Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-04

learned gentleman stated the examples Of Ida Ruben
STEM who had to give up playing certain role in
play of d Annunzo's because of the deleerous effect
had had upon her. of Charles Warner the celebrated
British actor who, after playing for forty years in
"Drnk, developed all the symptoms of delirium
mems and eventually killed himself because his mind
went back on him, although he was by means heav
lily inclined toward liquor and of Richard Mansfield,
who in his last moments, Imagined himself compos-
tie of Baron Chevral in The Partisan Romance
Mr. Hyde, and Cyrano de Bergerac. Professor Rice
fur,er supported his contentious by pointing that
Charles Keans 1Otheo" became 50 mucls part of
keans off-stage being that his jealous temperament
and insane suspicious drove his wife from him for time:
that Rip Van Wrinkles shiftess character eventually
became Joseph Jefferson's; and that three Il
quote the professors phraseoogy who took part in
the harak in the last act Of The Darling of the
Gods, committed suicide"
If all this be true, then thoroughly believe the po-
ice ought to keep under constant surveillance.
ought to be let out loose. If role has affected
the actors named the learned psychologist claims,
what have twenty roles-all bad women-done to meo
Without wishing irrtate the professor, III tell you.
The constant deineation of the roles of scoundrey
adventuresses has made me-tlred That's all there
TO it! The role actor actress plays however bad
it is from a moral point of view and however long he
she plays it, hasn't any effect that actors
actress everyday life, from all have seen heard, and
known personally, than the fact that has been
butcher by trade all his life makes him put white
apron when sits down his own table to eat piece
of meat in his own dining room. Nor has it any more
effect the actors actress character outside the
theater than the weighing duties of grocer have his
actions outside his shop. He may weigh purchased
articles six hundred times day for dozen years. but
when he leaves his at six o'clock and goes home
he doesn't nstinctively weigh everything he lays his
hands on-now, does he? He does not Take me, for
instance.
HAVING played the part of the bad woman for night
after night, week after week. month after month";
and year after year, | ought to be pretty good
ample for scientific experimental research. And vet
without wishing to seem to be too proud of myself
confess that, as the years go on, am becoming
more and more of home body than ever In fact, |
am that think | ought to upset a streetcar,
do something like that just get back my balance
with the average, normal woman. My dirty work is
confined to removing the spots from my gowns with
gasoene. My plotting is directed chiefly toward cut
ting down household expenses. My "devishness
sists entirely Of wearing every in awhile hat
rather gaily trimmed And there you are!
do not believe that real true, honest goodness
adventures look at the picture from the other
sdecoud play the part Of adventures satsfactor
lily behind the footlights. The worst woman in the
world assuming the dramatic role of the
the world would find herself completely out OF her ee
ment | do not believe this theory has been pub
licy advanced before; and yet 1t to me to be
thoroughly grounded fact Scientifically inclined
persons will get up all of psychological proofs to
show you that | am wrong; but anyone intimately
acquainted with the working side of the theater will
grasp the practical side of the question Immediately.
The adventures the stage must be the audiences
idea of adventures at the time; in other words the
popular if imaginary temporary conception of adven