The Washington times., 1903-02-22

Illus Caesar not long ago wherein one Ofthe
leading actors began the well known ora
ton of Brutus about like this.
"Fr-r-r-ien's. R-r-r-omanz an lOver-rs.
hcah me faw m 'cauz an be SILENT that
yoo mae heah" This is an actor who
would never say land or speak of his
baggage; but he has not yet learned the
final letter in friend" or how to pro-
nCunCe you" A young woman whose
press agent has convinced her patrons
that she possesses the highest possible
standing in society. and is wonderfully
we'll educated. referred while in Wash
ington to the government" Instances
could be multiplied.
All this. however. is elementary. II is
in acting what holding the brush is in
painting. Elocution presupposes the
mastery OF such details. II is impossible
TO take actors seriously who do not
know the sounds of vowels and the ac-
cent OF familiar words.
The difficulty among cultured actors
lies deeper than this 1t is that actors
and elocutionists alike have permitted
naturalness to interfere with their enun-
citation. As in writing no man has
RICH, to use single sentence which is
not clear. so in acting or public speaking
no man has right 70 utter single
word which cannot reasonably be heard
and distinguished. Whatever the ele-
gance of phrase. whatever the emotion
expressed there can be no gainsaying
this law. II is the foundation OF the
literary house. II you are not to be IN
derstood you might quite as well have
nothing to say. Stage settings. stage
groupings. expressions OF the face. act
ing emphasis everything must bow to
the inexOrabIe need for being thoroughly
and unintermittently understood. other
wise there is no histriOnic art. and never
can be any. except for the pautomime.
! Every eminent actor of today. like
every eminent actor OF every earlier
age has come TO realize this. What
J sentence of Sarah Bernhard. Ellen Ter
ry. Maude Adams. Eleanora Duse. Min
ME Maddern Fiske. Sarah Carroll Lee
Moyne. Mrs. Campbell Alberta GaIIatin
/ Mary Shaw, Annie Russell. OF Viola
Allen. was ever indistinctly spoken?
/ Irving. Coquelin Mansfield. skinner
/ willard. all the men who have any real
I claim to greatness, are noted for their
elocution.
If greatness does not depend on this
/ quality of speech there is at least no
/ greatness without il. Yet all the actors
} in both these lists are natural beyond
/ the possibilities OF the careless. People
/ do not talk distinctly in real life. it is
true; sentences are not always complete:
grammar is often forgotten. But his
/ triOnic art is not. and never can be. an
/ imitation of nature only-it is the per-
/ lection OF artifice. with a purpose of
! creating the effect Of nature: and I'm
nothing is this so true as in pronouncia-
] ton.
! Some day-when the stage has become
/ as true an art medium as the easel:
/ when actors have risen as superior 20
I cheap applause as scientists; when the
1 atrical art. not heavy type on the play
I bills. has become the general ambition
! OF the profession" when seriousness.
I earnestness, and character have super
! seeded hippancy. superficiality. and i'm
morality; in a word. when the millennium
OF the stage has arrived-our actors will
\ speak TO make themselves understood
/ and become 10 the ear much what
/ handsome printed page is to the eye. I'm
/ I'll then. let US give our support to such
| as Mr. Willard, from whom IL is a de-
1 light 10 hear the English language.
! whose delivery elevates ordinary prose
/ into poetry. and rejoice as heartily as
we rejoice for the sculpture Of Michael
/ and Burne-Jones. A D. A