The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-18
STUDYING FOR THE STAGE
Bernhardt Gives Views as to Training
for Dramatic Profession.

I wrote some time back. that there is no
cEd TO tho work Of studying for the stage,
and IL is so There Is much TO learn.
and many, many books must be read. The
student should read llrst, of course, the
Cramutsts Of his own language, and then
these OF other countries. Always he
should read with understanding and with
the object Of learning something. Super
fetal reading Of anything that Is not in
Itself superficial Is a waste OF time. y
uramati" student must study as she reads,
must learn the history Of every country
iE order To be able TO portray historical
characters With accuracy, and must be
cCuvcrsuUt With the great literature OF
all lands In order to fully understand the
thoughts and feelings of those she i'm
pcrSonates.
The wider the knowledge of the woman.
Tic greater tho ability Of the actress. II
one mas an aptitude for one OF the arts
OF sciences, by all means she should study
that art or science, To learn as muCn
- possible of everything should be the
chief aim OF q dramatic scholar. for all
arts, all professions, all trades, and all
conditions OF life have their bearing on
the art OF acting. There is no limit TO
the number and variety OF tho subjects
that may DC studied with advantage, and
one never reaches a point where con-
slant study ceases to be a necessity.
PurpOsely. l have avoided until now
mentioning one thing that Is extremely
important. IL Is not thing that can be
studied; 1t is not even something that
can be- defined, In the dramatic profess
sion. however. 1t counts possibly, more
than In any other occupation. / have re-
Trained from mentioning 1t until the last
because l desire to impress II on my read
eTs.
l Will put 1t in this way
The miCrobc OF success Is personal mag
Lctlsmr-Sar1h Be-nhdrdt, In Success.
If only It were possible TO train Nmeri-
can players as these French are educated
In the art Of reading lines, I'm the signih-
canoe OF every movement In all the null
ttudinouS details which make up tech
nique and give distinction as well as un-
dCrstandingi When an actor. whether a
star or a humble member OF cast, reads
lines intclligIbly and utclllGcntly, we are
grateful. Before Il French player IS CON
Sldered competent TO speak II line in pub
lie he must prove that he can pronounce
at least two hundred and nfty words a
minute and make every syllable plain
II Is the general excellence OF the French
companies that makes uS overlook the
quality OF the French stage settings
which, measured by the American stand
ards of this day and generation OF the
atriCal progress, seem inadequate and
rather shabby.-Eycrybody's Magazine.
a writer In the Theater Magazine In a
review of the life OF Edwin Forrest, whose
centenary occurred recently. says: Both
Forrest tho man and Forrest tho actor
were the subject. while he held the stage,
Of fierce dispute, which has not ceased
since he passed from life, Nature had
formed him when in one OF her most gen
erous moods. and he brought to the eX-
erclsc OF his art presence commanding
and impressive beyond that Of any actor
Of his time. immense physical force, and
n powerful and musical voice which ho
used with moving effect In tho expression
alike of passion, tenderness and grief.
He had Imagination; hc was all his days
a student, while experience early gave
him Tepose and an almost perfect precS-
lon OF method, but he lacked spirituality;
and the want Of it, a want which prompt
ed ono critic, more severe than just, To de-
scribe him as q vast animal bcwildered
by a grain of genius often caused his
acting TO appeal In vain 10 the higher
order OF mind,
''Stm. II fine mentality and poetry were
denied him. his worry limitations helped to
make him most puissant representative
OF the physical element I'm art. and I'm
roles wherein that element predominatcs
he stood unrvnled. Thus, though Ham
let and Macbeth were quite beyond his
reach he was great in old age as Lear
md greater still I'm earlier years as Nir-
glnius. SpartacuS and Othello, while as
has been justly said by another, Corla-
ianus died with him. the last of oil the
Romans. a fnir estimate of Forrest the
man can be written In tho words he
lacked self-mastery. The patience and
humility which led to grea tness were dec
MED him, he was prelude j md profanc;
he often violated the conventions and
outraged good taste; he brooked no re-
sIstanoe TO his impcrious will, and he
broodcd over insult and injury. but, II
he hated his enemies and fought them
with all the nerccncsS OF passionate
nature he also loved and chung to his
friends. and time and again he proved
himself n man with tender heart Final
ly, the ond came Only tho wreck OF his
once proud self robbed by death of
friends and kinfollt, neglected by public
who had grown impatient of his lntirm-
ties and shorn of his kingdom by younger
men Forrest passed away December II,
1872. q very Lear among players.
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