The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20
Many NJ an age RS
Accede to Popular
Fancy by Type
casting Novices
for Stellar Roles
Despite Condem-
nation of CRITICS
and Actors

THE practice OF 'typecastins"
has not escaped discussion In
the theatre. II has its violent
opponents as well as Its warm advo-
Gates. 1t has not escaped observation
that the men who oppose this way OF
selecting the characters in a play,
which is nothing else but requiring
that the actors look the part, are usu-
ally OF the older school. They SPEAK
when they oppose this modern man.
ner OF picking out the characters for
a play for the skill Of the artist who
can make himself any character so
long as he has the talent and expert
ence. 1t Is not necessary, they main
tain, for the person to be physically
the character In the play. Then what
Is the art OF the actor?
On the other hand. the practice of
selecting the actor because he can look
the part has grown ever more popular
despite the condemnation of critics and
actors who regard their profession as
o real art. Managers who have given
themselves over to this method OF re-
cruiting their companies have the ex-
PLANTATION that 1t is in this way the
personnel Of q company is SO gathered
rs TO prove most interesting to the
public. The ordinary manager is con-
WINGED that there Is no manner OF pro-
ducing play that so appeals to the
public as having the man or woman
who is to play a part look like that
person. This us especially true of the
actor to whom the principal part is en-
trusted. If she is supposed to he is
the manager will entertain no thought
OF q girl who is over 20 at the most.
II she be II according to the text he
likes to have her, well. say. not more
than IS. And 80 1t goes. At all events,
the result Of type casting" as isexists
In all Its force to-day is to fill the lead
ing roles of the popular plays with
young, sometimes very young, girls.
But 1t occasionally happens that an
actress also finds her way there II she
accidentally looks the part. BUT that
last is the first essential.
what the Advocates Say.
.On the other hand, there are some
advocates OF the present manner of
casting plays who have a word to say
In Its favor on the artistic side. They
are prone'to talk in this manner:
There never was a great actor in
the past who did not have some part
In which he was vastly more popular
with the great public than in any
other. In one role he always drew
the public as in no other. Edwin
Booth was most beloved as Hamlet.
In other words that was the part best
q suited to his personal and physical
traits. In all probability. Henry Irving
was most generally admired in The
Merchant Of Venice That was be-
cause the Jew was best fitted to his
physical and emotional attributes. In
no other role was Lawrence Barrett
so praised as Cdssius. No other part
so exactly fitted the man as he was
In life. With the women. It was the
same. The tender and clinging ones
could never play Lady Macbeth, while
the others with the qualities to sue
coed In that role never could interest
their admirers as Juliet. So you see
type casting is nothing new in the
theatre. II may not always have been
called by this name, but 1t was always