New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-08
MARGARET ANCL|N
Coincidence - Her Work, Her
Plans and Ambitions.

Hight beneath the black clouds that A.,
flying overhead. And az you sit and look
at Il your heart rides high. for there seem,
10 be n spell OF the future in it-a brlsh,
and Turing future There IS something a.
this same promise In the personality ana
the outlook of some people-and Margaret
Anglin is one OF them.
What calls especial attention to this very
we'll known American player at the preser,
time is the fact that, after being safely
labelled an emotional" actress, and after
every one had settled himself comfortably
to recognize her real abilities as a wringer
OF hearts, she turns suddenly about and
upsets all preconceptions by walking light.
" before the astonished public. and. with
cajollng WITNESSES, in the lIghtest OF lgh,
comedy.
An outrageous thing 10 do. surely, and
not in the least sanctioned by custom In
fact 1T isn't done" as Nine. Proprletv
cautions the yOungster who has behaved
| guilelessIy.
That was why il seemed a good .dea 10
| go straightway behind the scenes after
| Yesterdays matinee and question Miss
Anglin about her departure from custom.
! She was In the same mood In which she
had been when the too quickly descending
curtain a few minutes before had cut OF
Celia Faraday from delighted audience
And this IS not usual The law Of com.
pensation, or balance. or something usually
provides a crouch for the comedy actor
after the close of the play. Miss Anglln
even offered her interviewer the only chair
in her dressing room and modesty pre-.
pared to establish herself on the trunk
And oh, that is not usual. either
"I really decided to act comedy. you
know: I didn't merely slip into it, she
said. anticipating a question In fact
comedy is what I like to do best next TO
classic tragedy
Something of a range Of abilities there
comedy. tragedy, emotional drama 1t was
apparent at once that she absolutely dehes
| limitations
I'm fact" she continued. II started IN
comedy-even low comedy-and when first
went on the stage I imagined that that
was the only thing ! could do. But I soon
discovered that doing one kind Of thing all
the time leaves you just where YOU were
when you began with IT, You fall into
groove. act mechanically, and although yOl
wear different clothes and are bued or
| petted or jeered at or worshipped under a
! different name. you are always practically
the same person.
TT Is a department store system OF
dramatics, the one we have fallen into
using now You belong TO a certain kind
| OF character, and no one ever thinks OF
sending you anything else for your use.
| II you are at the ribbon counter they send
you ribbons, and so on. You take your
/ ribbon and dole IL out by the yard as long
as II lasts. When II is finished you throw
away the bolt and wait TIL another is a.
signed you.
| "Of course, I do not believe I'm such a
system, and am not satisfied with H. As
q matter Of fact. / became a little tired
OF tears myself, and | got hold Of lnkllngs
that led me 10 believe there was an i'm
portant part OF the public that ! was los
| ing altogether because Of the nature o.
| the plays | was in This was the man
playgoer, the usual man that forms the O.s
| public Of men. Are they more easily
played upon. emotionaly, than women
| "A
confessed 10 me that they really wanted
to see me in my plays liked my way OF
doing and all that. but could not stand inc
emotionalism of the scenes.
1T came over me then that these plays
made people unhappy, even including me-
I in sense. although, Of course, the actor
does not come under the spell OF the part
In the way that the spectator does.
II deliberately set to work TO look up
a comedy. You can guess, Of course what
I would like to psy?"
Some Of Shakespeare's?
yes. Isn't it curious how cherished
Shakespeare is among actors and how ltte
the public cares for him? People gener-
| ally believe that actors like 10 play inc
grand old tragedies and comedies for
fame. But. OF course, II isn't that at all
IL is simply because those things are not
only we'll written, but they give the actor
so much TO do. They bring him out MAKE
requirements Of him not only in the way OF
Speaking the lines well, but, more impor'
tant still. in the way Of character playing
The lesser dramas that are written to-day
do not make much attempt TO create char-
acter. They have a story 10 tell or
theory OF the authors TO prove The CHAR
acters are merely a means 10 an end.
But wanted a modern comedy 10 start
with. | wanted people 10 get bit used ~
seeing me in bright parts, at least ui'
not want TO take them unawares by dash
ing into Shakespeare comedy While So
damp with the tears of Helena Richie
so you are going on with comedy . sn'
was asked.
well, I'll tell you what ] want 'e'-
much TO do. I want TO go on with do'ns
all kinds want. Of course, the lu'e.
thing. a permanent theatre In Ne" lV.A
and an established company OF PLAYERS
stay with me. Then We would give q
kinds OF things, all during the season. VIZ
after the other. 4 player can get re,
following OF his own In that way, ana W..
for the actor and the public 1t seems
me so much more interesting.
II ,ust had a wonderful experience oS'
West. | played 'Antigone in the open %
Greek theatre at Leland Stanford INV,
slty An the satisfaction OF II, ana ~.
wonder OF the outdoors with the dark he",
sky above my head. You know. thousanOs
of people from the city crossed the Do''.-
| Horn 10 come 10 MS that night anu
audience was the most cosmopolitan
ever seen. from students OF Sopnoc'es o.
college instructors 10 little Epe"'",
girls and office boys. And the sheh0'
that big audience sitting there 0"
curved banks OF seats was so intense "
once. in spite OF the tremendous e.
ment. I felt had to stop and listen I" ~
Il remember as | stepped on the S''s
II looked up involuntarily-it seeneu
strange and beautiful to be rid OF '"s ."
eyitable roof that presses on ones heau,
M least on ones spirits. in the the1'
And there, right over the stage u sent
hung Mars as red as fire. | was AIM
'.,-I'.-.. ~, ,ha stronge poetry OF every