Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-15
DIRECTING THE MELODRAMA.
lnstructine Actors in the Art of Non
Suppression.

"Then let it be Siberia walled the
heroine to the empty seats of the
theater at rehearsal.
That's all very we'll for suppressed
emotion" said the director, but We
don't want to suppress anything IN
melodrama. We want to uncover 1t.
Try it again, Miss Melton. You got
it over the foots all right, but what l
want is to haul 'em out of the gallery
seats. once more. now
Miss Melton came down stage and
shrieked for home in Siberia. much
better very much better" cried the
director, "but throw up your right
arm when you say it, throw your head
back. and look defiant. There is no
reason why YOU should do it except
to dc base the william by noisy re-
fusal of his offer of marriage. The 10,
20 and sos on the route this show is
billed want thrills. If you DEFY the
william in the first act 10 to one the
audience Will make a raid on the box
office to get their money back
Miss Melton tried again. That's
the stuff" chuckled the director.
Nov. Mr.. De Courcey," he' said, turn
ing to the heavy man, "a little more
scowl You want your vllianous in
tentions to be deplored to the point
OF your assassination, and you want
to work UP hiss that will sizZle all
along the path when YOU walk across
the stage at the end of the second
act" Mr.. De Coureey acquiesced by
a bow, and the play was continued.
1t was the third rehearsal of a melo
drama for the popular priced houses.
1t was billed for II weeks of one
night stands and from three days to
week in the larger cities. 1t was
natural life story, with plenty of prob
abilities, but it was to be sent tn tho
theaters where the audiences are COM
posed of men of monotonous manual
labor and where women become hys-
terical in the joy OF limited recreation,
where the odor of the clothing sug-
gests portable wardrobe too near the
kitchen. and where the color scheme is
as bright and varied as the national
itics.
Thus the mclodrama is toned and
colorcd to an exaggerated degree. that
the entertainment furnished may bear
no resemblance to the daily life. Great
care is shown in intensfying the viii
lainy of the villain. the cunning of the
adventures. the endurance of the hero,
and the purity of the heroine. Colors
are laid on heavily in daubs some-
, times. when necessary for a thrill.
The melodrama is undoubtedly re-
sponsihe for the stigma or intrigue
/ and possible murder which surrounds
red velvet and spangles. No ad
venturess is complete without them.
An adventures in white muslin, about
to suffOCate the heroine in burning
building, would be obliged to change
her gown or make apologies for it to
her audience. People will not forgiye
crime in a white dress. Complexions.
also, play a large part in the tone and
tempo of the melodrama. History, as
we'll as art seems to have laid the
bulk of crime at the door of the bru-
nette. Melodrama revels in encour-
aging this fact. Even the great mas
ters cling close to yellow ochre when
painting the hair of angels. it has
been drilled into the public mind too
long that when it comes to overthrow
ing kingdoms, making trouble for in
nocent victims. or in any way aiding
or abetting the prince of darkness the
brunette has found ready employ
ment.
Poverty and influence, also, must
roll around their grooves of misdirec-
ton and injustice. until the finding of