The Washington times., 1908-11-22
Memories of Old
Are Brought Back
By W. H. Crane
Comparison of Past Methods
With Today-Charlotte
Walker a Puzzle.

70 the DAY OF Lester " tiidchs the ciuct /
Booth. the younger Jefferson. Barrett. /
young Augustine Daily. John Drew as /
Iovitiate and Ada Rehan as an ingenue. |
A wonderful retrospect! Yet not more /
wonderful than Mr.. Cranes present out /
look,
In the span Of this veteran actors life /
the stage has received one or the three /
greatest contributions 10 the drama as /
we know il. Independent of literary |
authorship. the three most noteworthy |
steps of progress since the day OIL
Shakespeare are these;
The introduction of women to act the /
parts of women; the introduction Of /
scenery which shall have much the ap-
pearance of nature. the representation |
of thought and action by suggestion |
rather than demonstration
No such definition of histriOnic ad- |
vance Is invulnerable to just criticism |
Women acted the roles of women before |
the day of Shakespeare. Scenes had |
the appearance of reality before the |
modern drop and fiat were varied by |
built scenes. Undoubtedly actors like |
David Garriek had perception and skill !
Ia suggestion perhaps as great as that
Robertson But these three improve
ments in the representation OF life on
the stage are accepted as being as gen
orally distinct as the age Of steam or
the day OF electricity.
A Span From Old to New.
Mr. Crane was in position curiously
close to the old drama of demonstration.
Those who recall the acting of his first
partner Stuart Robson. viii remem-
Der how reluctant that actor was to al
tow his audience to think at all
In the far-famed and long-hved Hen
rietta," one OF the characters imposed
upon BERTHE the Lamb the responsibility
OF choosing whether he. a single man,
should endure iguominy or should pass
II on TO the brother (who had earned
I'D, with wife aud children. Today's ac-
tor would take a position from which
he could be clearly seen by both BERTHE
and the deaf old lady I'm the back row
of the family circle. Then he would
define the choice which BERTHE must
make by the use of his eyes alone. A
long penetrating glance at BERTHE and
a momeHtary resting of his gaze on the
wife, and the thing would be done with
out violence 10 the habit of that life
which the actor was undertaking 10 re-
fleet. But i'm MT RObsOn's company the
actor transformed himself into some
thing like a double sign. This Road
to Windsor. This Road to KensiHgton, "
paved first at BERTHE, then at his wife
standing conveniently with her back
turned, and then waited with hands
outstretched like a draper unfolding a
sample
Mr.. Crane in Danger
such training stW shows through the
acting Of Nh. Crane. Traditions loom
large as ones retrospect IenEthens Mr.
Crane sees to il that not even Mr.
Robson could Suspect that the audience
drawn by Father and the Boys misses
any point But if Ar Robson could
have teen in Washington he must have
been surprised at the comparative mild
ness Of facial expression or bodily pos
tUre required these days 10 produce an
effect" Something of both methods is
in Mr.. Cranes acting and the rem
inisceuCes whi.h reach hack 10 the one
and reflect understanding and facility
IN the other will have special interest
fo~ actors and Intelligent pIaygoers.
Nevertheless, thCs who saw in Mr.
Cranes representation of Father the
very best he has ever done looked on
through rose-coloTed glasses. He has
done a dozen things tetter-Sir John
Falstaff. Major Fairfax. David Harum,
Business is Business" and goodness
knows what else. For two acts his Silas
Mureland is up to his highest standard.
For two acts IL falls pretty near his
lowest standard The impersonation Is
a d
ton maker
Like Mr.. Goodwin. Mr.. Crane is in
danger of loosing ground. Unlike Mr..
Goodwin, so far, Mr.. Crane has not lost
ground. But a little more of Silas
Aforeiand and he viii md it as hard 10
hold on as a certain other actor. whose
very mood Mr.. Crane knew. and whose
last years were a pathetic struggle TO
keep his place.
The Charlotte Walker Puzzle
Charlotte Walker is something of a
puzzle. Time was when the only limita
tions on her art seemed to be those inn
posed BY the audience and embodied IL
the general determination that a sweet
woman shall not immediate her person
ality. Then came success, and with it
the danger OF Opinionation, mannerisms,
ana SLdEtdllDh- AAElt II no SECURITY
for her against them excepting hard
work
Mr.. Belasco realizes all this better
than any critic. IT his instruction will
rot safeguard Miss Walker, she is
doomed to the mediocrity Of score of
other sweet women who have shriVeled
in art as tie appreciation of their per
sonal charm expanded among Theater-
goeTs
A Word About Frank keenan,.
But there is no puzzle about Frank
Keenan,. Here is an actor who al
vances steadily in the public esteem,
year by year. because Of defined, intel
ligent. purposed, hard work. He is not
concerned with Miss Walkers problem.
because our American audiences do not
require that a man shall preserve his
own personality at all costs. He is con-
cerned. on the contrary, with the con-
ception OF each new role as a personal
ity made distinct from all others as far
as human capabilities permit.
Now it is Mr. Keenan's rare ability
To conceive his roles as clearly as Ed
win Abbey or A. Is. Frost conceive the
figures in their drawings. He has an
ave for those outward signs which q re