The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-06-29
lie THEATRES

1 AZ 10 py no means an easy taSh W bo'
an interview with an assistant stage
director. but managed 10 have a chat.
and most interesting one. with Bob
bic" Turner. as he Is affectionately termed
| by his fellow workers at Keith's Monday
evening. and although this talk was In
"snatches." It was a thoroughly enjoy
able one. II Is indeed a rare occurance
TO find an actor of little Mr.. Turner'S
ability in the position OF assistant stage
director, but when I saw the keen. alert
manner In which he watched every detail
OF the Albee company's big production
| OF Romeo and Juliet" issuing an order
here In brisk quiet way, here a direc-
ton as to the exact position OF a certain
stage prop and answering innumerabe
questions from players and stage hands.
| / no longer marveled, evidently Mr.. T11r-
ners talents are not limited to acting.
| Even after had gained an entrance 10
! the Green room. which is a feat in itself.
/ for Monday Is busy day In a stock
theatre on account OF the anxiety OF all
| for the smoothness Of the first perform
ances J wondered. when ] saw how oc-
| cupied Mr.. Turner was. how l was going
| 10 secure the chat for which had been
sent. There are ~ many extra ladies
! and gentlemen around. and so much
scenery being shifted rapidly in the dark.
that think perhaps the best place for
| you would be In here said Mr.. Turner,
thoughtfully. as he tucked me out OF the
way In what is known AZ ''The
Prompters Box" But won't you need TO
| sit here? Monday I thought"
mo. indeed. Not this company re-
| piled. with special proud emphasis upon
the word this" TITS only occas sionally
that have TO prompt. and certainly not
| in Romeo and Juliet which almost every
member OF the company knows by heart.
Just a moment. until see II these
properties are all right for the next
scene, and I'll be Mt your service" saw
! him give n few~orders TO the property
man. and then stop for moments con-
sultation with Mr.. Winter. and then he
was back. demanding In his breezy. frank
manner, And now, what can I do for
| your"
"Just talk to me about yourself"
| answered
TOO commonplace to waste time upon"
he replied. with a smile. Let's talk
| about
Not the weather." I begged
Romeo and Juliet, or Shakespeare,
| was going to say"
That suits me exactly" thought I. for
my direct reason for seeking this inter
| view was because I had been especially
! interested IN the great SUCCESS scored by
] this clever young man in such Shakes
! pearean roles as Launcelot Gobbo. which
I had the pleasure OF seeing. Dogberry
and Peter all three OF which are roles
! In which few, IL any actors, without
years OF experience and wide reputation
had scored. Aloud said: You are par
ticularly interested in Shakespeare"
Yes. indeed. who isn't? There's SO
much to his works One studies and
studies a certain Shakespearean role, try
ing to get at every thought and pos-
sibility Of the role. but II seems endless
The more one studies tho more beauties
In the lines are unfolded to him. As
for being difficult. some players say
| think that's not so. at least, II isn't In
my case. The meter makes II especially
easy to memorize. and there is 80 much
depth 10 its lines. which are more than
mere words. that they stick when once
they have been learned. Then, there's
so much to his characters. On the surface
| ~ would seem as II there Is very little
10 many Of the parts, but the possibilities
are there. Take Peter. for instance he
depends upon facial expression and pan
tomime almost wholly. and yet how many
famous actors have scored the hits OF
their careers in that role. It's Just the
possibilities. | tell you, that are in that
role which makes everyone anxious TO
play it."
You like the part?" asked
Like IL? Well, rather. When the big
| Elizabethan production was being planned
In New York n year ago last spring a
friend asked me why didn't. ask for
the role OF Peter. What's the USE I
asked him. They'll have an older and bet
ter man than am for the part, and be-
sides. I've never played It, and am lust
bit afraid. and to tell you the truth I
don't see what there is in the part that
should make everyone so crazy to play
It But I did apply for IL, and by luck
was engaged to play the part. 1t took
me about three rehearsals to wake up
to the splendid opportunities in the part.
and then j began to dig away at It. de-
termined TO do my level best with II. In
conservation with the manager. an &C.
centric man. one day ] confided to him
the fact that had never even seen the
part played. so much the better he
said. Now you'll at least be original
The at least wasn't very hattering but
he afterwards told me and Mrs. W. q.
Jones, who Is conceded to be ono OF the
best nurses the stage In this country
has ever had. agreed that I was some
thing more than original. Then. after I
had a taste OF Shakespeare. with Peter,
l was hungry and cried for more re-
fused couple of good offers shortly after
that. determined to get another comedy
role In one or the several Shakespearean
revivals which were being planned at
that time. Fortune favored me, and I
was engaged to play Launcelot Gobbo
with Joseph Adler. oh, what a part that
liz. Really. was so glad TO get the chance
to play that part and with such an actor.
that my mother teasingly asked me how
| much ! was going TO pay Mr. Adler for
being allowed to play It,"
why were you so anxious to play only
the comedy roles7" I asked. why not
the Juvenile roies?'
"Oh. bother Juvenile roles Give me the
comedy That II. II It's good, legitimate
comedy he added quickly. mo mug
gfng. II a man can't make an audience
laugh without resorting to buffoonery he
hasn't the qualifications OF a comedian
and should give UP. or course applause
is a splendid stimulus. but n good hearty
laugh. beginning with n chuckle and
gradually growing into a hearty, spon-
taneous laugh filling the entire theatre,
warns the heart Of the actor nightly
The audience may applaud from cour-
tesy when an actor has Worked hard.
bul II laughs only when II really means