The Washington times., 1904-05-15
The Great Performances of
the "Palmy Days" Are a
DeIusion, and Honest AC7
tors Sau SO.

unmercenary managers OF the theater OF
the day before yesterday.
Where He Will Crawl.
Perhaps we have stated that last a
trifie too strong, for pin him down to
details regarding the days of candles
and kerosene for stage lighting, even
demand persistently how they made
sunrises and sunsets with a single row
of gaslight jets. and he will allow that
perhaps the production was not quite
Up TO the modern standard. But then.
he will cry in triumph. the acting was
so very fine that no one ever thought
of taking any account of such such mere
externals as the stage settings. And as
a sort OF emphasis of his right TO judge,
he will register a kick because the seen
cry Of a company just ending a long
season on the road Is shop worn, and
the trousers of the actors bag at the
knees. and the gowns OF actresses have
creases down the front where the dress
maker never intended that creases
should be.
A Secretl
But bring your ear close and let me
whisper a secret into it's shell-like
depths It's all tommyrot. this stuff
and nonsense about the old stock COM
paRies. It's all tommyrot, this talk
about their great acting, their great
plays and their great productions It's
all tommyrot. this talk about their val
ne as training school for actors.
But. you say. look at the great players
who have come out Of them. Yes, look
at them. Who are they? How many OF
them are great stars? Wen give you the
rest OF the week to pick round dozen,
and then we'l tell you that every one OF
them is an example of the survival OF
the fittest. for nothing but the ittest
could survive the sloppy methods. the
Elipshod performances. and the habitual
taking that characterized the stock
company performances Of the old days.
The Old Actors Testimony.
You don't believe word of it? Pray,
then. who should know the truth. you
who only remember stock company per-
formances as a childhood drama doubly
idealized by the gliding Of time, you
who perhaps never saw an old stock
company performance. but have read
about them and listened TO others tell
about them-you who really know Moth
ing about it. or the old actor. caught
when he is in an honest mood. and COM
PEELED TO disgorge the truth?
Get the honest old actor TO talking I'M
der those circumstances and he will a
tale unfold that will astonish you. He
will tell you how Booth used 10 act
Hamlet" with a strange company with
out a rehearsal; how Forrest swore at
the players on the stage right in the
midst of a performance; how countless
other things were done as a matter Of
fact which would not be tolerated to-
day on the stage OF the cheapest theater
in the land.
Where the Old Company Was Strong.
The single strong point OF the old
stock company was its acting OF the>old
comedies. the standard plays of the
time. the stop-gaps which were always
put between the visits OF the travelling
stars These. the old actors knew back
ward and forward and all the way
around. They played the same parts in
them year in and year out. They were
familiar with the traditional business
down to the minutest detail. AS a re-
suit they gave performances which the
modern revivals Of the same pieces can
not duplicate.
But. mark this. in playing these old
comedies. the old-timers were working
according to modern methods They did
not rehearse three and four weeks in
preparation, to be sure nor did they
play one drama continuously for a whole
season: but they did make revivals OF
the same plays at frequent intervals
many times in the season. and many
seasons in succession. Consequently. in
effect they played the same parts just
as much as the modern actor plays one
part
Consultations.
Write this down as fact. and we won't
except dear old William Shakespeare
himself from the generalization, either:
The art OF Hay writing is further de-
veloped today than II ever has been in
human history. and the art OF present.
ing plays in the theater. including as
the principal part of presentation the
art Of acting plays. IS also further ad-
vanced than it ever has been in history.
II we had the time, we could prove the
statement but inasmuch as we started
in to say something about Edwin Ar
denis summer stock company at the Co
lumbia Theater. we shall get through
talking before we commence. II we don't
watch cut.
We heard some folks grumbIe because
this company did not give what they
thought was frst-class performance
on the opening night. They were in
clined to believe that tile actors were all
sorts Of "dubs," and that things gen.
orally were on the high road ID the
demnition bow-waws.
Don't Blame Actors for Play.
Wen. as a mater OI fact. Il wasn't a
first class performance on Monday night,
but then no one was paying a hrst-class
price for il. Moreover, IL wasn't first-
class play, and Il Is little tough. so It
seems 10 US. to blame the actors for the
dramatist's plumbers. notwithstanding
that when the tables are turned. II is
ordinarily the actor who is praised Tor
the dramatis,'s merits.
A theatrical compauy Is like piece
OF machinery. II always runs better
after IL has been I'm operation a little
while. II takes time fer The people on
the stage to get used TO each other, to
get the feel OF their fellow players
ways OF doing things. to know where
TO bear down and where 10 let up In
crser 10 &c. the best effect
II Means Hard Work.
Moreover. under the best Of conditions
II Is no small feat TO put on a play a
week. and especially Is this difficult