The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31


 was in this view nothing more than a vivid reproduction of part cre- ated by another.
 These critics were wrong. Great actors are entitled to the credit of being constructive. Their interpreta- tions are in the nature of things lgreat tragedian rose to the height French comedian, wrote an illumi- mating little book on the actors art in which he refuted most convincingly the false notion that was finding SUD- bort in Paris. The histrione, in vitalizing scenes and speeches, is, in a very large sense, creator.
 Dr. Stockton Axson, the distin- guished educator and man of letters, lin his brilliant and authoritative lec- ture on the "Modern Drama" de- I livered in Birmingham Tuesday night, brought out this fact with singular Iimpressiveness when he described Robert Mantell's portrayal of "King Lear" in the curse visited upon his Ifaithless daughter, Gonereil. The famous tragedian rose to the height of his power and so moved Dr. Axson Ias to cause him to forget for the mo- ment that he was listening to the Language of Shakespeare. He felt as if Mantell were speaking his own curse in words spontaneously con- ceived and spontaneously uttered. The thrilled audience realized full Iwell that it was a creation. Shakespeare created the character |of Lear, but Mantell was none the Hess a creator in intensifying the part and making it live as something of flesh and spirit.
 The theatrical world has furnished many examples of tragedians and comedians making revelations of roles not striking on the printed page, but the actor who makes the lines of Shakespeare more real than they had seemed before is at once an inter- Ipreter and creator. Alphabetically then, the actors art is as creative as the painters or the sculptor's.
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 Another reason why a yeggman hates to receive a prison sentence of seven years just now is the possibility that the country may be bone-dry when he gets out.
 Running an armored motor car up and down the streets of Petrograd is a picnic for bolshevik soldiers, who simply can't see themselves fighting in the trenches.
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 contemporary suggests that T. R. be sent to the Fiji Islands. Vain hope. T. R. has other fish to fry, not thou sand miles from the national capital.
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 | When producer claims that he spent fortune on the costumes of girl show the man in the front row can't help won dering where all that money went. ] * # *
 The mere fact that all the saloons in Marion, O., will sell government thrift stamps won't make them any more pop ular with the dry brethren.
 When we steel ourselves to face a pre- dicted blizzard and it fails to arrive, we bear up nobly under the disappointment The New York Sun publishes marriage notices and death notices in the same column Is this an attempt at humor?
 * E T , MT. Bryan has a grudge against the New York papers he will probably carry with him to his grave.
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 Borther Thompson of the American Defense society has evidently been seeing things at night.
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 Hun airmen cant rattle Great Brit aims House of Lords by dropping few pesky bombs.
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 You can't kill an American" say Italian officers. Berlin papers pleas, copy.
 * ;s * General Wood went abroad for a taste of war and he wasn't long in getting it ,s * a Thousands of spring gardens have al F ready been started-on paper , LUKE M'LUKE SAYS
 Isn't it funny how man can gal