The San Francisco call., 1904-03-19
The Hct0r'S Profession.
BY L. II. SOTHERE.
tSta- Actor


IN every profession, trade, occupation,
the question of how to achieve the
highest possible result-to vie with
some naster-to succeed. is to-day the
all engrossing thought Of men and
women.
At no other period Of the world was
ever SO much thought, care and study
paid TO the question Of success as now.
Success-that inYigorating. fresh-air
tonic-success and how to gain its
q theme uppermost in mems minds.
one cannot view the great attention
that is being paid to the problem OF
achievement but become convinced that
lhe tendency of the world is to become
systematized, that less is being left TO
chance, that the ways of the struggling
are being lightened and that il is gradu-
ally becoming more possible TO accom-
plish great things than ever before.
The drama. enrolling in its devOtees
The best thought and energies Of the
thousands, has become a force that is
daily being reckOned with more and
more. When Victor Hugo many years
ego called the actor the high priest in
his pulpit who sOws seeds Of thought.
he spoke with the voice Of a seer that
was not taken seriously by his genera
tion. but was 10 be listened TO a hun
dred years after. The great multitudes
Of theatergOers who attend theaters
nightly throughout this country are a
tribute to the art of the actor, the sur
roundings Of the stage and the neces-
sites Of the drama as a means Of rec
reation. II now rests with the actor
To make il a means Of ennoblement.
How to succeed as an actor, how TO
pay the warmest tribute to the drama,
how 10 give the public the greatest re-
suits Of the actors efforts are sub
5ects worthy Of close attention from
the best minds.
I. have always contended that the
actors art embraces all the other arts.
In his own being he brings out the ef-
fects aimed at in the color emotions
of the painter. in the prose emotions o1
the sculptor, in the thought emotions
Of the author, in the soul emotions of
the poet, in the magnetic emotions OF
the orator. He incorporates these in a
composite whole in his work and re-
hects them in himself. The laws OF
success in each Of these branches of art
enter Of necessity into the art of the
actor.
If one would desire to lay down a
set of laws to govern advancement
upon the stage, one is struck at the
outset by the -elusiveness Of the
scheme, for the drama, like all other
arts. requires the innate artistic sense
When that is once found, as a gen.
eral rule, il forces itself into a hear
ing, like the sprout that grows under
the ground and forces itself into the
sun. into the plant or shrub or beau
tiful flower it is ordained 10 be. 1t is
the strength Of the Unborn artistic
sense that viii make itself be felt more
or less. according TO its worth and in
tensity. Whatever may be said to aid
an actor can only be set forth in a
few rules of ethics-a moral guidance
that viii not make an actor of man
whom nature has not ordered to be
one. but would help in lending clean
" aid to the drama in those who
would succeed. The actor is a law
unto himself He is innately an actor
There is a temperament that gives
conviction TO the audjence-there IS
the elasticity 10 take on and give out
emotion, for that is the great effort
for which the actors energies are
bent-the giving out Of emotion.
have seen humble supernumeraries
who were great actors, though they
did not know it. They had the grace
and the power Of expression which
some others. cast for leading roles
could never hope to equal. No set OF
rules VIII make a man an actor. Nc
help viii assist him TO span mediocrity
II he is not a dramatic artist at heart
Granting an actor is innately one
and has the natural gifts Of pleasing
appearance, magnetism and inspiration
what then? These will pass his
first examination into the eligibles
Plutarch relates OF a battle-scarred
Roman being asked what were the re-
quirements 10 become a great warrior
md be answered: a great character
It is not such a great cry after al
tronl . great warrior 10 a great actor
Character is as much a part of sue
cess in the drama as it is in the fight
ing field.
I would place character at the head
of requirements for the stage success
A great man character is a gentleman
at heart. He will live in a plane ot
high thinking and loEviy living. Ht
will have sane methods; he vii
breathe a good personality over the
fOotlights; he viii take pleasure in the
simple things Of life and will aid the
drama on the road to ennoblement
Character is the essence which defie.
tempts ton laxity and the diversion:
that are the pitfalls. Character vii
instill concentration. To keep onesel,
simple and fresh and young at hear
is the duty Of the actor, and sanity
health and that feeling Ibscn expresse.
as THE JOY of life" are the things oul
drama viii always need. The acto,
with character is the strength an(
backbone Of the drama TO come-th,
drama that will be poetic. scientin,
end fUll Of great hope and pleasure
the drama that VIII take It's place sd.
by side with the pulpit iu sowin;
kindly help and cnnoblement.
The management OF his career is a
great a necessity TO an actor as ar,
his natural gifts as an artist. Their.