Arizona republican., 1910-03-29
THE HAND IN ACTING.

Tt is far from easy to discuss tho importance the hands play in any part" says Mir. IT, R Irving in the March Strand Magazine. for. truth to tell. the hands. after all, merely follow out the dictates of the brain. Ky this mean to say that. obviously. every movement Of the hands is gov erned bv the brain. and on this ac- count a great deal must depend on the individual reading of part For in stance. there can he little doubt that half dozen actors. 1T left to themselves to study any particular part. will read that part m half q dozen different ways Let me explain exactly what I mean. We will take. for the sake of example. the sentence: So-and- so merely behaves just as a warm heart ed man would behave on suddenly re ceiving the news of dear friends death
 50 far so good. The words. re- garded superficially. need no eXplana- ton. In cold. hard print they speak | for themselves. and indeed clearly DOT tray to anyone with the least indigna | ton. the picture the elementary details of which are unmistakablv outlined. | Yes. this must he obvious when merely | reading the words. But to the actor an entirely different picture is con ! veyed bv these words. He asks him self the question. What warm hearted man. Fifty different men would be have in hundred different ways on such an occasion-would express thciI emotions with different looks and gcs- | hn hA n his duty to express the type which he considers will strike the audience as | the most natural His expressions must be those which. while they be long to the recognized symbols of our common nature. have also the peculiar l individual impress of the character re prcsented To all who will reflect for a moment 1t must be clear that men i and women use their hands in q great
 CT and less degree according to the force with which any particular emo tion tears at their hearts
 The hand, What wonderful part of the human mechaniSm it is. and what power of expression lies with in it. In happiness or sorrow, the hand finds it's own expression of it.
 says David Belasco. Tn greeting or caress. in Scorn or menace. in appeal
 fear. surprise. love. lOathing. pride shame. remorse. resignation. content ment-in almost any emotion or feel ing of the human mind. the hand is 2 most important factor in expression.
 The hand whose owner has little oI nothing to conceal opens itself freely to the gaze. but the hand of one whose deeds and thoughts will not bear in-
 spection wishes to hide itself. or to close the fingers over the palm. stud
 iously concealing it from sight. The
 mind feels the necessity for hiding its
 workings, and the fingers. obeying the suggestion. close over the palm. Sucl
 hands belong to q deceitful, hypocriti- cal. untruthful person. The selfcon- tained. cautious. trustworthy man. ont
 in whom you can confide. holds. his
 hands at the side with the fingers. par. tially closed. and while the hand show;
 life. and does not hang limp and loggy nevertheless it is not wide open
 Hands carried at the side. finger;
 nearly open and the hand dangling h
 in limp and lifeless manner. give tho impression that the hand Is that o indecision; the mind is lacking in dc
 influences of purpose. and the owner
 of the hands, being mentally lazy, vii not take the trouble to think for him
 self Then there is the openhandeC
 person. of whom it Is said: "A foo and his money are soon parted Thes'
 undecided hands. in coming towar' you. tell you that you may easil!
 impress their owner Now take thu
 hands hanging at the sides. but witl
 the fists firmly closed. This does no
 necessarily indicate the bruiser or tn
 bully, for 1t may indicate one who l.
 laboring under great determination. There is the person who seems t find no place for his hands to rest He carries them first up. then down then in the pocket. then lingering tn ' watch chain. This person Is uncertain