The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-18

Romeo and Juliet. in which Shake
speare shows that wonderful optimism
which p~ervades all his great tragedies.
Romeo and Juliet have not died in
vain. Their sacrifices have brought
lasting peace. Now as the stars who
play Romeo and Juliet have nothing
&c say in these scenes they eliminate
them. When YOU have time read
the Fridr's beautiful and human
speech at the end Of the play and then
you will realize what "A sacrilege II Is
TO cut IL out.
81 could enumerate scores OF these
indiscriminate cuttings So fatal Ia the
success of the plays as "A whole IL
the time permitted surely Shake
spcare should be played for has own
sake, simply and reverently. and the
,utt.ns shouid Ice don 10y ii loving
hand and as sparinrly as possible
and that only in lengthy speeches.
There are very few scenes in Shake
speare that need to be eliminated al
together. And the adjunct OF scenery
should he very carefully considered.
II should only be used as an accessory.
just enough to help the imagination
of the audience and never IL distract
from the acting. as IL often n case.
The scenic artist too often desires
to make his work so striking as to
gain the attention OF the audience.
whereas it * essential to the play
that the actors faces should he the
high light Of h picture. For en-
ample. place a strong electric light on
the stage, and the eye unconsciously
turns II II. So Il Is with "A very
bright sky. or a change Of morning
To- night on the pack cloth. While
the actors are developing some I'M
portant portion of the play the au-
dicncc arc watching the changes OF
light and missing the play.
Some people say that Shakespeare
deplored the lack Of scenery and quote
the speeches OF Chorus in Henry V.
to prove their case-well, 10 me
Shakespeare does the very opposite.
lie says. Can this cockpit hold the
Vastly fields of France? or may We
cram into this wooden . the very
casques that did alright the air al
A%gincourt? Well. II you had the
wealth of a Rockefeller you couldn't
d" II. and w II these were possible
there would he no longer a play but
a pageant. No. he in the voice OF
Chorus asks his audiences to help the
dramatist with their imagination. As
thus:
O for a muse of fire. that might ascend
The brightest heaven Of invention.
\ kingdom for u stage. princes to act.
And monarchs to bchold the swelling
scene.
And then again. piece out our inn
projections with your thoughts; into
"A thousand parts divide II man. and
make imaginary puissance. For 'ts
your thoughts that must now deck our
kings. Garry them here and there;
jumping DER times, turning the accom-
plishmcnt of many years into an
hour glass" And then again listen
TO this glorious word painting of
Shakespeare and realize how hopeless
Il would he to reproduce II 10y mere
scenery. Here Mr.. Calvert reCited an
other portion Of Chorus's speech.
NO. the stage essentially belongs
To the actor and not the pageant mas
ter ar the scenic artist. The actors
art Is h art OF imagination and il
the actOrs are worthy the audience
will not miss the scenery. Now there
is another essential to n good per
formancc that over and over again
is lacking on the stage of to-day, and
particularly so in Shakespeare. That
essential was present in the DAILY re-
pertoire company. and the company
and the public. though they could moi
analyZe II, felt the effect and loved it
and hat was-well ! have only one
word hat will adequately cXprcss
what | mean, and Il friend of min,
who holds a high position has begged
me not To use It but to choose som'
other word more indicative Of the high
purpose of my speech about Shake
speare. but | am ready to suffer fol
II. 1t is a word used In connection
with football and baseball, and tina
IL, teamwork. II is an honest Engl!s,
phrase and nothing to me expresse!
the idea of a body ~ actors wOrk!nl
in unison, helping each other to sc
the best out of their respective part
and all working unselhshly for III
good of the whole. And that can onl!
he M by time. When actors nav,
row to know each other In the sam
company by playing many parts to
NAtkAs ana leap0tn~ Aank nAhAeSs >c~,