The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
The AMERICAN PUBLIC
OWES DUTY TO STAGE
By JULIA MARLowE.

eSLnE NeW 1OrE Wlll occupy uniQ0 Q0e
} position as a place where high standards
as regards both plays and players VIII
I be permanently maintained. The public
must be attracted 10 the theater 10 insure
its permsnency. and not alone 10 the new
theater, but 70 the other theaters through
out the country, and this permanency
may come only 10 the public paying its
1 Just debt 20 the stage.
The true artist feels his or her duty 10
the public, and firmly believe that one
and all try 10 perform that duty as they
see Il Too little credit. however. has
been given actors and managers who.
Notwithstanding the uncertainty OF the
atricaI ventures. have given the public
plays and productions buiIded on more
stable foundations than mixed identity.
I Competent actors with vehicles properly
4 accorded 10 their capabllity command at
I tention- And yet IL IS no common thing
TO see competent actors playing 10 half
dDed houses. Perhaps with the esta5-
lishmeat OF the new theater some OF the
had points the public possesses may be
eradicased, and through this influence.
meritorioUs stage predictions win event
uaLy receive the encouragement they de-
serve from the theater-g0.ng public
throughout the breadth CT the country.
TO me art has meant work. bur in work
1 find the same pleasure that other
women find in covering golf links and
playing bridge, or IN TIE ordinary amuse-
meut so common 20 nay sex The poetic
drama I have ever loved, perhaps. be
cause my greatest successes have been
achieved IN that fsld- The role OF Mary
TUDOR in 'waen Knighthood was in
Flower" fascinated me. Rosallnd 10 me
IS the qUeen Of comedy rOles-I love her
moods. her caprices- Viola. IN Twelfth
Night has been one of the characters
7 have really loved since my advent on
the stage. I firmly believe. however, that
YVette. the role ara now playing in
The Goddess Of Reason" viii become
one Of the famous figures in the world
of the theater
THE Goddess Of Reason attracted me
because Of the love interest running
through IL No tragedy I can now call
10 mind ever had such "a preponderance
Of Miss Johnston ] am glad 10 be ap-
pearing in play Of the French revolu-
ton. because 1 have ever loved historical
subjects Then we depart from conven-
tiouaEties n this particular instance. be
cause We ges none Of the horrors OF the
guill0tlne. although there are those who
think that the Republican Marriage
has 10 sOftness in f.
Feel what yOu say and The emotions
you are trying 20 portray, and you viii
succeed n either branch. is my theory. OF
great success IN depicting a varied list
OF characters
believe that an artist wins and earns
the lasting respect and admiration Of an
audience when she never goes beyond
her own feelings ga playing a role. The
moment the line is oVerstepped the arti-
fCialjty is certain 70 be recognized by
all intelligent minds II I we're giving
advice 10 q beginner Oh she stage. and
have been asked % do It times beyond
number. should say the one attribute
to cultivate and keep overbright IS sin
certy. BE sincere. and Won must Of ne
cessity. be convincing ? one must en-
large her actions. she must first enlarge
her feelings II We believe the old adaEe
thar imitation is the sirceUest nattery. we
are sure 20 get . wrong impression OF a
role Never initiate any one BE your
self
When I g. In for literature ] take nat,s-
rally to poetry, and what Is mere natural
then that { should care TO appear in poet
iCai piays2 There IS dramatic work IN ali
these poetical dramas, and, without re-
vealing business secrets. I must confess.
with pardonable pride, that the financial
returns appeal 10 me. believe now that
Shakespeare wrote the most wonderful
plays in the world 7 am glad TOO. 10
know that the public has been taking
more kindly 10 Shakespeareau ofeEngs.
Some day 7 should Ike 10 see SAske-
speare added as a study in the higher
grades Of elementary schools in America
I believe II would be a wonderful thing
for the BOYS and girls who are growing
up II they could hear and read and IN
derstand some of the marvellous things
Shakespeare outlined in his plays. I con
slcer most Of them very beautiful and
appealing. but I have friends who have
been bored by them I should be most
presumptuoUs n ] quarreled with those
friends. because would be qusrreling
with their judgment I simply realize
that some Of these PLAYS do not appeal
- then, as they do not appeal 10 a great
many Others
But If the higher grade Of theaters
throughout the country we're insisteBt
that only the best be given the public,
think It would be an easy matter indeed
10 convince theater-goers OF to-day that
the claptrap drama should have no place
with them.
L have always contended that the stage
should both amuse and instruct In '-The
Goddess Of Reason" for example. I be
iieve we are giving a magnificent his
torical study. for We are depicting scenes /
and bringing before the public famous
men and women who did exist, who had
their joys and their sorrows. and I be- /
lieve firmly, as 7 have said before, that
the American public owes great duty /
to the stage-as great q duty es the /
stage and its people owe 10 the public.