Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-02


nropose to be scared into fear OF
ina ginary evils.
Character Imperxonation Real Art
There is probably no player on the
contemporary stage who has won
more secure place in the aHectlons
of theatergoers than David Warfield
whose gallery of stage portraitures
includes such lovable and appealing
characters as Simon Levi in The
Auctioneer," Herr Anton Won Barwig
in THE Music Master" Yves BigeioW
in "a Grand Army Man" and Peter
Grimm in '"The Return of Peter
Grimm"
Mr.. warfield has come to be re-
garded not only as one OF the lead
ing character actors of the American
stage today, but also as an artist re-
wives memories of the great char
Acter actors of the past.
Theatergoers of today still hear
from the older generation how John
E. Owens played Scion Single; how
the elder Sothern entranced them
with his Lord Dundreary; how John
r. Raymond made the playhouse ring
with laughter as Col. Sellers; how
Billy Florence evoked roars as the
Hon. Bardwell Slote. and how lovable
was his Capt. Cutie in "Dombey and
Son." Every old playgoer remem-
bers Jefferson as Rip Van Wrinkle or
as Bob Acres and Stuart Robson as
BERTHE, the lamb. Some of these play
ers appeared in Shakespearean and
other classical roles from time to
time. but the public learned to ap-
field which is not grandiose, but real
istic-the field of character acting.
when speaking of actors" said Mt.
Warfield recently, how often do we
hear the remark, After all. he IS a
character actor Not that it is said
disparagingly SO much. but rather as
implying that there is a division in
art between character acting and
some other kinds. Now, this is not
true, because all acting is character
acting. whether the impersonation be
Macbeth, Hamlet. Richard III or some
figure in the modern drama.
Popular idols like the late James
A. Herne. Sol Smith Russell and Jo-
seph Jefferson, whose whole profess
sional life practically was bound up
with gentle Characterization. fig
ures of humble life and surroundings,
performed a no less admirable serv-
ice, or gave less pleasure. nor were
they the less distinguished artists
than those who made Shakespearean
and classical roles their particular
forte
take, for illustration, the art Of
painting. 1t has been the misfortune
of some painters Of splendid genius
that circumstances prevented them
from covering vast walls and ceilings
with pictures fifty feet long and
twenty feet high. Yet. in the final
crucible of fame is not the name OF
Fragonard just as durable as that OF
Tintoretto or Michelangelo? Raphael
painted works of every size, yet the
few square inches of canvas which
reflect his The Three Graces' cannot
ha fN~ fhov
can the sublimities of the largest
frescoes. Was there ever a greater
painter than Vatican? Does not the
genius of Delacroix shine as con-
spicuously in his small as in his
large pictures?
so with acting. The deep human
emotion and quaint personalities Of
the roles which Raymond, Florence.
sHerne and Jefferson made famous as
: deeply touched the eternal verities
= of art as could any rendition of Shy
lock or Macbeth"
i Enthusfasm OF the Music Critic
Among the foremost music critics of the
: country who have written in praise Of
Parker the distinguished critic of Bos-
ton, to draw the following pen picture Of
her marvellous voice. Mr.. Parker wrote:
Miss Hempel stands now at the
golden noon of signal powers. Not one
of her present compeers in America has
a voice so rich and smooth of body. so
lustrous, SO ample from beginning to
end of its range. The usual voice of the
ornate singer, such as she is, is either
fine and delicate of timbre, like that of
Nine. Barrientos or Nine. Cali -Curci,
or of an exquisitely soft and silvery re-
Hsonance. like Nine. Melba's in her later
days.
TN contrast. Miss HempePs is lus-
cious. glowing, veritable golden flood,
ranging upward, ranging downward in
undiminished body and beauty. The
ornaments Of song spring from her lips
in a kind of splendor that not another
singer of our time may now attain. She
can Guido the Italians at their favorite
trick of the long-held. swelled, dimin-
ished note. She excels equally in the
large-lined. slowly unfolding. warmly
modulated pattern of Rossini's ornate
song, and in the hard glinting arbitrary
there was ever one-of Meyerbeers
Shadow Song in Dinorah.'
yet she fashioned in long and undu-
liant line, with unerring sense of melting
phrase, light infection and suffusing
color the tenderer measures of Desde-
mona, while in her tones the melody Of
Bellnrs 'Qui la Voce' flowed in the
suavest of voice. the softest of lusters.
the very whispers Of gentle melancholy"
julia Oeo1 ana CofumD10 Fl4yefD-
Every one in Washington knows the
perfection which the old Columbia
Players attained and how the Column
bia Players proved the stepping stone
to stardom for several dramatic
actresses now claimed as favorites by
the entire country.
Julia Dean. through the Columbia
Players, it is said. won her oppor-
tunity to attain stardom. David Be-
Iasco first saw Miss Dean in Washing
ton as a member of that company. Her
first New York hit. THE Lily" pro-
duced by Mr.. Belasco the following
season. was brought to Washington,
and Washington sent it's stock favor
lite off to the great metropolis conf
dent Of her success.
And she did succeed beyond even
the fondest dreams of her legion of
friends. Since then Julia Dean. has