The Washington times., 1910-12-16
MILLER WHOLE SHOW
At HIS REHEARSALS
Actor Manager Displays
Ability In Preparing
The Havoc. /"

Henry Miller began the final rehears-
ais OF his new play. ''The Havoc" at
the Columbia Theater this morning.
This new three-act drama, written by
H : Sheldon, a Chicago newspape man,
will be seen for the first time by an un-
professional audience when Ar- Miller
begins his engagement at the Columbia
Theater next Monday evening, and the
aCtOr-manager is putting his company
through three fun costume rehearsals
day.
Washington theater-gOers viii see the
result of this work next week, but 70
those who have the entire 10 the present
performances behind locked doors the
drilling Of the company for The
Havoc Is more interesting than q public
performance OF a play Mr. Miller ranks
as one Of the brainiest stage managers
IN the country. and his direction Of a
rehearsal holds the fascinated attention
Of even those accustomed to his meth
ods
The famous aCtor-manager is at once
the coolest and the most energetic per
son interested IN the rehearsals- One
minute finds him study in passivity
and the next discovers him on the stage
acting one role OF another in the scene
under construction This is one strik-
ing characteristic Of the Miller direc-
ton During a single act he acts every
role. almost uncOnsciOusly putting in
little touches here and there that make
up the aIl-impOrtant phases Of charac-
ter building.
he turns 10 the author, occasionally
TO suggest the elimination Of q line, ex-
planning that the idea can be suggested
by the business and the dialogue
thereby made more crisp and terse-
gests from time 10 time give lightning
insight into UeCuliarities Of character
which an audience could not CLEAN from
a dozen descr1Dtive lines. And ne
never passes on from scene IN the
play that does not move with a musical
swing His ear Is acutely attuned
for tone color and tempo that in mo-
ueurS when the members OF his com
pany are slow TO catch the proper swing
o. a rise OF fail OF an emotional scene
he stops the rehearsal and huns an air
that viii give them the exact rhythm
Mr. Miller never permits q player 70
turn his hack 10 the fOOtHEhts when he
has an important line 10 read II nee
essary, he viii reconstruct an entire
scene 70 prevent such a position His
theory is that the audience IS the third
actor and must always form a perfect
corner Of g triangle 10 the characters
speaking on the stage II IhaS CON-
uJInicatiOn Is not sustained, he argues,
the value OF the situation Is utterly lost
II you fail 10 get your line across 70
plains, he becomes restless and says
to himself, Here. those chaps are not
letting me IN on this The thread OF
interest is snapped, e-en Il only for
moment You must keep the thought
expressed going smoothly from the first
player 10 the second then 10 the audi
ence, and. through the instant COmDre-
henSiOn OF that big third actor, back 10
the person who spoke the line When
this triangular communication Is work
ing smoothly, your play is going all
right"
.Afr. Miller has q sense OF light effects
fhst seems 70 be intuitive. His stage
settings are so worked out for a definite
colcr scheme that only the closest study
can fatfzorn the reasons for certain ar
rangemeuIs- For example. the first act
settings for The Havoc let in three
different lights The scene IS an apart
ment house interior A window lead
ing to a living room of stage gives
shaft Of yellow light an open fireplace
foods a portion Of the stage with red
light. ard blue light streams in through
a window opening an exterior night
scene. a fourth light effect IS obtained
at the center Of the stage where the
three lights converge. Throughout the
act the action IS so arranged that the
varying scenes are played in the tech
nieally correct light.