New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-04

A furt.vc. ferret-eyed, blacks owled
figure. shutting into view -pon noise
less slippered feet, casting spell OF
evil over the brilliant auditorium until
golden horseshoe and glittering orches-
ira seemed a thousand miles away
such is Antonio Scott in Franco LeonPs
"L'Oracolo," the one-act opera recently
performed for the first time in Amer
lea on the stas. Of the Metropolitan
Opera House.
There is no singer now before the
nublic better fitted by training and
equipment 20 discuss the art o acting
and dramatic lmpers0nation than IS Mr.
Scott. lie asserts that he is an I'M
plicit believer I'm the doctrine that an
artist is one at his birth If he ever is
to be one.
81 take it as no credit to myself that
/ can act." he said last night. ut was
born i'm me, and comes to me as natur-
ally as eating, and much more natural
w than smokin While ! do OF BELT
tie the value OF intellectual thought
and hard work - the preparation OF a
part, the supreme nom .nts-the mo-
ments that make the imperso alton a
masteruiece, that raise - out OF the
plains Of cOnventionality into the noun
ta!ns. where the air suddenly quIckenS
the figure into vibrant llfe-these mo-
mcnts come intuit.veiy by no will Of
the artist himself. To me they rarely
come until the last rehearsal, or even
the first perform nee itself. and they
never come until have dressed myself
in the costume Of the part.
"Some people may laugh at the ne
cessity Of costume, but | do not L.ugh.
| know that until had put on the
powdered wig and the low ruitles Of
Scarp.o, the character was really an
intellectual al racti0n. [ know that
at the last uncosumed rehearsal of
TOracolo' M impersonatIOn Of the
keeper Of the opium deu was llfe!ess
and utterly lnsip.d. After the rehearsal.
Mr.. Siedle, our scenic director, came
up TO ne and SAID:
"'Scotti, your Chim-Fen is too much
like YOUR Tonic. You walk like him,
and you act like him
"SIedle is q good friend Of mine, and
he was right, and what Is more, | knew
he was right. Then came the costume
rehearsal. In the preparation Of my
costume I had put much time and care.
| must be true ChIuaman, or | knew
! would be only poor imitation one.
put on my costume and walked upon
the stage. and suddenly | knew | was
walking differently, acting differently,
than / had the day before.
"I had seen Chinese in San Fran
cisco and in Chinatown here, though |
had never consciously studied them, yet
deep down in my mind my impressions
had slumbored. With the putting on
of their clothes these Impressions had
sprung TO life: Italy had vanished,
china was here. At last | was Chin
Fen!
The same process took place in all
my parts. I have often been asked
how make my first entrance in 'Tosca,
whether to get the apparent savage
drive | do not start far back in the
wings. AS a matter Of fact, take but
two or three steps before the aud lence
sees me- The effect Is produced simply
because with d0nning the costume Of
Scarpia | have become Scarpla, and |
act as Scarpia would have acted IN the
circumstances under which be makes
his entrance. project my feelings
over the footlights, rather than rely
ing upon pure technique. The way in
which | make my entrance is really
nothing. the spirit inside me when |
make my entrance is everything.
"The little girl who takes the part
of the enid in L'Oracolo' is another
example Of what I mean By the born
artist This child Is a niece OF the
DOLL Sisters and comes to her hlstri-
oric heritage naturally. | have acted
with many children, but never before
with one who was go naturally an ac-
tross. She is only five years old and
vet she feels her part as deeply as
anv % Us. shall never forget little
Slip on my part wh en- nearly ruined
on the first night the scene where |
steal the little child. At rehearsal !
told her that she must not come 20
me the three times | roll the apple TO
Ler. but must only GONE when I call
her. TIE first night came, and TO my
horror when I did call her she did not
come, and J had 10 run to her and pick
her up. After the scene | said 70 her:
why ditn't you come when | called
But. dear M Scotti,' said she,
YOU only rolled the apple twice. and
before lou rolled j. three times