New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-21
ACTORS OF TO-DAY.
Men Of Stage Gre Vie7cs of Com.
merciaI Managers and Shakespeare.


They had jolly tine AT the Professional vvo-
mans League yesterday afternoon. Frank Les
Short pointed out some respects n which the.actor
Is better or than he used 10 he Raymond Hitch
cock answered him back, incidentally giving soma
OF his views on Shakespeare and the Shakespea-ian
drama Whitney Nock-tdge demonstrated how
easy Il Is 10 be au I-irhman (at least in speech)
without knowing IT, - gave q first class inita-
ton OF a London dr. ~-iIE room singer who sings
without any voice. Lenuel 3. Q Josephs made .
plea for more spontan-lty and less a1tomatsm in
acting And then tr@re vas vocal music by
George Featherstone ana Ass Isabelle Lavuock
and several piano solos played by the composer.
NJ Paul d'Acosta. late rom Paris. Miss Eagel
Sumner vas chairman
From June 10 September, according TO The
Phlistine' preachers. BARRIERS and that sort OF
people should remember cut Il short. 7 shall
cut Il short" began AIr. Short.
What shall I talk about 7 asked Miss Sum
ner
About ten minutes and sit down. said she.
But for heavens sake. don't be pronound
Formerly people had 10 act better because they
had not many things help them. out said Mr.
Short. getting down 10 his subject. IN thar
spect We are AT once better OF and worse of than
they IN che way we show a distinct improvement
one hundred actors own tteir homes To-Day
where one actor did one hundred years ago. q
have a brother in the real estate business)
NOV for point !n which We are worse OF.
which : shall illustrate from my own experience
Top asked theatrical agent I know for
letter Of Introduction.
But they want an EnElishmen for The part
ne Objected 7 shall bp delighted 70 give yue the
lstter but you won't do-they must have Eng
Nshmsn'
That's q sad commentary On the stage I re
Piled. II rs true. il means that it's no use iap-
plying .or an Irish comedy character unless you
apply IN q red wig
The next day went hack % the agent
A." II you'll give ne r.a- srter' told him 7 be-
Eeve II apply for rEat para
y did and I got st. 8lt il IS TOO bad that an
actor should have 10 make up for thu part he sp-
plies for. In the old days a person who applied
Tor an Old man part vas not obliged % walk IN 10
the manager with white wig"
Here Mr.. Short stopped 70 explain why New
York managers dght shy Of the classic drama
I've might stop railing a lit n the commercial
manager II I1sen paid IL New-GOrk, managers
would like 70 produce him. one reason WIZ Tie
big dramas ara not appreciated IS from lack os
knoWedse We actors turn over the pages and
STUDY Up, become enthusiasts and read between
The lines, but cant expect the public 20 do that
Along IN the winter my brOther-in-Iaw
RETAINING some railroad men from the South, and
asked me what d good play to take them 10.
looked over the papers al the club and picked out
the one that I would rather see-4Irs Fisze IN
Aag0a!a-' So my brother took two CT The men
that night 70 Ms. Fiske in 'AIaSdala-' The
.eLL hgiJ di1ed win them, and my brother sa-d
e ne Indignantly; on. you're q me one, you arei
you send OF 10 work three hours mora At the
.saeage- tel you. that play fairly tired us Out
,,,!a a. ne 6sg.aEing O.. The winter got scyere
toack Of FarsiralItis.' I read IL IN t"enty-iour
versions before performance for 1irst
tine and taen found didn't know anything
t0out Il, ana read some more. Veil. late- lect-
Y Conn-cLic-r town. There Slss in the house
1hfee dollars were people VINO knew something
about Pars:.aI' Perhaps $ belonged TO people
VINO were interested in i. The rest Thought l hSd
come 10 advertise q breakfast food
! th.nk you1n agree with me" said Mr.. Short. IN
conclusion. thar when We get our Coincide Fran
seiSs i VIII le ne best thar was eEtr ss,.
5,aI 1ag % ne too'l4GlltS % ne Iii'-c 49,
.oslcal effects or the modern drama, but II quite
We're the oId actors better than we. anyway?
-, y 80, we're they petlcs 1881 ul'I--
nave scenery For my part / don tnifk IL posHl-
oe 70 rehearse and play three or four plays Ia one
80 as lley used 40, aio co IL Wei - ~ -
aoselce. o. scenery but OF competition
no. ne naIlageIs Try - G 5 70 Ia, , - e.a
sad the result is Bertha, the Sewing Machine
Cir High ART. isn't 81 But Il makes merry
"Fsth can remove mountains. That writ
~ before you = ever thought OF gong Oh ne
sag but II Is true OF as. Inc actor Ilas rs tile
WIZ hand. We must whip our audiences INTO Tx
IAN Inc traditions and rules II, the world don't
eoont Tor anything. Thcy are dead some one
huge along VINO o'eas lem a. poIit AieSread1
55ad ksan-they could not play shakespeare ike
men cont want Shylocks and such things
Why DIDN'T Forbes Robertson make money here
VIE his Shakespeare Because We arc grown up
uYi- %2-it 10 De frightened Nlli stloa'7 @-'1
oearE any longer. We want something new -
he is gong to be played now he must be brought
~ 70 our time, with an actor OF actI oSS IN eau
have 20 90 back 20 Shakespeare He may break
~ the traditions and rules OF the art, stand WIN
put II he has a strong conception and can throw
~ a. his audience with authority. he succeeds.