The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-20
THEATRICAL NEWS
William H. Thompson Believes
in Being a Good Actor.
Never Wanted to Be a Star and
Is One.
COMMENTS ARE SEVERE
Says Factory and Self Made
Stars Are Bad.
He Does Not Like to MOnopolize
Lime Light.
MMENTS ARE SEVERE

There are two kinds of theatrical
stars with which the public is afflicted
Just now One is the factory made
star and the other is the self-made
star. They both have much to account
for. Both bad"
The speaker was William H Thomp-
son. who has been an actor all his life,
but has persistently refrained from be-
ing a star until this season. IN. years
he is now on his third score, and his
hair is the next thing to white For
all that, he has no stellar ambitions,
and it was almost with regret that he
saw his name go up in big letters on
the posters as Jouvenel in James K
Hackett's production Of The Secret of
Pohchinells." He is star now despite
himself. and an effulgent one at that.
The country is flooded with stars;
we are almost cursed with them, con-
tiuued the veteran actor, as ne dis
gustedly threw away the butt of
cigarette and then stamped on it to put
out the spark We were having a quiet
smoke and talk in his little coop of d
dressing room at the Madison Square
theater. This was last Wednesday, the
very day before the strong arm of the
city government saw fit TO close the
doors of the theater for noncompliance
with certain fire regulations. The
smoking was "on the quiet" as it was
an absolute violation of the rules. That
is one OF the privileges of being a star
You can smoke in the dressing room
and the stage manager dare not OBJ
ject Any way. it was nearly an hour
before the curtain time and the stage
manager was not yet on duty.
These factory made stars are the
most prevalent" he went on They
turn them out by the gross from the
dramatic schools. It is like the product
of a machine shop. They stamp them
out and cut them to order in any size,
shape or style you want, just as they
cut out trousers in a swat shop or
make watches up in Waterbury,
1T gives the old time actor gone
feeling in the pit of the stomach when
he sees this yearly crop of ready made
actors while you wait that is put on
the theatrical market"
Mr. Thompson wiped his mouth as
though to get rid of a bad taste, lit
another cigarette and went on in a
strain that would not win him vote
of popularity at the dramatic schools
and on theatrical lOunging corners.
This self-made star is an evolution
from the variety stage, a slapstick
comedian who suddenly finds himself
at the head Of a company without
knowing exactly why or how OF what
He is sad spectacle to a legitimate
actor.
we unmasked a star of this descrip-
ton the other night or rather he IN
masked himself, and it was funny
number of gentlemen were discussing
s. literature It was away beyond my
depth and so I did nothing but listen.
They talked about Greek philosophers
then German poets, and then Emerson
came UP. AS am a great admirer OF
Emerson's work, I took a hand in the
discussion. Meanwhile the self-made
star had joined the party He fairly
ached to get in the conversation, but
the names were all unknown to him
and so he sat there with a blank ex-
preston until he heard the word En-
ersOn. Then he came at US
90 There, said he, gentlemen; there's
a man I can talk about 1 tell you
think Emerson is the finest man that
ever BACKED his face "
Mr.. Thompson rubbed his hand over
his mouth and laughed with his eyes.
Has the orchestra come on yet2'
he asked of the small dresser. al
right. Brush up that wig little more
and lay out the makeup
why have you never wanted to be
starr" I ventured-
Perhaps because I have seen Sc
many of them. Seriously, because
don't think SO very much of star plays
as they are called. One part play.
are more for the glorifcation of one
man than for the entertainment of az
audience. I think the ideal play +.
where a number of actors have leading
roles. In The Secret of Polichinelle,
you know, Mr. Ferguson has quite a!
important part as I have. LAIr. Fer