The San Francisco call., 1908-03-08
MARY SHAW
exblains her faith IN
| 3 s E II
By Walter Anthony

audience They had not caught the
poignancy OF this simple speech They
were disappointed that I did not grasp
hzndfuls Of hair from my head and
make physical sign of my tragic sor-
row. That's what thought for sec
ond or two. Then came the most spon-
tzneous and loudest applause that has
ever greeted anything 1 have done on
the stage I viii go further. I have
never heard anything ike II Ibsen had
gripped them That naturainess and
genuineness which I love in his work
had. after all, impressed itself on these
new hearers who were as strange 10 the
piece. almost. as was
IN that instant I felt myself move
into 3 different plane I knew I should
never be the same kind OF an actress
The old faith fell from me and I was
different It vas real and not fan
cied metamorphosis."
You have played in other things be-
sides Ibsen since" I started TO say.
-Oh. I know what you mean OF
course I have. and I have felt as though
1 was selling my artistic soul when I
did II. too I earned 500 a week in
vaudeville I was like Mrs Warren in
tais-that 1 sold my artistic convic-
tons I bartered them for the sake of
my son He is ali 1 have. and I alone
have educated him and cared for him
since he was baby So have had
some Of the problems OF living 10 solve
myself But TO get back again
.In-that moment. when the cause had
brought It's own effect and the Ibsen
method was so thoroughly justified. I
felt as though were standing behind
z curtain which had been lifted before
my eyes saw what the drama OF the
future was going 10 be- Ibsen is not
the last word He is the first There
viii be others. and perhaps greater.
following In his footsteps. but we, who
have had q part to play. however hum
BILE, in the contemporaneous drama well
know that Ibsen and no other will be
the name which viii go down in his
tory as the pioneer and master builder
OF this century
I no longer read role and say TO
myself. I ike this part or I do not
like it I read il carefully and see the
character from the point Of view as
sumed by the woman herself I see
how that person, as Mrs. AIving for in
stance. has been nodded and shaped
By the life she has led. and soon 1 find
myself in perfect sympathy. artistically
her. and feel competent TO 81 and In her
place. express her thoughts and carry
her burdens through the scenes por-
trayed. and this. entirely without refer
ence 70 my personal or private views OF
her character.
After that experience OF 1888 did
not again play Ibsen for many years
After touring England in Ben Hur,'
which I no longer enjoyed. I returned
70 America and took an interest in the
Lyceum theater in Baltimore Mean
time my trembling faith in Ibsen and
the modern school had become rock
ribbed I met William Archer in Lon
don and he introduced me 70 a coterie
OF fellow enthusiasts. so that when I
came again 10 America l was stepped
in Ibsen's theories While in Baltimore.
and after giving sardou.s dramas, a
number OF influential residents asked
me TO produce Shaw's Candida The
arrangements were about concluded
when Bernard Shaw himself killed all
chance OF giving his play II was one
Of his jokes. He had written me many
times and royalty and other preiim-
inaries were entirely concluded I had
received much instruction from him and
everything seemed settled when I re-
ceived this letter from him. OF course
he wrote 5okingly. II you give Can
dfdz'. 1 shall expect you TO produce all
my other works That's the way he
closed his letter. He thought It was a
joke. but the proprietor of the theater
and high manager had not Shaw.
sense Of fun and took the statement lit
orally He held UP his hands IN hor-
ror, and called the whole affair on
Otherwise would have been the orig
inal Candida wrote Mr.. Shaw and
told him in future 10 please refrain
from mixing his brand OF wit with
business letters 10 American theatrical
managers After Candida became an
impossibIiitx decided 70 try Ghosts
on the Baltimore public. The manager
thought we were ali mad. but the pub
lie liked the play so well that I was
bold enough to take the little company