The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
Curtain Talks
Have no Place
In the Drama
They Are DistilIusioning and Rob tho
Audience of Part of Its
Pleasure.
fBy George A. Benson,

Some months ago. l sat through a
sothern and Marlowe performance of
Che tour Macbeth. For over two hours
the play held me spell bound. So
chills played tag on ones spinal col
unm as round and round the caul-
dron'' went the weird n So hor-
rible and convincing We're the scenes
just before and after the murder. so
terrible was the retribution that be-
gan to show itself in the BANQUET
scene and so heart-rending was Julia
Marlowe's wonderful sleep walking
that one seemed lin blood. stepped
in so far that returning were as
tedious as 60 DER" Then came Mac
beth's final stand. Bravely he fought,
but the prophecies of the weird sis
tiers were all against hin Another
moment and it was all over. Macduff
stood triumnhant. and at his feet lay
the body of Macbeth.
Quickly the curtain descended.
There was a deathly stiffness for a
moment: then applause. loud, insist
ent.
Presently the plush curtains thai
Thane of Cawdor's ghost.
Shades of Hecate! 1t was not
enough to be troubled by the spirits
CT the departed Banquo-or were they
Duncan's? But now must come the
ghost of Ambitious Macbeth. who. blu;
q momen before. faced Macduf in
mortal combat.
Then the lips Of the ghost parted.
1t was speaking; it said something
about being glad to see US. Verify.
the pleasure was all his.
How an actor Of Edward H. Soth-
crn's standing and ability could COM
init such a dramatic sin is incon
4S,yoh >~ ~,I -~N>-S:5 800
duction Of Sh~akespeare's drama OF
blood. the curtain speech he made
robbed one of a great deal Of enjoy
ment Of the play.
Curtain speeches at their best are
..isillusioning. They have no place
IN the drama of today. and the actor
who makes them is hindering the
advancement Of his art.
When an actor plays a part-one
he has studied untiringly for months.
perhaps years: when he has attained
to his ideal Of that character. nj is
able to convince the audience that
his w identity is lost, why should
he dispel the illusion by suddenly
becoming himself and uttering a few
set phrases in order to satisfy the
curious?
And yet some actors glory in their
curtain talks. They are never salts
fled unless they can step out in front
of an audience after the "big scene
and tell, in the same old words. the
pleasure they have derived in the
visit to your town"
Fortunately we have a few of the
other kind. Otis Skinner. Americas
leading romantic actor. is one OF
these. No matter how insistent the
applause, he refuses to be anything
hut the character he is p%ortrayine.
Never will step out from behind
the curtain to speak.
1t is not that Otis Skinner dis
likes h plaudits. He is like ever,
other man in that. But Otis Skinner
is a tru artist. and he does NOTHING
that detracts from his art.
This is not to discredit Edward H
Sother. however. He. too. is a true
artist. but he looks at things a little
differently. Sothers undoubtedl,
thought it was all right to wait unit,
the final curtain to speak. In othe,
PLAYS. it would have been Slightly DIFF.
ferent. If the speech was to be made
It could have come at the end of the
banquet Gene. or after his last visi,
to the witches. Even then, it would
have had an ill-effect. but not Sc
great AS at the END Of the play. Jus,
after Macbeth's death.
Hasten the day when playgoers and
acto!s will realize that curtain speech,
es are out OF place. Then, IL ever
will come The perfect play