The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-06-14
WoTshiping Actors.
A Protest Against the PraC-
tiCe Sounded From Far-off
Denver and Re-eChoed
From New York.
skTT is my impression. says writer
in the Denver Post, that we

in the Denver Post" that we
are beginning to make ourselves
almost ridiculous in the steady exalta-
tion of the player folk.
cit is certainly true that no other walk
of life. no other example of human en-
deavor. exacts and secures such atten-
tion. such marked favor, such splendor
women of today.
I'VE of Denver are sinners beyond the
pale in this regard.
within a month the secular and Sun
day dailies have printed photographs,
etchings. aud half tones of the visiting
ones and their presumed surroundings,
that bordered on the grotesque. Here,
for example, was picture of Mary Man
ncring's' comfortable bed. another of E.
H. Sothern's restful library. Miss Cros-
mans newest baby. and Mrs. Patrick
Campbens dismal dog were portrayed,
and w. H. Crane was described in black
and white as driving a horse that looked
as though he might make the mile any
where between three minutes and three
hours.
There was nothing unusual in these
pictures. They were all essentially COM
monplace. Only their supposed associa-
ton made them possibly interesting.
They might have represented any old
bedroom. library, dog. or racer. They
simply displayed a tendency-sadly
growing-to coddle and glorify much be-
yond its deserts a profession that does
not hold an exalted intellectual place in
the world, and one whose highest mis-
sion is to amuse or entertain.
1.-The result, however, of this inordi-
nate and continuous fattering of the
players is Enthusiastically bad. Its tenden-
cy IS to make a class generally regarded
as .chesty,' and conceited, even in its
normal state, almost unbearable; quite
undesirable off the mimic stage"
Denver Not Alone.
Denver is not alone in this SHINING,
observes the New York Times The
trouble is universal. and it seems not
at all unlikely that the Wholesale ex-
ploitation of the player and his per-
sonality in all parts of the country may
be directly traced to the enterprise OF
the metropolitan purveyors OF informa-
ton concerning all things under the
sun.
But since the Denver sage has called
attention to the conditions that do exist
the remarks quoted may serve just now
as a text, the sermon to be delivered on
this Sunday morning having for subject
matter and caption. The Temperament
of the Player"
II has become habit TO invest The
actor with some mysterious quality that
would seem to remove his acts from
the sober judgments that obtain in the
case of other men, but to understand
him he must be studied from the same
point of view that lends perspective 20
the actions of those in ali other walks
Of life His springs OF action must be
judged as dispassionately as are those
that cause the shoemaker to peg for mis-
bread and the lawyer to write briefs
for his daily comforts. All are working
people in a working world. The actor
is simply a worker with the rest. The
question is how far his personal atti-
tude toward himself affects his work and
in what way the work he is engaged
in is responsible for the qualities that
dominate him.
IN the Limelight.
1t is dificultto induce a common-sense
view of the actor. for persons whose
vision is ordinarily clear are stngularly
blind where the theater is concerned
They look upon it as a realm Of mys
terry, an unknown land far removed
from the prose of this somewhat pro-
sale world Its followers are vague fig
ures dimly seen in an investing ether Of
the imagination. To such persons-and
they are so many that it might almost
be said with truth that they represent
ALTO know an actor is at once the
most surprising of their experiences.
The doings of the player furnish food
for talk for many days, and to have
had converse with one of these strange
creatures from the unknown land be-
hind the footlights IS little short OF a
revelation 1t is not only the young
and foolish who are so susceptible.
Men, ordinarily discreet in the affairs of
lie and open to no charge of sentimen-
tally, once under that glamour lose re-
st-aint and dignity and become like
children in their acceptance of what
they are pleased to think mysterious.
This attitude toward the actor is
touched upon because ii presents one OF
the chief factors in the development OF
his temperament That temperament is
based largely upon seIf-consciousness
and it is that quality that dominates
most largely the actors whole being
It is circumstances that is respon-
sible for vagaries that are unduIy ex-
allied into the region of exaggerated
emotion. The player has been schooled
by the public TO believe that he is a
being above the ken OF the rest of
mankind. It has become the fashion TO
magnify his every act. and he is never
free from the scrutinizing gaze of
public that deprecates, perhaps. but is
always interested in his doings Is it
wonder then that he draws himself
up to his full height. and. looking him
self over from his lofty point of view,
falls into the error of taking himself
too seriously?