Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-17

HE impersonation Of the
plucky old-tinle actor. hold
ing out for his ideals IN the
face of discoura cement. Is
study in fine descriptive art
characteristic of the always admired
talents of Otis Skinner. 1t Is art for
arts sake" a creation that will have
it's admirers, regardless of how the
verdict as to popular approval may be
registered at the box office. Mr.. Skin
ner is one of the players who seem
eager constantly to do something new
for the theater. instead of waiting only
to see how the theater may be made OF
benefit to himself. The jaunty role OF
Cock o. the Walk" with all Its fam
buoyancy. is delicate in its human SYM
pathy. There is no brusque rebuke of
hypocritical unkindness which shuts
him from his ambition. nor is there
blunt pathos in the portrayal OF his
disappointments. 1t is a character
study well worked out in the hands OF
n man to whom the public has learned
to look for none save efficient en-
deavors.
= The company containing so many ca
~
.anerits. one after another. would drift
into encyclopaedia. now engaged in the
performance of "Androcles and the
Lion" (by no means the most wonder
full of Bernard Shaw's works, but new
ertheless Irresistible in its appeal to
the sense of humor which loves to fol-
low the cratic scintillation of the
London satirist) paused IN Washington
for a week before filling an engage
ment in Boston. The opportunity OF
: seeing the production by Granville
Barker, whose work has been SO much
. discussed, sounding as it does strong
. note of contrast to the conventional
adjustment of scenery and situation.
awakened lively interest. The short
+. play, THE Man Who Married a Dumb
. Wife," revealed Miss Mary Forbes most
, charmingly-so charmingly, in fact, as
: to arouse a suspicion that she slightly
contradicted the authors intention to
: account for bored husband when she
. insisted on conversation.
. Deep Breathing-"Have you ever
watched a fish breathe?" asked Nine.
Petrova. the celebrated Anglo-Polish
star. recently.
NO? Well. then, will tell you the
greatest beauty secret I know.
"A fish breathes visibly; you can see
its little sides expand and contract as
it breathes deeply and all over its body.
But most women breathe either in the
top of their lungs or expand their dia-
-phragms as much as their stiff corsets
will allow them. Now, ! wear corsets
-of Grecian tricot, or webbing, and
those corsets breathe with me.
Women should put their hands on
their ribs and feel them press out and
outuntil they are fully expanded by
full lungs and till the chest is pushed
,hollows in the throat and neck are
padded out and filled by the splendid
clean air drawn from the diaphragm.
That is deep breathing.
Deep breathing helps you to have a
figure that is slender yet round. 1t
.banishes hollows and upholsters the
bones, helps the skin to throw off i'm
purities and keep white and fine of
texture 1t enables you to have a clear
voice with plenty of reserve power and
strength back of 1t. Try it at an open
window twenty times each morning be-
fore breakfast, increasing the number
each morning, and you VIII md that
deep breathing will be All enjoyment
and will aid in throwing off most any
illness"
New Idea for Uplift-"A curious
thing about America" says Helen Salin-
ger. lis that this country, which has
SO tremendous a theater-going public.
does not consider plays literature In
other words. you will find that the man
or woman who reads American plays
unless they have to-is very rare in
deed.
In Europe the publication of a play
is the same as the publication of
book and, for that matter, the aver
age American reads with interest and
Maeterifnck, Shaw. Masefield and Synge.
and, in fact. all the foreign play
-wrights; but unless an American play
has been novelized they never dream
of reading it. Why?
Il believe that il the new plays were
brought out in book form and widely
read they would do much toward ele-
waiting the stage, because the public
would soon find out how slipshod, i'm
probable and unpublished are many of
the plays OF today that get over be-
cause of the beauty OF the settings and
the popularity of the players.
''Playmaking should be really theat-
rical story telling. OF course, the novel
once written. is an accomplished fact.
while the play must be run through
that highly complex piece OF mechan-
5srn. the theatrical machine. But It's
literary value and the appeal of it's
characters should stand-like those of
The novel-complete when IL leaves the
playwright's hands. and it should be
and slang but real wit and charm. II
Il IL TO live as a play that will be read
as well as seen by the public.
Comedy is just as delightful to read
as tragedy. for the satire of Shaw is
Just as much appreciated by the reader
as the somber tragedy OF Bjornson: but
there are mighty few OF the American
plays of today that would stand the
test Of being brought out in book
form. as are those Of the European
writer's.
1T may be because the public doesn't
demand them. but. II this is so. until
they do. the best plays are pretty sure
10 be those built around the familiar
characters Of popular fiction. which has
the literary as well as the dramtaic
touch TO it"
Helen Salinger has had unique expe-
riences as actress. She has played
not only in every city of Importance In
this country and England, but has APP
peared in the principal cities OF China,
Japan and India She has appeared be-
fore the highest native potentates. has
been a guest at raJah's wedding. has
played in The Mikado" IN Japan itself
and has ridden on elephants, on camels
IN Jinrikshas and every known con-
veyance of eastern chimes.