Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05
AVID BEl.Asco has Just paid a

- AVID BEI.Asco has Just paid q
compliment to q washington
girl. Miss Ottola Nesmitn.
IL whom he has intrusted with the
title role in Tho Vanlshlns
Bride" the farce which opens the sea
son of the Belasco Theater. New YORK
Miss Nesnith was born and lived IN
Washington for eleven years. and Is the
daughter of Capt Otta A. Nesmith OF the
United States Signal Corps. who was sta
toned at Fort Myer for some time. Her
uncle is Mai. Gen. Greedy. the arctic ex-
plorer. Mr.. BeIasco regards her as
find
ART AND THE THEATER.-A recent
criticism of the methods of David Be
Iasco in staging his dramatic successes
likens him to 1.-THE Philistine in the house
of art" who has followed the false
gods of naturalism and unmeening real
ism until he has driven unity and mar
rnony from the American theater. nile
COMMUNICATING the great producer as
master Of details" it contends that true
artistry would leave everything possible
TO the imagination of the spectator anu
employ a method that may be summed up
in the few words: concentration ny
IMAGINATIVE suggestion.
Some years ago a local lawyer who was
pleading his case before the supreme
Court of the United States was vislbly
boring that distinguished BODY by quot
ing authorities for every principle of law
advanced, some of them SO widely known
and well established that the effort TO
support them with authorities seemed
laughable.
"My dear X exclaimed the dignified
Chief Justice do, please. assume that
this court knows the first principles OF
the law
THAT, your honor" quickly came the
response. lis the very mistake 1 made
in the court below.
Perhaps Belasco's wide experience has
taught him how precarious 1t is for a
producer to rely upon imaginative sug-
gestion' in dealing with the average the
alter audience
ARTIST AND PHILOSOPHER
VARIED was recently discussing the art
of painting. sculpture and acting and
comparing the rewards to be derived by
those who are successful in each line of
endeavor,
III 1t were not for the law of compen-
sation which an all-wise Providence has
made a rule of life he said, "one would
say that acting is the most thankiess OF
all the arts. An actor is famous To-Day
and forgotten tomorrow He SPENDS ms
life In a great effort to make living PIC
lures for a public that forgets him when
he is dead What have they left behind
them-the actors of yesterday? Nothing
but a memory-a standard for other play
ers in the days to come.
"The painter dies and leaves behind
him great pictures as a memorial HIS
admirers, especially nowadays. can go
out and buy a sepia tint of his great
works for 5 or 10 cents, and keep it. SO
that he lives through the passing gen
erations for all of US. sculptor carves
his own memorial in marble that lives
forever. and the great author never dies,
because his soul lives in his books But
the player goes out into the great be-
yond and at best there are only few
to say, saw him act. He was great
man. and that is all.
Yet the law of compensation is always
there to keep US from becoming dis
heartened. for it gives to the actor the
love and the applause of his public at the
time Painters, writers, sculptors, all
these wait years for recognition, and
sometimes fame doesn't come until they
are dead They paint picture and it is
hung in some gallery and perhaps forgot
ten but the actor receives every night OF
his life the wealth of publics love and
applause and so 1 guess I'm just as glad
that I'm an actor after ALL