The Washington herald., 1907-03-03


entertained, 10 be moved, 10 be lifted out
of themselves, and, if an actor does not
make an honest and intelligent effort 70
do these things. they will cease to patron
ize him. no matter how high his standing
may have been previously or how good his
work The theory which Mr. Mansfield
and some Of his thick-and-thin adhcrents
seem to have adopted that there is q per-
sonal prejudice against him among news
paper reviewers, based on no one knows
what. is absurd. Whatever prejudice ex-
lists against this actor arises solely from
the wide hiatus that separates his preten-
sions from his performance. The good
work he has done has been cheerfuIly and
generously recognized. But when he
strays away from the fields in which he
shows competence and insists on attempt
ing roles that lack value, or for which
he Is conspicuously untitled, he must take
the consequences Of his lack Of conscien-
Itousness or good judgment
The English are much more addicted to
the commendable habit of calling things
by their right names than we Americans.
This useful habit extends 10 theatrical
people, even when dealing with things
theatrical The English are less preten-
tious, less given to the use of high-sound-
ing words and phrases to designate or
classify their stage pieces and the con-
stituent parts thereof For instance,
they no longer dignity the ephemeral and
hastily thrown together stuff which con-
stitutes the lines Of their musical come
dies and light operas as "librettos," or
/ books" and lyrics" They have adopted
the designation chatter for what our
stage producers call the book of pieces
of this kind. and whit Is here known as
lyrics they call very patty 'jngles.
This may rot be important, but it has its
value as tending TO keep alive in the
popular mind the distinction between real
light or comic opera and genuine musical
comedy and the trashy stuff. without a
suggestion Of art about IT, that makes up
most Of our so-callod light operas and
comedies or farces with music. The
French. English. and German composers
and ibrettO writer's have put into their
light-OpcTa scores and books some very
artistic work. So have a few American
composers and perhaps some of our Ii
bTettO writer's. But most OF the latter
seem to be so completely dominated by
the desire TO make money, and more mon
ey. and still more money while their
names have vogue that they give no
weight 10 considerations Of art or even
good workmanship. They hustle their
sO-calleG scores and librettos together 20
meet the demands Of the even less con
scienuOus producers, and fOist the results.
raw. crude. crIbbed. and often stupid on
an altogether TOO easy-going and child
like public with no other thought than 70
reap such financial reward as there may
be in il.
With something like the dismal calm
ness of helpless despair. an English pa
/ per announces the discovery of an abso-
/ lutte famine on the British stage Of
young actresses of talent. And the as
tonishing thing about it is that the
discovery was made and disclosed by q
playwright and a manager who mad
been searching In vain for a clever
young actress 10 take the heroine's role
in a new play they wanted TO produce.
Having failed utterly to find what they
sought, the author and the manager
abandoned their plan 10 put on the new
play and conhded their experience TO the
editor Of a newspaper who put up the
wall before mentioned How our hust-
ling ana resourceful American managers
must smile at the slowness and stupid
ity OF their British cousins. Imagine an
American manager announcing that he
had abandoned the contemplated produc-
ton Of a farce, comedy. drama. tragedy.
or grand opera because ne couldn't find
a youthful actress competent TO take the
! leading part. But one can't imagine IL
! If il were grand opera even. the typical
/ American amusement promoter would
find just the kind OF prima donna he
wanted if he had to go 10 the chorus for
/ her and give her rush training Of a few
weeks in acting and vocalization. As for
! the creation of new dramatic stars. es-
/ pecially Of the female persuasion, that is
a matter of almost every week in the
season. All that is required OF them at
| the start is special beauty and some ca
pacity for wearing stunning clothes as IL
/ they We're accustomed 10 them. Then
/ the trainer takes them IN hand, coaches
them in their lines until they can rattle
them of Ike inspired parrots and drills
them in the business to the point that
/ they can shut their eyes and go through
the play without danger of COlliding with
anything on the stage. The rest is all a
matter Of advertiSing-of disclosing TO the
public, in catchy and plausible guise, the
! great discovery made by the manager
/ with personal gossip about the early
/ life of the new star and the longing she
/ had had from the cradle for the life Of
/ the stage. That's the way the resource
/ Iul American manager would meet such
/ situation as that revealed by the COM
plants of the English neWspaper-a sit
uatiOn that was altogether too much for
at least one English manager.
MAURICE sPLAIN.