The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-01


widely contrasted parts an actor may
sumo, each one is to help the next and i'm
part explain It'll began my stage life with
no intention Of ever playing Hamlet or any
part like it. My great ambition was to
shine in parts such as my father presented
in comedy roles. 1t was a long while be-
fore i discovered that the bent of my ma
ture was toward serious parts; that in
them only, If was to succeed at all, could
1 succeed with any satisfaction to myself
/ think that all along had subconscious
leaning toward them, but the force OF my
fathers influence kept it buried. And, on
the whole, am not sure that did not dis
cover this natural leaning a bit too soon.
The comedy training can do no harm. In
my early days, too, played for two sea-
sons in Shakespeare with John Mccullough.
and that training was invaluable. Indeed,
it is training next TO impossible TO get
now, as 1 discover in picking a cast. Not
only did ! learn how Mccullough staged
Shakespeare. a knowledge that, by a ten
acious memory, L retain to the least bit OF
business to this day. but felt the atmos-
phere Of Shakespeare around me. Just TO
feel for year or two that atmosphere all
the time is to gain something that may
P-cSCo1ACAAf
is very real and present help.
well, Hamlet has come at last And I
know more than ever what a constant bat
tie is success Thanks TO hundreds of let
tiers from intelligent persons and to the
critics who write OF a production serious
ly. not with the sole intent to be clever.
L am well aware that / am not the best
Hamlet that ever was. / hope to be better
than am some day. That is part OF the
pleasure in playing the part; each time you
come off the stage you want TO go back
and do IL all again, you know you
could do II so much better. There are a
thousand requirements to meet. a thousand
changes by an infection, a gesture. a tone.
to make your conception more appealing to
the audience; and you struggle to realize
more of them all the time"
I'm playing Hamlet" Mr.. Sothern's Wis
itor said, you speak TO nobody during the
performance. but remain alone I'm your
dressing room. Is that your custom al
ways?"
mo, IL is not" the actor replied. And
because follow II in Hamlet you may bet
ter understand the demands of the char
acter. An actor should always have his
lines, his business, his gestures. down TO
such degree of mechanical subconscious
action. that his part. in a measure. plays
itself. With many parts that is about all
there Is to IL, after few performances,
and one is glad TO come of the stage to
chat with his friends between cues. But in
Hamlet there Is no such laxity permissible,
at least for me- In my dressing room be-
fore each act 1 go through all the lines OF
the next, trying 10 see where 1 can make
my execution better 1T my conception,
keeping absorbed i'm the part all the while.
1t is no easy matter even to satisfy par
TALLY ones self. TO say nothing OF satisfy
ing the critics OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
audiences Each night is q new contest
however hard and thorough the preliminary
study may have BEEN
You first make sure of your conception
and then struggle with the execution"
WELL" said Mr.. Sothern. "one's concep-
ton of the part is by no means a fixed
thing. Critics shake IL. moods may change
il here and there; but once il is fixed for
any one passage the whole problem be-
comes one OF execution. That is. of how TO
make your audience believe as you do. IL
Is almost the orators problem. and often
with an audience which does not believe
as you do. You can see the keen. intelec-
tual pleasure OF the game.
For instance. l was at a dinner party
the other night" Mr.. Sothern continued.
where the guests were men OF literary in
cIination. and all interested In Shaksperean
reviyals. and the talk soon turned TO my
production OF Hamlet One OF the first
passages discussed was the scene with
ophelia. following the solloquy. and you
would have laughed 20 see how each man
in the company had different conception
OF that scene. and FASTENED TO get his view
presented before the otheis. In the midst
of the babel OF voices my stage training
stood me in good stead. and l think my
view was the only one heard. for talked
| so much louder than the rest"
| Professor Kittredge says that no one