New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02

The eXcessos of our young radicals
who would wither in the fine blaze of
their scorn all the traditions Of the
theatre have brought out an eloquent
defence from Louis Calvert, who is
plsyng the part OF Matey, the butler,
in "pear Brutus." In his recently pub
lished book, entitled "Thc Problems of
the Actor" Mr.. Calvert mildly but OBJ
s,inatcly intimatcs that in this passion
for revolution we arc unfortunately
throwing away, along with the fustian
and bombast. q slowly and painfully
ACQUIRED wisdom in the art of the
stage. Now. the telling point in Mr..
Calver,s defence lies in the fact that
while he is himself undcniably an "old
starer,' he cannot be pointed at az a
reactonary. Twenty years ago when
the young radical was calmly and
simply unaware of any problem out
side the one of nutrition. and the
Young radicals elders shuddered at the
name of lbscn. Calvert was producing
"Rosmershom" and can Enemy of the
Pcople" through the British provinces.
And if he makes rcgrcttabIy old
fashioned plea for the retention of
Shakespeare, it should be urged in his
cxtenuaton that he has also been ac-
lively concerned with making Shaw
popular lie created the parts of John
Broadbent in "John Bulls Other
island the waiter in you Never Can
Tell and Andrew Undcrshaft in
Major Barbara" in London.
Louis Calvert has been an actor for
forty years. He comes of an old Eng
lish theatrical family. His mother,
actress of note in her day. but the
author OF mn interesting book Of me-
mors entitled "Sixty- eight Years on
the Stage He, therefore. started with
a sizablc heritage OF tradition. which
no has had the opportunity of testing
and adding to by his own considerable
experience. For thirty years he has
been stage director as we'll as actor,
which has brought him in touch with
most of the mechanical problems of
production.
Mr.. Calvert made his first appearance
on the stage in 1878 when ne was nine
teen. For ten years he learned the
groundings of his craft in the rcpcrtory
companies of John Dcwhurst. Sarah
Thorne, Henry Irving and Lily Langtry.
Then to make good convictions Of his
own which had been steadily formulating
he organized his own company.
which toured tho provinces with
repertory that included number Of
Shakespeare's plays, Brownings "A
Blot on the 'Scutchcon,' and two Of
lbsen's plays. He returned to London
in 1898 to be associated in rcvivals and
modern productions with Sir Herbert
rec, Sir Henry Irving and Sir Charles
Wyndham, and in 1905 joined forces
with Granville Barker in the produc-
ton OF Shaw. There followed several
seasons OF rhythmic shuttlings between
snakeSpearian rcvivals and the ultra
moderns, and then Calvert was brought
to New York by the New Theatre to
make the classical productions of its
repertory and to play parts ranging
from that Of John Anthony in Gals
worthys Strife to Sir Toby Belch in
Twelfth Night
1t IS out Of this unusually rich expert
ence that Louis Calvert has evolved
judgment which is worth the regard of
even the most hot-headed radical Be
tween the managers subordination Of
everything to business and the con-
temptuousness Of the radical We are in
fair way, he says, to lose all that is
unest in our traditions And in his
book, which is primarily intended az
hand book for the actor, he makes
plea which touches closely every lover
OF the theatre:
I believe that the art Of acting suf
fers more from change of method than
any other-wth the possible exception
OF the art Of play-writing. The values
are ever shifting, ever new. 1t is on
the stage that We find the most faith
1ul expression Of the moods of thought
which are peculiar to each generation.
and which makes each generation
modern and those that have qono be-
fore old-fashioned. The novice should
not lose sight, after all, that it is not
the art that changes, it is only the
method. The material we work with
Is the same though each season or two
we shape it according to new patterns
i do not want to lay myself omen to
the charge Of being out Of date.
realize that the restrained, simple wav
OF expressing emotion may be quite as