New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-20
BARKER COUNSELS
STAGE STUDENTS
English Producer Bids Dramatic
Arts Graduates to Study and
Master Their Art.

Granville Barker, with the prestige
Of his successful Wallack's Theatre
season behind him, was the guest OF
honor and principal speaker yesterday
at the graduating exercises Of the
thirty-first year of the American Acad-
envy of Dramatic Arts, in the Empire
Theatre. Twenty-three students who
had completed the course sat on the
stage and listened intently to the
words OF the Eng ISL producer, VINO
has pleased New York. The auditori-
um was filled with their friends and
alumni of the school, whose attention
was just as rapt.
at is the curse of any educational
institution. but when the bridge is half
built" said Mr.. Barker, 'the people
who are interested in that bridge want
to say, Now, let US take a railway
train and n troop of cavalry across 1t
to see If it Is finished Naturally, it
falls down. To my mind, It is especial
ly the curse OF any artistic education
because, frankly, in an artistic edu-
cation there are no results. Art cam
not be taught mind you, there is moth
ing else about art that cannot be
taught except the art itself, and you
have TO learn art built upon 50 many
YOU can even know whether you are
ever going to be an artist or not 10
master all the things which 20 to make
up that art When you have mastered
them all then you will know that you
are an artist, and not until them
"Some time ago ! went to Berlin and
Moscow, and | had a talk with some
very good friends of mine in Rein
hardt's Theatre. We were discussing
the difficulties that the German the
atre was undergoing, and he said:
What We find is that we are losing
the old STYLE of actor here, and we are
not getting any really new salts actory
type in his place He said: we very
often say to ourselves what we really
want is not a company, but ZOO. lie
said They ought to be brought down
TO the theatre at night in cage,
brought to the edge Of the theatre
stage and let loose. BY that we really
might keep some of the enthusiasm
which used to distinguish the theatre
of twenty years ago
IL went to Moscow, and | talked
there with a very great man indeed; |
think, on the whole, the greatest man
! have met in connection with the the
atre, and that is Stanislofsky, who is
one of the heads ana VINO mas the d.
rection of the Art Theatre there. He
took an exactly opposite view OF the
stage. He said: What we want are
men and women who understand the
problems that face men and women IN
the world | want to bring them into
the theatre, and | want to make them
understand the problems of the world.
81 should like to tell you of a very
/ interesting theatre that Stanlslofsky
told me about, and the way he re-
hearsed his performances. There they
have an ideal system; they have a
company that has played together,
most of them, for about thirteen years,
and then from time to time other peo-
pie were brought in because of death
or other things. when they would have
to reinforce their numbers. When |
was there there was very well known
actor in Moscow who was leaving the
theatre he was then in, and was taking
up his position-quite a good position
il was TO be--in the Art Theatre. and
that man was to come for one entire
season 10 belong 10 the theatre, and
he was not TO act a single part. lie
was to do nothing but live in the thea
tire. rehearse with them, work with
them and get into their ways. That
shows you what the Moscow Art
Theatre means by acting.
"And Stanislofsky said that when
they rehearse a play they do not say,
we will give so many weeks for the
rehearsal What they say is, we will
put this play in rehearsal, and when
that play is ready we will produce it
can truthfully say that they are
capable Of the most extraordinary
things there. They rehearsed The Blue
Bird and they got everything ready
for it; they arrived to the dress re-
hearsal and saw the scenery on the
stage for the first time; they had, |
believe. about $4,000 purchased in
tickets by an audience to see The Blue
Bird and because they did not Ike
the scenery they did not produce it."
Other speakers we're William Sey-
mour and Miss Laura Sedgwick Col
Inns. president of the alumni of the
school