Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-23
SWELlED HEAD BAD
FOR SUCCESS, SAYS
MISS WALSH
Some Earnest Advice to the
Amateur and the Stage
struck From Great Actress
Who Plays Here Tonight.

By Blanche Walsh, who appears
at the Elks theater in THE Other
Woman.")
Most graduates of legitimate school
Of acting are prone to maintain that
such institutions afford the best
training for the girl or young man
who intends to adopt the stage as a
vocation. I am a graduate Of one OF
these schools, but ] frankly avow
that private entertainments afford
the better opportunities to learn the
rudiments Of the profession.
The pupil at one of the schools
gets to depend toe much on her in
structOr. She fears she has not the
ability nor the experience to learn
and act a given role without assist
ance; whereas. at the amateur
theatricals" she Will go on the stage,
after g few ~rehearsals, and act
through the part somehow. BY thus
performing before an audience she
gets to feel wherein her mistakes lie.
She finds that she has missed fire"
here and there. and she thinks the
matter over and over until she finds
the right way to get the desired ef-
feet.
The actual study in a school, while
very desirable, and for some persons
Indispensable, can never replace ac-
tual playing on the stage before a
more or less critical audience. Com
%sequently. even the school-of-acting
graduate is untried, until she has
made her professional debut. The
nearest approach to this debut is
gained in amateur performances, for
eve ones friends are inclined to be
critical, and the theatrical illusion
must be created or the performance
becomes a failure.
There are certain points which an
aspiring girl may make sure of,
nevertheless, before she faces the
audience. | advise her. in the first
place, not to attempt to make acting
her profession unless she is positive
she is fitted for it and has something
besides mere inclination to convince
her that she has ability. Otherwise
she viii face years of heartache and
disappointment just as sure as the
sun shines. once determined on her
on the other hand. let her
strive with Utmost endeavor.
First of all. she must have confi-
dence. Let her say to herself that
she has extraordinary ability, and
that in time she Will convince the
great nag that she possesses 1t.
But she must not, of course allow
her ac~quaintances, o even her
friends. To become aware of her feel
She should nave some really
great actres as her ideal, and h
strive to outdo that actress in the
performance Of a certain part. she
will probably not succeed in doing
this. but the continued effort will at
least result In an improvement in
the quality of her own acting. She
use care i'm undertaking this,
for she must never give a copy OF
another's acting. The foundation for
success on the stage is originality.
You must have personality II you
audiences OF someone else, all
the time, the audiences will never
YOU for yourself. In trying TO
Dutdo some good player you are not
to initiate. Have your W concep-
ton OF the way in which your ideal
would act, and then endeavor 70
equal or Guido it.
II is impossible TO write a set OF
rules Ia would apply properly 20 all
individual cases must be
individually. but there are
rules that must be followed BY
m. For one thing, If you would
gain success on tho stage. yen must
your part. You must know IL
well that you will no. have to be
thinking Of Il while the other mem
sers OF the cast are acting and speak
ne their roles
Don't try 20 become expert in dis
insuishing faces in the audiences.
Ia fact. school yourself not 90 look
a the audience al all The greatest
actresses I have known-either on or
1T the stase-have told me that
hey do not look at the audience. 1