New-York tribune., 1905-12-13
MRS. FISKE AT HARVARD
actress Dslivers an 1adress on
Ethics of the Drama.

''The Theatre in Saunders's Theatre late this
afternoon. The auditorium crowded with Har-
ward and Radcliffe students. Charles T. Copeland
lecturer English literature at Harvard, intro
duced Mrs Fiske. She spoke in part as follows:
It seems superfiuous to set out to find an excuse
for the theatre. There are few instincts in the
human animal more definite or more clearly
marked than the dramatic instinct We can I'M
agine the drama in the Garden of Eden that re-
lated to the fatal apple; we can see the tragedy
that was enacted between Cain and Abel. Watch
ing the pay OIL chlldren. we see that Drama -
lation and impersonatlon are as natural IN man as
An institution that has grown from human Inn
pulse must be related closely TO every ethical idea
the play, in form or another, has been factor
in educating and deIightjng the world Ever since
song to linn fat surfaces mis- ideas, or TO
make images of his cOnceptionseyer since; Inel9uy,
drawing or painting sculpture and living iansuaSe
has been an inspiration to the world. What could
have taken the place of theatre if it never had
existed?
To any one of English speech fond of the theatre,
the English stage offers enough OF romance woven
with hardship and ill happening, with ethical les
shortcomings to fill many volume The Ereh1eT EjoeT
ethics Of Shakespeare have survived many q scnooi
Of philosophy, and the lessons that ne has Plcteo
with eoors that glow updimmed PTo@nIase @ eTd m The
spirit OF the time is prone to question ana 70
analyze From great general principles tI iif GU a d
make the details Of existence even the homey or
sinister details suggestive and instructive From
grand reaches and highly colored and hefoc ny
problems Some problems may seem petty, in that
they are immersed in the commonplace Yet the
of reform in some of features of life that have
developed miseries.
EFFECT OF PLAYS ON AUDIENCES.
doubt if have any convictions, whatever on
the subject to whether plays may have an eIect
for good bad, except they may represent
that brings with it a spiritual uplifting, or that
stfrs the aesthetic nature, or that inspires soe
esteemed of value In their various functions and
by their various appeals these things may be ac-
play Often the stage falls into the crime OF the
1 do not know that the stage now is nobler or
more intellectual than it was at any time; Per
other ways those DAYS were better That the
drama whole Excluding. of course. the mas
er nlInber) may be better I think quite prop
able, As to the masterpieces, we Of course must
analysis; and outside of Shakespeare the good old
almost all things that we necessarily would nave
to enter long series of dissertations to DIFF
they represent the romanticism, the sentinentaIty
and the artihcialty withal. Of the older time, as
all literary treatment of the better class with ref
erence to the ethics OF life ard the liberalism OF
Nowadays, the presentation of our plays is as
and the costumer and the knowledge of scholars
in various relative fields and the endless drilling Of
proved in the acting of plays that reveal modern
true we a2 age to TO BG De World i9o of p beauty
hidden heretofore glorious new world opened TO
and disciples We are learning the beauty Of the
natural and the perfectly true.
AIMS OF PRODUCERS
Returning to the subject of the modern realiza-
seem to be- the artistic aim of producer. That
aim OF course is a perfect harmony-aa atra perfect
thing that is much relied upon by the commeTeiai
deliberate attempt to exploit single personality.
1t debases the talent of the dran1attst and sub
pose 1t is atrocious prostitution of dramatic
art The star-made,' play can have no consist on tho
various elements In dramatie story dS5GrfS ts1 a
scenes ana nlnIm1zes an Pej1.so Ia !Iaer
Good art requires that the play should have di,
events and that in its performance above all else
there should be harmony. AS to the acting in IN
performance of a well balanced orchestra Do you
T 1 6 9@ n @ t hs1c he e see PhX Pa IA an the oRT
parts are poorly or indferently acted? There can
the n w ioVers Of m melody think f. While listening to
an orchestra they should hear Two % OF oe thSe t an
off the key? The great dramatists have never de,
pIays. No star plays can be found in Ibsen. or,
heretical as the statement may seem, IN snake sna6eg
certain characters Predomnate and are & natury any
spicuous at the expense OF others quite as vital 10
The question is often asked: Does the stage, as
a vocation, tend to endanger the character OF the
actor? In way It does endanger cnaTactesr,@ IN IN
the very nature of things The popularity OF tine the
actors profession, the fact that ms name ~ @ Gon-
stantIy in the newspapers. and that he is given
more publicity than other artists is apt to engen-
of his achIevements @ Tat is the one great danger
to the character of the actor He is in danger Of
phase Of the mantle artist. He is apt to forget
that while AN the woF@d @ bs s'ag {ag is o9gI All the
world He is apt to confne his thoughts too
fOse fi0 a 70 the S artist must Know all Of human nature
and that his life must be completed ana l Io9hoeo
derstanding.
WHAT ACTORS HAVE TO CONTEND WITH
The actor has to. contend with misfortunes that
are not 9d F9f6e @ p1bc 5 6S Combine to Wear ont
artist and make it impossible for him always to
actor could rise to greater heights conditions
iifferent-were they even as they are in many EI-
player shall appear as regularly as night cor comes Is
round The strain during theatr@IcaI @ season 9 ~, Is
best that is in the artist The actor, sho9Q I nave
ms b{%b r ba nav newly cerebrate his work and
come fresh and full Of inspire ton to his PUBLIC &
achieved reputation may drop his brush %aeR 4i ne
needs rest and PICK M up sTriter whose merit
hos been recognized has the same privilege, which
mt The actor must present himself upon the stage
r. the audience that will expect MS pest, nlsh55
4eer 4be dn ngn monotony @ Of it se the possibility Of
creditable effort Thus we peG05l1 % r occasion IN
ont ond Pndoriv upon another. The actors halcyon
SaVs will come when have fewer perIorfIna9sGeis, i
me actor of course should be Independent OF ms ms
andience hut often he is not and the playg91er g1
frequently has much to do in the mahng OF Tars e
Who are a Joy and Inspiration to the actor ana
others that depress and repe MIN ,, o,,-a bis or
her personal ideal Of the theatre. as 70 what pay
sbod he in all its aspects and in all that concerns
lie INTERPRETATION, and try to measure up.
erce i'm the actual theatre in accord WIN ma
f5esI we should demand in a play gooo HIerStt-
ture good dramatic construction strong ana fqI+ Gi
IersfSd characterization, and in the dcunS HlSist
mon the symmetries that have been neId p. 70 9e
necessary to the works Of all good art In Sn or
and tolerate nothing that we believe 70 pe ~
the standards that any intelligent person ous'l +t 70
w obIe to formulate. do not know where IN [le
tFeatre this ideal NAV be found to-day; oqt / 9e
Ieve that II the public sets its @ t orsd