The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-04-12
BERNHARDT PAYS HIGHEST
TRIBUTE TOlMRS. FISHF
BY FRANCIS WARRINGTON
DAWSON
Copyright, 1907, by the Newspaper
Enterprise Assocation)

tIOpH lISHl, 1871, ID. lHe Newspaper
| Enterprise Association.)
What do | think of the material
| for actress in the United States?
Why, that you have more talent
there than is to be found almost
anywhere else!" While repeating
and answering my question in the
same breath, Nine Sarah Bernhard
leaned back in her armchair drawn
up between the Louis XIV maruet-
terie and bronze desk at which she
writes and the great log fire which
she keeps roaring in the study Of
her home whenever the weather
permits the slightest excuse for
feeling chilly.
Where | was on my last Ameri-
can tour" Nine. Bernhard resum-
ed, quite a number of girls came
asking permission to recite before
me, so that | might judge if the
stage held any future for them. Ev-
cry single one of them had some
truly fine quality in her, and if you
parts of the world recite, as | do,
you would appreciate what this
means. and what tribute it is to
native histrionic art in the United
States. American girls have, to be-
gin with, one essential thing in
their favor-they all have grace and
charm, and most of them have
beauty. too: add to this personal
magnetism and the power of verbal
expression and there you have
united everything which the actress
can need.
But American girls labor under
one serious disadvantage, the lack
of national conservatory.
when they are over 20 they
make up their minds that they
would like to be actresses, and they
then start work on the stage; but it
takes some years for them to ac-
quire the elements of their profess
sion, and they have passed the
formative age before they have be-
come thoroughly familiar with what
they are to do or to avoid.
in France girls enter the con-
servatory at IA or Is; by the time
they are 10 they have mastered the
rules. they have learned taste, and,
above all they know how to man
age their voices.
This is the crucial thing for the
young actor or actress. Many break
or wear their voices before reach
ing the period when they are really
capable of using them, and then
there is nothing more to be done.
now have in my conservatory
class a girl of exceptional parts, but
whose voice leaves her little hope
of achievement. Before coming to
me she played in the provincial the
aters and tried to fill them without
knowing how; SO now her organ
breaks and raSps constantly /
yet we have excellent actresses,
conservatory or no conservatory, |
ventured.
Yes; but they would have been
better for it. Take Julia Marlowe,
for instance. I might cite her as
one of the cases which have shown
me most clearly the necessity for a
national training institution for
American dClIeSSe5. w neu L HlSL
saw her, l expected wonderful
things from her, and was confident
that she would develop into one of
the greatest of dramatic artists.
She had the true qualities of
grace and distinction, and further
more an exquisite physique which
pleased me so that it probably had
much to do with my favorable i'm
preston of her. When last saw
her. however, must say it was
several years ago-it seemed to me
that for some reason the whole of
this promise had not been fulfilled.
could not analyze the precise rea-
son for this impression of mine; the
fact that she was considerably
stouter may have had something to
do with it; but | think that a part
of the fire had gone, too. and this |
attribute to lack of early classical
training"
"Then we could find no one
among our own actresses to drill
the younger generation?'
On the contrary, you have one
very great artist who would set an
admirable example; and there are
a number of others each good in
hic line Mrs EjSLo I cOn slider I'M