The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-30
BEULAH POINTER, CLEVER "STOCK"
ACTRESS TALKS ABOUT MODERN DRAMA
By DOLLY DAGRYMPIE '


To have read of Beulah Pointer. the
star of the "Bijou Stock company"-to
have perused her plays-to have an
alyzed her dramatization of familiar
books-is TO picture woman of far
more than her real age-a woman who
has seen life and known its ups and
downs and yet when you meet her
away from these surroundings. You
see far different type from what you
expected
In the flesh. Miss Poynter is fair and
frail-her blonde hair framing a face
of unusual charm and sweetnegs-her
/ youth proclaimed from every view
| point-and her contagious good humor
and optimism radiating from every
word ANA thought, making her a per-
sonality to be reckoned with-un-
doubtedly.
From every creyice of her make up.
wit and cleverness fairly exude and
eff nervous energy, she possesses an in
eXhaustible fund.
Miss Poynter is a very interesting
talker. and what is infrequent in the
atrieal circles these days. she is well
educated and well read.
In fact
she is a young woman of brains and
ambition-determine to forge her way
70 the very top. regardless of obstacles
and hardships-well. she doesn't know
the meaning of the word "failr
She is an indefatigable worker-and
what's more, she accomplishes things.
It's nothing for her to be PLAYING IN
m Irg l..
ing on play which she is trying 10
finish within a prescribed time, ana
reading the latest effusions from the
big men and women who are forging to
the front as play wrights, many of
whom are her very close friends
Aren't those enough good "Poynters'
usnt that awful?) for any one tiny
little slip of a girl to possess?
THE one thing that is absolutely
necessary" said Miss Poynter, when
it comes to writing plays, is that the
characters shall be human. Many a
good play-that is when it comes to
technique and dramatic art-has gone
a-silmnering merely because there was
not note of human sympathy in it
not one appealing character or situa-
ton. Take Lena Rivers for instance,
which we are going to put on next
week. It's old old book-Mrs.
Holmes wrote it way back in the long
ago. and | dramatized it before / was
IS. | realize now that it is a very poor
play from an artistic stand point: from
the technical side; but the one thing
that has made such a strong appeal
about 1t is that ii is human Why. |
when we took a vote from our audi
ences al the Bijou as to what play they
chose as a faVorite, Lena Rivers was
the almost unanimous decision"
Technique is such an elastic thing"
suggested, 'and playwrights seem to use
1t so promiseuousy, what really, is it,
in the practical sense or the word?"
1t is supposed, of course, that when
playwright begins a play, he has some-
thing to say-although judging from many
OF the present-day plays you'd scarcely
think so. Granted a theme then comes
locale or place, which is a very import
ant thing. After that technique or the
problem of shaping these things In a def
mite form is required. That practically
is what technique means. 1t is sort of
like string which holds a package to-
gether-don't you see? Open the pack
age and out pops something very lovely
or disappointment SO with play"
And the plot-the plots the thing, or
should be, it seems to me- / remarked
THAT is really the mechanical part of
the play, as it were" she replied. PILOT
thread is wound, keeping what would