lend itself
best to the actors diction. The self
same thought rendered in one set of
words will fail of effect which, if rem
dered in another, might gain instant
recognition. All this is grating that
your situation, always the primary
consideration, is dramatically correct.
AS a rule, the simplest way of saying
a thing is the best, the words being
those that the average auditor would
himself supply. Literary or "bookish"
sentences have little place on the
stage. The absolutely commonplace
is not necessarily to be sought, but
a concise rendering in good language.
without redundancy of expression,
with few conjunctions, and no in
volved ideas.
BOucfcauIt Epigram.
The straining for epigram is a fault.
On the other hand, the brevity culti-
waited by the dramatist often leads to
the natural pigram-another illustra-
ton of mistaking cause for effect.
Many an author has been quoted for
his epigrams that have been merely
the result of a condensed line natural
ly evolved from the situation.
The late Dion Bouccicault was a
master of this condensed form OF wit
In his comedy, Forbidden Fruit
one of his characters advises the other
to put his appeal for forgiveness to
his wife in writing. In ordinary con-
versation this character would have
gone into detail and explained his
reasons, such as the natural timidity
of the party being advised, whose ten
dency was to halt and deliberate, and
so appear confused; the possibility
of his wife covering him in his mo-
ment of trepidation, etc. All this was
unnecessary with the line that accom-
panied the advice:
Ink won't stammer and paper
doesn't blush!"
Those who are always contending
that Ito be natural is the desideratum
on the stage both for author and ac-
tor, l would say that taken literally
that is a great mistake. The appear
ance of naturalness so often obtained
by the expenditure of the severest art
is what should be sought. In nature
we indulge in conversation. On the
stage, there must be no conversation
as such, whatever. Each line must
serve it's dramatic purpose. There
must be an essence" of conversation
in very limited dialogue. A talky play
is the critics especial grievance.
"And Don't You Forget It!"
Colloquiality is another thing that
has sent many a player and playwright
astray.
The late Charles Thorne, for years the
leading man in the Palmer Stock Com
pany, won great renown for his "sup-
pressed emotion" Instead of raising
his voice under great stress, he would
strong to find utterance. Having once
succeeded in getting his audience, he
cultivated the colloquial. Instead of
a declamatory method in a tense situa-
ton, he would at times deliver a line
in so simple and apparently artless a
manner that the auditor would imme-
diately think, How natural" So Mr..
Thorne became a more than ordinarily
convincing actor.
play can these delicate bits of art find
their reward Only the correct situa-
ton makes them possible.
Mr.. Thorne one day appeared in a
poor play. Its forced, theatrical situa-
tons were unreal. 1t walked on stills,
as it were, and the more colloquial and
natural the actor became, the more
the staginess of the play was mani
fest. In one scene, the leading man
had to rebuke the villain "a procedure
that invariably affords the leading man
the keenest relish), and in doing so he
had to say, II am a De Courcey! Never
forget that" Carried away by the coli
loquial impulse he said. II am a De
Courcey! And don't you forget it,"
The enthusiastic shouts of Joy that
went UP from the audience were not
what was planned by the author in
constructing that situation.
''TaIkiness fs Fatal"
When the limitation of time impos-
ed upon the playwright, who must tell
life history, perhaps more than one,
in the course of the evening, hardly
more than two hours in duration, is
considered, it will be readily under
stood that there is little time for con-
versation. The dizziness with which the
author shall contrive his talk" so
that he shall be constantly weaving