New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-25
CHARACTER ACTING
David Warfield Gives His
Views On the Art.

In David Warheld, who is making his
farewell appearances in "The Auction
Ger" at the Manhattan Opera House, Is
beheld an artist who is not alone re-
garded as the leading character actor
on tho American stage at the present
time, but who revives memories OF 'he
leading character actors of the Amen-
can stage of the past. And by charae-
ter actors Of the past is meant that
small coterie Of creative comedians VINO
studied humanity in its everyday aspect
and synthetized its traits into com
posite type. in which tho general puoho
was able TO recognize something oil u
self.
"The Auctioneer" is the frame Tor
the wonderful character portrait OF the
forlorn and gentle Levi, whose unlall-
inc humanity and noble nature, despite
his amusing expression, has ehueaIeu
him 20 a vast number Of theatregoers'
nv means of the genius Of Warheld, ne
has been set upon the stage as niue
and human epitome Of the pest anu
most engaging traits of his swarmng
kind. What one sees is an eNtraoIu!-
nary manifestation OF truth IN arr
which can be analysed and ieIt as
though it were part OF our own COM
When Molicre produced "The shop
Keener Turned Gentleman" every SHOP
Eeeper in Paris turned out TO laugh at
The hero. convinced that u typlhed the
sbon-kecper across the street Every
one recognized the fidelity 20 nature
which the portrait presented. IL was
vital because il was typical OF genera
traits. The actor was really holdlhg
the mirror up to nature and ms "orA
dominated. s.,.
The theatregoing public Of to-day
still hears from the older genera'iion
how John r. Owens played SCION
Sb;ngle. how the elder Sothern en-
tranced them with his Lord Dundreary
Fitzaltamont. the Crush Iragedlan;
how John 7. Raymond made the play
house ring with laughter as Colonel
Sellers: what a performance Billy lot
ence gave in the part OF the Hon. baru-
we'll Slote, and how lovable his WORK
as CAPTAIN Cutie in "DOmbey q Son.
And every playgoer remembers Jeier-
son as Rip or Bob Acres, and stuart
Robson as BERTHE, the Lamb lheSe
were positively individual ana as
tinctive creations. They were types
which everybody recognized iuhue-
mentally as true. The actor had sim
ulv seized upon those elements IN
human nature which are universal.
While some Of these artists appeared
in Shakespearian and classic roles from
time TO time. the public really apPre-
ciated them most and loved them best
IN the field which Is not grandlose, uu'
realistic-the field Of character acting
"When speaking Of actors, how often
do we hear the remark said Mr.. ar
field recently, that after all, ne IS
character actor Not that II Is sara
disparagingly so much as meaning 10
imply that the art Of acting is com
posed of character acting ana some
other kinds. Now, this is not true, be-
cause ell acting IS character acLlhe,
whether the impersOnatlOn be that OF
q Shakespearian character, IKE Sny-
lock or Macbeth, or one Of the BRAIN
children Of contemporary dramatlsts.
Every player who assumes role must
not alone speak the lines, look the part
and move at precise moments IN the
action but he must be the character
and the greater the players force the
stronger will be his characterlzauon;;
"In nv opinion, an artist VINO de-
votes himself TO gentle characterlza-
tons Of figures IN humDie me PEI Io
INST as admirable a service TO the
iheatregoing public as do those VINO
have made the Shakespearian and
classical roles their particular forte.
"Take an illustration from the ART OF
Uainting, for instance. II mas Deeh lhe
misfortune of some painters OF spIeh-
ala genius that circumstances prevent,
ed them from covering vast walls ana
ceilings with pictures fifty feet long
and twenty feet high. Yet, in the final
crucible of history, is not the name or
Fragonard Just as durable as that, OF
Tintoretto, or Michael Angelo! was
there ever q greater painter than Wat
+eau? Does not the genius OF Della
croix shine as consplcuously IN MS
small as in his large plcturesf ana as
TO Raphael, who painted works OF every
size. the few square inches Of canvas
which contain his depletion OF Inc
Three Graces' cannot be bought lot
money any more than can the subllml-
ties of his largest frescoes.
at is the same with acting. In my
opinion. the deep, human emotion ana
quaint personality Of Simon Lew as
deeplv touch the eternal verities Of art
as could any rendition of Shylock or
Macbeth"