The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-13

he longed to be a great actor before
the world at large; and so, his day of
triumph over, he again took up the
struggle, for to be able to tread the
boards Of the theater of his native
town young Conried had worked
hard as well as dreamed for twenty
years
AS a school boy he spent hours
reading plays, and other hours at the
theater, studying, in his boyish way,
the actors on the stage. His school
days over, his father, who took no
stock in his sons histrionic ambitions,
apprenticed him to q weaver. The son
struck a bargain with his father. Il
will work hard if you will let me go
where 1 please and do what ] please
when my apprenticeship is over" he
said; and the father agreed.
Became Meister.
Heinrich stuck to his part of the
agreement for two years: then. one
day he was able to report to his father
that he had become a "meister:" his
'meisterschaft" had been accepted
his original design in fifteen coors of
Faust and Marguerite" had been de-
clared perfect in every thread. His
apprenticeship had not caused him to
be weaned from his ambition.
Not long afterwards the father full
filled his part of the bargain, and
young Conried started from Bieitz for
Vienna.
He went to the capital to become an
actor; he became instead a mere clerk
in commission house: he had to, OF
starve. Then, when he had proved his
mettle, his brothers, who were well-to-
do, got him position in bank.
Perhaps they thought the clink OF
gold WOuld win the lad from his haa t,t c
desire, but the new work simply gave
him time to dream more and money
enough to enable him to get his break
| fasts at a restaurant where an actor
was in the habit of taking his meals.
Mr.. Conried confesses that he ate
at that restaurant with the sole pur-
pose of being near the actor; but in
the course of time he and the Thes-
| plan became acquainted, and the lat
ter found out his new acquaintance
hopes. The result was a meeting with
the great Forester of the Burg The
alter.
Taken Up by Forester.
Forester took to young Conried at
once. Conreid had no time to attend
Foerster's clasSes-he had to earn a
livelihood by day in the bank-so
Forester instructed him in the early
morning while taking his recreation
and the waters.
The new pupil poved apt; in a few
weeks he was told to attend a test re-
hearsal at the theater He did so
with fear and trembling; he was
chosen for an engagement out of a
possible two-score of contestants. He
was atilast a member of the Burg The
ater the goal of all Austrian actors,
and straightway he gave up his po-
| sition in the bank.
But his troubles were not yet over.
He had left his clerical position; he
was penniless; on the third day of his
engagement he appeared hungry and
weak at the theater.
Forester noticed his pupils pale
ness and inquired as to it's cause.
| Young Conried protested that he was
all right, but half an hour later, as he
| sat at the breakfast table as the guest
| of Forester, the latter found out what
was the matter with the new mem
Der of his company, and advanced him
money so that he would not have to
| go hungry again.
After that Conreids affairs ran
more smoothly. He applied himself
| diligently, and what time he did not
put in study on his own parts he
spent in acquainting himself with Foer-
ster's methods as actor and as mana
6SAt cS hC lONCoACO lAAClh at liAS oul 3
Theater. Thus, he early became an
opponent of the star system and an
| unwaYering believer in Foerster'S Sys-
| tem-all around excellence and the sup
| preston of even the greatest actor
whenever necessary for the general re-
| suit. And, among many other les
sons taught him by his 'benefactor, he
| learned how complicated plays could
be staged with facility, if the problem
is approached in the right way and
the plans clearly thought out before
| hand.
Returned to His Native Town.
Such, in brief. were Mr.. Conrieds
struggles from the daV he left Rielitz