The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-12
WHO IS OUR LEADING ACTORY
4. II. SOTHERN'S CLAM TO THAT
PROUD POSITION.

hfptTAOlIt IN I NENNuuiW w NNAtNW
His Own InclinatlOns All Considered.
The attempts to place the late Richard
Mansfield in a fixed artistic position ought
to be a SUI Icient warning against that sort
Of criticism. He wGs the greatest actor in
America he wos the worst actor in America
And one critic, dodo ing the issue, an
nounced that there we're three kinds OF
actors. good, bad ard Richard Mansfeld ID,
Yet there Is an eternal fascination TO the
human mind in Pr tting people into inches,
In wei hing emit in a balance and placing
a tag upon il. Heine said, sNo hing ID
more foolish than the query. Which poet
is greater than the other7' Flame is flame
and lie weirht cannot be determined in
pounds and ounce Only a narrow, shop
keeper mind will attempt TO welsh genius
In its miserable cheese scales" But Heine
said this just after he had remarked thai
Ceramics, Shakespeare and Goethe were
the great triumvirate Of Poets
And since the death Of Joseph Jefferson
and Richard Mansfield II has occurred 10
many people to inquire, Who is our lead
ing actor? Probably if a vote could be
taken on such a question public choice
wou d fall on L. II, Sothern, who has for
many years been universally popular and
who has more recently devoted a larre
share Of his enerf les to what is best and
finest in the drama. Al the risk Of weigh
ing genius in our cheese scales let us see
what claims Mr.. Sothern has to this proud
eminence.
In essimistic moments perhaps II seems
as IL his chief claim we're based on the fact
that there are so few 10 dispute the pedestal
with him. David Warheld, Henry Miller.
. Otis Skinner. Robert B. Mantell2 These,
but who else? Difficult as it Is TO express
satisfactorily In words, we all have a pretty
definite conception in our minds Of that
peculiar quality in an actor which raises
him above his fellows and makes him the
master Of our emotions. II is an ease and
certainty Of technique; il is a 1uency and
largeness Of voice and manner; it is a com
Portable assurance Of power In reserve and
the ability to meet whatever demands may
arise; and, comprising, yet going beyond
these things, il is a personal sincerity and
eloquence, a sense Of the man behind the
mask. Of a mind and heart large, energetic,
~purposeful and strong. Personality In this
sense is a far different thing from the
personality OF the young player who
trades on a pretty face or a pleasant smile;
and it can no more be divorced from acting
than from any other branch Of art, or from
life itself. And, judged by this conception
Of greatness, the pedestal Of prominence
would surely not be overcTt Hded we're we
TO place all Mr.. Sothern's rivals upon il,
beside him. The group would not resemble
the hosts Of Artaxerxes.
However, as each Of his rivals seems
lacking in one or more OF the qualities
that 60 to make up Mr.. Sothern's artistic
equipment, perhaps it is only fair TO give
him the benefit Of his versatility and II
possible his lone place at the top Of the
group. He would be the last to q this
position il he did not deserve it, and the
last TO intimate that the way was barred
70 any other to reach a place by his side.
II certain Of his rivals could widen their
~repertoires and give rein to their "
artistic impulses instead OF dwelling year
in and year out with single part or two,
his place, even to-day, might be far less
secure.
Comparisons are odorous chiefly to
supersensitive noses. Mr.. Warfield and
his real friends will not smell out offence
in the statement that until he has played a
larger number and a wider range Of parts
than Leri, Won Bdruig and Yves Bigelou
his position must remain below Mr.,
Sothern's Granville Barker, during his
recent trip to this city, visited the Stuy-
vesant Theatre and came away to talk
about "Warfeld's marvellous technique" II
is marvellous. Within the narrow bounds
Of the characters he has so far played
il seems almost fawless. And no acting
on our stage to-day can compare with
Mr.. Warfnld's for immediate emotional
effect. But does Mr.. Warfeld create the
impression Of an amplitude Of power
sufficient to compass other and more poetic,
more imaginative, more intellectual roles?
Perfect. as he is in his genre, has he yet
demonstrated the larger gifts TO give us
q figure like Don Quirotey Hardly. After
he has played Shyi0ek land his Shylock is
going to restore a fund Of comedy to the
old play that will be a revelation, unless
all signs faiD perhaps Mr.. Narield's name
will have 10 be written larger, That is
everybody's hope.
Henry Miller's contribution TO the con-
temporary stage has been Of late rather
stage management than acting Not TO for
get his very human and Illuminating per-
formanca as Stephen Ghenf, the total effect
Of The Great Divide" was more striking
than any single performance in Il. The
ensemble Of The Servant in the House
is another triumph for his skill. In this
generation, when a system that boasts it
has put our theatre "on a business basis
has in fifteen years been unable TO dis
rover or train 4 single stage manager
worthy of the name, such a genius as Mr..
Miler's is not lightly to be passed over,
A good stage manager needs Imagination
quite AS much as the actor. and ina gina
ton Of a wider aud more comprehensive
kind, 10 SEQ not enc part, but all parts, TO
dream tho structure out ot the blocks.
But Just now we are estimating acting. F,
not stage management, and as an actor
only. lIr. Miller surely lacks something
= the charm that Mr.. Sothern exerts,
II eAuberant vitality and ease, grace and
Nucncy e diction were the sole test, Otis J
Sklrner would easily carry OF the palm.
How much Nr SctherH's Hamlet would
gain by tho other mans sheer physical
vitality in a climax and hiS triumphant
e'ocution' There Is promise, too, in Mr..
skinner p1st. In Eowker's Francesca
he Was q figure 10 be remembered. There is