New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08
AN ACTORS AMBITION
Basil Gill. to Appear at Century,
Would Rather Raise Pump
kinS than Act.

/ Basil Gill, the latest leading man 10
come TO New York from London sat in
an extra large chair at the Century Thea
tire yesterday and talked about his part
I'm The Daughter Of Heaven the self
lcontainedness Of the average British
laudience, the proneness OF ciergymens
cons TO take up stage life. the coolest
laudience in the world-which he found in
Ferdinand the thorough way in which
modern actor has TO make ready for
lbig part
Illustrating Mr.. Gil's own Ideas in the
matter Of thoroughness, he said that
when he begins to rehearse for the role
of the Tartar Emperor in the Pierre Lott
Judith Gautier drama he will have his
head shaver 10 the middle to conform to
1.-The verities He said it so casually II al
most sounded trivial but TO a man bear
ling the reputation OF the handsomest
factor that has stepped on our stage since
plyrle Bellew" the sacrifice of a particu-
harly luxuriant growth of thick brown
hair. untouched by gray, must mean
something.
Mr.. Gill reached New York on the Min
Inewaska, after passage remarkable for
tbig winds and high water. He had found
~ copy of "The Daughter Of Heaven In
,ahe original French in the ships library
land what he reported about the weather
WAS hearsay only, as he frankly said He
twas all wrapped up in the book from
1.-THE beginning Of the trip till he made
the dock in New York.
THE part Of the Tartar Emperor" he
said couldn't please me better If IT had
been written especially for me. II has
many qualities that appeal strongly to
Sne and the foremost of these is It's aloof-
mess. The mystery of it has a strong at
Traction for me, as all things in the East
have. ! have not seen its like since !
kplayed Kara in The Darling OF the
Goods with Sir Herbert Tree in London.
lie picked up his eyeglasses, which he
had laid aside for a minute, and turned
no page of manuscript Of the play
which seemed to delight him.
"Near-sightedness, he said. IN answer
no a question. mo monocle, but just
Iplain glasses to see through. Speaking Of
kSir Herbert, he used to like 10 have run
with me when we had a scene together or
Nhe stage. In an aside he would whisper
t'You have your glasses on, and inNoIun-
farily I would reach up to see If l had'
LAS a matter of fact, I am helpless with
out glasses. ! cannot see further away
Khan five feet. but / never wear them on
hhe stage For some reason, audiences
lseem not to accept a specialized actor In
in romantic role. and so l go on the stage
without them. trusting 10 my rehearsals
no keep me right Thus have never in
hhe picture even in the front row. If !
should see an audience, l suppose !
should go I'D in my lines through self
consciousness.
A glance at the Gil biography in the
reference books shows that he is the son
Iof clergyman.
And neither Of US is ashamed Of the
Others profession" said the actor. AS
Ia matter of fact, the two callings arc
very closely allied. No man who cannot
address public meeting and convince his
hearers of his sincerity could be success
full either as a player or minister 1T
ps a fact that a very large number or
actors are the sons of clergymen, and l
do not think this at all strange. For
myself. ! suppose ! have rather more
connections among tho clergy than most
actors have. My father is a clergyman.
Ny grandfather was one, and so vas my
great-grandfather. | have a brother and
two brothers-in-law who are clergymen.
1 am the only actor in the group, and
suppose I was really headed for the
Church. At any rate, l was in St PauTs
Cathedral choir when was boy. When
Wilson Barrett caught my young admira-
,f,A NA .,ft .
stage. There was no parental opposi-
lion.
After a while ] went with Sir Her
bert Tree and II was with his company
that l made my first visit TO Berlin. Lon
don had been very kind. and this made
the shock of the Berlin attitude more Sc
we're We put on Richard II and dressed
in heavy armor to mount horses supplied
by the Kaiser from his own stables. The
German papers devoted considerable space
10 our performance. They said we could
ride splendidly. I've tried TO forget what
they said about our acting. The audi
ences in Berlin were the coolest I ever
played to-and I'm London the people IN
the stalls don't exactly overwhelm ono
with their hesrtiness, even If they like
the performance.
''Why not? Oh, ashamed TO show emo
lion. l fancy. In America, l understand,
This is not the case. No matter in what
part of the house one sits I have heard
one does not outrage the prophecies by
openly expressing appreciation when APP
probation is felt But in London the
man in the stalls thinks 1t not quite good
form TO applaud"
Mr.. Gill was asked as TO his ambition
the big thing he hopes 10 do.
"IH tell YOU" he said seriously, my
ambition is to chuck the theatre for good
and go back into the country and raise
pumpkins bigger than those of my neigh
Dor"
But doesn't Broadway appeal to-
Broadway" cut In Mr.. Gill with
something near contempt broadway
Bah"
lie got up. 200 pounds heavy and 6
feet tall from the big chair and s<rode
lightly out TO the elevator. heading for
Central Park. the closest SPOT to the open
country he could find As he passed out
The door of the Gentry Theatre there
floated back In eloquent scorn: Broad
way"
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HlPPoDRoME.