New-York tribune., 1912-02-18
FAY TEMPLETON'S HUN0R
Whether BurIeSque Is Easy and
How X Is Produced.

Broadway Theate yesterday dlttIhooH III
high spirits and at high temperature.
",Burlesoue is hard work" she painted,
mopping her brow.
Seeing her from "the front just mo-
nent before, ccEyulsed audience had
gained the impression that lesque was
the easiest thing in the world teasy AT least
for Fay TempetonD, q thing that fairly
rippled off the tips of her fingers without a
thought. much less an effort. But that is
probably a sign OF genuine art-that It
looks easy and is really very hard.
II would probably be as sensible TO ask
bird how il flies as seriously TO request a
conedienne. especially an actress Of bur
lesaue. TO tell you how she does it," Yet
the question was timidly put TO Miss Tenn
pleton in the hope that something might
come Of it. And just a little bit did come
Of &. I'nconsciously Fay Templeton mar
rowed her eyes little and levelled them
her ouestioner with a glance Of such kindly
understanding and penetration that 1t would
have found whatever comedy there was III
the interviewer if il had been no bigger
than a seed pearl and had been hidden
away at the bottom Of his soul underneath
a hundred and fifty layers Of prejudice.
For her glance sought comedy you could
easily tell that by a lurking twinkle in the
corner of her eyes.
That look explained great deal and was
in itself half an answer TO tho foolish
question of How docs she do it," The
other half Miss Ternpleton was able to give
In so many words. for she is not SO ITEM
perarental" that she does not watch herself
10 see how she does things nor so IMPROVE
dent as to trust wholly 10 luck and inspira-
lion I'm gaining her effects. she studies over
them as much as such wisplke, swift flying
thirgs as shafts OF wit and buriesque can
be studied over.
I'm burlesquins a particular person eN-
rlained Miss Templeton. as though she were
feeling for words that would not be too def
mite. you must see his salient Characters
tics and then exaggerate them You must
not exaggerate them too much, either for
then they will lose flavor and become OBJ
vious You must hold a very fine balance
between imitation and exaggeration, taking
the first as your basis and then slipping
into the other casually here and there"
II is not easy to catch bit of fancy that
is winged and fitting like dragon fly and
describe its qualities, especially when that
fitting thing is created by yourself with a
wave OF your hand or a lift of your eye
brow, or by something very much less def
mite. Fay Templeton is unique in her OBJ
seryation of herself and he own methods
IT found this Bunty burlesque harder than
anything I ever did" she went on. Miss
Pearson, who plays the genuine and original
Bunty at the Comedy Theatre, has no man
nerisms Worse than that-for me-she
plays the part in a high strain of comedy
herself. which leaves next to nothing for
me TO do to burlesoue her."
1t sounded impossible. Yet any one who
has seen the original play and then watched
the Weberfelds burlesque, with Fay Tenn
pleton graveiy sailing around the stage in
her hoopskirts. rescuing every falling and
falling cause. will agree that she has spun
through her work as fine shimmering
thread Of burlesque as has perhaps ever
been seen.
"A great part of the fun of it rests on
the lines themselves" she explains. They
are extremely clever. Then my appear
ance, you see. helps in this particular case.
Miss Pearson is slender and little, whereas
r. she glanced down over herself with
q critical expression; well, you see what |
am" she went on abruptly, as though
words had started to rush TO her lips and
then had suddenly seemed inadequate Be
lieve me. it's not always n help, but when
n came 10 burlesquing Miss Pearson / was
clad ] had II. While we were rehearslng
Bunty I spent three-quarters OF my time
and all my money at the Comedy Theatre
watching that little Scotch girl TO see II
I could not catch something that she was
unconscious Of in her acting. And will you
believe me, II was next TO impossible. /
even went TO her hotel 10 talk with her.
She was most obliging. Even got up and
went carefully through some Of her lines
and her stage business so that ! could get
into closer touch with II. / think that
helped me somewhat. too; but you know 1t
was mighty sweet of her to do 1t!
"she loaned me her costume to copy
and wear an exact reproduction of it.
reproduced 20 fit me. of course, you un-
derstand. / wear another costume in the
last scene / thought it would cheer the
audience up and give them fresh inter
est-a costume change always does"
'Did you fancS the audience needed
cheering up?" she was asked. 1t seemed
incredible in view of the demonstrations
with which each house" has greeted
every move she makes until the last de-
scent of the curtain.
oh" she answered, but little thing
like that helps gather interest And, you
know, Bunty follows Hickey Pokey.'
which has kept Ne crowd in state OF
hilarity for two hours and a quarter IT
Is almost more than human TO expect them
10 keep up the same fresh appreciation all
the way through 'Bunty' too. That is
why felt that something extra was needed
TO quicken attention toward the end.
I'VE arc making changes every night in
'Buntyv which are improving IL great
deal think in a few days more 1t viii
be the finest burlesque that Weber and
Fields ever gave. II IS being both cut
down and added 10, and every touch has
strengthened II Even for us on the stage
It IS racing good fun to act in But we