The San Francisco call., 1905-02-19


oh" the D'Orsay hands spread
themselves hopelessly, everything.
could not tell you what I did, carried
swords, feather busters. trays! At one
time / was with George Edwardes--'
Then you sing?" l interrupted.
L don't know if you would call it
that-ha, har' Mr.. D'Orsay chuckled.
Mr.. Edwardes jolly wen didn't. Hay
den Coffin did the singing, don'tcher-
know, and we boys marched round On
uniform"
Il rather suspect you of liking a uni
form Mr.. DOrsay?"
'Oh, is that fair, now?' the actor
pleaded. "But-do you remember the
uniform of the king in A Royal Fam
ily'? Wasn't il a rather splendid af-
fair? OF course, there are some men
that can wear uniforms. and some that
never could, don'tcherknow?" And I
rather think myself that Mr.. D'Orsay
numbers that among his accomplish
ments. Which is probably one reason
why Augustus Thomas, who is fitting
the actor with new play, has made
him a British diplomat at Washington,
D. c.
Were you ever" 1 inquired then in
purposeful slang, up against Shake
speare?"
Up against this dear America!'
the actor murmured. "Yes, have been
up against Shakespeare. They told
me l was very funny in it. l guess L
was, ha, ha, I'm not very fond of
being prinked out i'm pale blue stock
ings ana pink pumps. you know" this
with cOmical disgust
But in spite of all temptations TO
remain a super and to play Dundreary
Shakespeare, you came out all right"
/ prompted.
Couldn't do anything else" the actor
said, the sweet smile slowly breaking
out again. Il couldn't sink, you know,
with my mother. l was bound to rise.
But 1 had awf'ly hard times That's
nothing though And [ wouldn't ask
for anything from my people, didn't see
them for years. Then came a time
when people began TO call certain parts
'D'Orsay' parts, and 1 began to be
known as a man with a speciality.
Then is when a fellow begins to make
money. He can," Mr.. D'Orsay laughed
pridefully. deliver the goods
The actor lol1ed so comicaIly proud
OA A4lN Stdl46 NAldL OIlt ItluSl uG0QS
in with the laugh, and then he went
on: This American slang is simply
tiptop! It's so jolly expressive BY
Jove. where could you find a cIeverer
expression than this? There is a man
that wants to go after visit, says he
must go, gets up, sits down, gets up
again. but doesn't go-you know his
sort. The other fellow says: Wei, why
don't you go? There's no string tied
10 yOu,' ha, ha."
And now, seriously" 1 asked the
actor, don't you find that having so
marked a personality as yours limits
you in range Of parts?"
''Of course, ii must to a certain ex-
tent" replied the new Dundreary. And
trading on personality alone is not
the highest form Of art But l venture
to think that it is impossible to use
successfully personality unless an
actor knows his art. Dramatize his
personality once, as you say, and out
side Of that he is lost. He must know
how to differentiate around it: how to
accent here more heavily there more
lightly; how to obscure this and to ex-
hibit the other quality. Take the king
in A Royal Family and Lord Card
ingtcn. for example: The kings man
ners are vastly different, yet the per-
sonality is something the same But
! am not very fond OF talking of my
self here
"Well let us talk of your reception
last night" 1 suggested. Weren't you
pleased2"
DO you remember the actor asked,
leaning forward, that ] said that
coming to San Francisco was like com
ing home to me: l meant exactly that.
j expected you to be good to me,
don'tcherknow? oh, like to get herel
l feel like new man. l want to put
on cap and take pipe and smoke
and walk for miles.
But il is tiresome, long way
here
But wonderful trip" said the ac-