New-York tribune., 1918-01-20
Type" System
May Be Wrong,
But 1t Works
"A Tailor-Made Man.
Shows Uses of Old and
New Schools


discussed "type" system which for the
7lsst eight or ten years has been in
common use when selecting company
q; actors to present a play. First, it
sail very wrong. Second it works.
This subject has been written of so
frequently that it seems as if every
oue must know the tenets of the mod
ern manager as opposed to those held
nv the producer of another generation.
Briefly, supporters of the old school
aver that actors should be picked for
their ability TO act, not for their physi-
cal appearance. The moderns insist
that the first duty is to the eye---that
il is better to look part than to act
T. They inexplicably continue to in
sist even after seeing specimens of the
pillie BURKE and Dustin Farnum school
in action
This system Of the moderns works
better than one would expect, and for
the very good reason that it is alto
would make any difference. For in
stance, suppose the modern manager
REQUIRES an actor for Falstaff. Does
he page Frank Mcintyre or Fatty Ar
buckle for the chief attraction Of a
circus side show? On the contrary.
he sccurs broadway for lean old
Shakespearian actors who know their
business. Give them few dozen rolls
Of cotton padding and they can make
4 type" actor sound like callboy
with no heart in his task.
Was the slender Lyn Harding the
type for Henry VIII? Was Sydney
Greonstreet? Yet both these actors
played the heshy king in two produc-
tons last season and their perform
ances were as gems of many facets.
Nazimova with the wisdom of ages
and all life's experiences in her
beautiful, mobile face, reduced au-
diences to pulp by her performance
of the innocent, wondering girl in
"Ception Shoals" Yet, externally.
the role would have been better
realized by the wistful, insipid Mabel )
Taliaferro, who would have been as
lamentable il it as the Russian was
superb.
All this is by way of introducing the
cast of "a Talor-Made Man." the
splendid comedy now playing at the
Cohan & Harris Theatre. There one
may study the result Of combining
ability to act with "type"-the blend
ing Of the old school with the new
Incidentally, it is not only the theories
Of the two schools which are brought
together in this play. Actors there are
who have served under Booth and
Barrett in the ranks Of that matchless
training school, the old Boston Mu-
scum. Despite the scornful attitude
SO frequently noted on the part of the
present generation of actors (who re-
gard the older school as "out of date"),
We noticed that the youngsters had to
keep on their toes to prevent the older
ones from taking the scene away from
Only those who know nothing about
the theatre except there is war tax
can see "a Tailor-Made Man" and re-
main unappreciativc of the great task
that was Cohan e. Harris's when the
time came to assemble the cast. What
hours were passed interviewing hope
iul aspirants, What havoc of nerves
and patience the first rehearsal made,
1es the reception of the play in Bos-
ion must have compensated the pro-
ducers for their extraordinary pains.
The work of Grant Mitchell in "It
rays to Advertise" commended this
clever young man for the role Of John
raui Bart. So this part was the least
difficult to fill. The most difficult
was that Of Abraham Nathan, the in
'eilectual and highly bred Jew. It
never would have done to have an actor
OF the Joe Welcb type essay the sub
"etles of Nathan. Applicant after
applicant was rehearsed and turned
away Then the name of Frank Bur-
~ SNNotA GU W SOlnc one whose long !
memory recalled the dignity with
saich the old actor had played a sim
liar role in "DIeu and Women" back in
1891.
Mr.. Burbeck began his stage career
IN Boston with Robson and Crane in
A Comedy of Errors" He was Cen
efai Haverstraw in the first produc-
ZION Of Shenandoah" Israel Cohen in
Men and Women" the Governor in
Ills Excellency the Governor" Cen
rfai Woolsey with Crane in David
narum' with Maude Adams and in
several other productions.
o'her players in this company have
seen honorable service. Minna Gale
haynes was six years with Booth and
barrett and Lotta Linthicum began in
oays stock company and was later
with Rose Coghlan, Wilson Barrett
ana the old Fifth Avenue stock COM
pany. Ss