Evening star., 1912-09-08

it is sometimes represented by those who
have had the experience.
II am ready to admit the invaluable
experience to be gained by association
with a good stock company. 1t stimu-
lates ones latent powers Of energy, OD-
servation. study and Interpretation and
gives a schooling which, perhaps, can
be acquired in no other way. But, on
the other hand, continued work IN
stock company frequently results IN
haety method that prevents the full de-
velopment of ones powers of expression
and is apt to end In careieSsness II TOO
long continued.
Because / have played the role of
parish priest over a thousand times. how
ever, it must not be assumed that l go
about my work in mechanical manner.
Far from II. AS matter OF fact. race
each audience with much trepidation
as / did during my first week. and
though l speak the same lines. 1t by no
means follows that / speak them IN eN-
actly the same manner and interpret
them in the same spirit. There is not
night that do not feel provoked at my
self for missing a cherished enect in
small way here and there, but instead OF
feeling discouraged l make up my nina
TO try again the next night, and do try
and try again, until l finally get What
am striving for.
This is what lends interest to ones
work. and no doubt accounts for the
spirit with which some actors give per-
formance after performance of the same
role with undiminished freshness and
vigor The possibility of developing a
deadly sameness in repeating the same
lines night after night is a spur and
forces them to do their best every night.
and this results in constant Improvement
and finally in great creations in the
players repertoire
WINNING THE ORCHESTRA LEAD
ER-"I am as much afraid of a theater's
musical director as they say Uncle Nick
is of holy water" declares Stella May
hew
ITO my mind, he is the most important
individual about a theater. the star and
the public not excepted. There he sits,
the monarch Of all he surveys-the public
on one side, the players on the other. He
is as conspicuous as man silhouetted on
a bluff by the setting sun. If he shows an
interest in the vaudeville star dimly
twinkling before him, the audience fol-
lows suit like hypnotized Trflby. If
he turns away, looking bored and blase,
the audience feels the Chill from his
frosty demeanor, and the star becomes
falling luminary.
You see, the musical director is a sort
of lightning conductor. This personal
magnetism which you have heard of, and
which players radiate like radium rays,
over the bars, seems appropriate.
since music is the subject, by the direc-
tor. If he is pleased he adds his own
magnetism to the effiux, and then the
audience gets it. Where?
Really. / am not joking. You would
not think so if you ever saw me try
ing to thaw out frozen director in
new town. You see he stands high with
the audiences because all the regulars
are charmed by his nod of recognition.
Then they know he sees the show over
and over again. and thinks 1t must be
good or 1t would not interest him bit.
and finally they can see for themselves
how the comedians and comediennes-
me eespecally-stand in awe of him. Hon
estly, few contemptuous glances shot
by the director toward the footlight star
and never seen by the audience, are usu-
ally sufficient to put that luminary out
of business with the public. Why. don't
you know, many condolences marry mu-
sical directors, so they will travel and
direct the music for their turns.
do 1 like leaders? Yes, but only when
they can play the piano"