Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-30

n THE pfAcuChl hb Nell a. Wv
VSHY theoretic life wrote William
t James. 1.-THE man or woman
kS8A- who SO acquisitions stick in
FdSB3ot mer.orv Is the man or woman
esssSSS who II achieving and advancing,
whilst his neighbors, spending most Of
tteir time In relearuing what they once
knew but have forEotten, simply hold their
own. A. Chariemagne. a Luther, a Leib-
nitz, a Walter scott for example, In short
any OF your quarto or folio editions OF man
kind must needs nave amazing Tetenuve-
ness OF the purely physiological sort. Men
without this retentiveness may excel In
the quality OF their work at this point or
that, but will never do SUCH mighty sums
u IT, or be influential contemporaneously
on such a scale"
These wise words relative to the human
memory from the greatest OF American
psychologists may serve as An introduction
to a consideration OF the tremendous work
devolving upon the memory OF actors in
general and the leading player IN a stock
company in particular. Tho facts indeed
are really STAGGERING. Take for example
what IS required OF Aiiss l1va Lang OF the
company at the Boyd. Those who saw her
charming exposition OF the role OF Cypri-
enne in "Divorcons' would say offhand'
"A pretty little part, requiring OF course
a most def light comedy touch but not
really involving any great effort upon the
part OF Miss Lang and her associate play
ers."
In this statement would inhere measure
OF truth. one may ignore Just now the
consideration that Is as great an achieve
ment or nearly SO at least, to be a bril-
liant light comedienne a. tragic actress
and that It Is not much greater strain
nd IN
lently, although most people fancy other
wise but one Is deep iu the wrong q he
lmagines II a light task 20 learn a role
like Cyprenne AT that it is not the long
est part Miss Lang has mastered In a very
few hours study this season, IN fact. 10 Is
a mere trife of ninety sides or about
1900 words. Hark hack, oh Reader TO the
days when you were going TO school and
We're required to learn Webster's Reply to
1Iayne or perhaps the CuIfcw selection.
DO you remember how long IL took You 10
commit TO rote-you may have called IL 60
heart'-those short passages! Then pause
and reflect how long Il would take YOU ~
learn 5000 words?
When you had learned these 900 YER
batim and uteratlm you might amuse
yourself learning an the cues involved.
Perhaps for the sake OF clegrnegs IL might
spoken by another actor which gives the
one waiting IN the wings the signal for
entrance or for speaking when on the
stage. Inasmuch as IN most plays a lead
Ing player has good many entrances and
exits, IL viii be readily seen that many
cues must be learned,
When ali this has sunk into Your con-
seriousness Your brain may be trifle
Tired. but you are not done vet; not nearly
All these words IN the several speeches
and asldes must be learned In relation 70
what sope other actor or actress Is say
ing, while his or her part does not
have 90 ave committed TO memory, yet IL
has TO be pretty well grasped. Further
more, the actress must also remember all
the stage directions and an the business
of the part BY STAGE directions are meant
the crossings the rtsings and sittings, the
entrances and exits, an rather complicated
ard OF the utmost essentially 20 AN actor
Tho business of part involves the
handling Of an the properties aud whatever
player does aside from actually speaking
lr rising or sitting This Is ot just as much
Importance as the spoken lnes more so
sometimes-AND IT, TOO. MUST ALL 1913
REMEMBERED.
The tale Is not yea done. While Miss
Lang is learning one role she IS playing
another and both must be kept In mem-
Org and. OF course. one not confused with
the Dub. II Is not a new theme. the hours
which a player in stock must work in