The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20
Advocates of Mod
ern Method Point
to Great Hits
Vete ran Players
NJ a de in Parts
Especially Suited
to Their Physical
Traits

nellie and Racine. None attempted
to dispute her prominence. All 9th
ers had quietly to step aside and make
way for her. She ruled Paris.
"She was a chit in years. OF course.
there had never before been such .
queen OF the French theatre, then the
most distinguished in the world. No
wonder the public went mad over her.
No wonder that the critics, fascinated
by the beauty OF this fresh young
creature, wrote go wonderfully OF her
Incompatible genius. Rachel had n
comparatively short career. She died
at 81 or 3s. But she crowded 1t all
into the days of her girlish beauty, her
first youth.
Public AIwsysSIoves Youth.
II think that is why the public loved
her so. 1t loves youth always. No
body need tell me that highly artis-
tic and finished portrayal by popu-
lar actress of 43 Of young girl OF
Is is going to interest the theatregoer
as much as the actual young woman
there playing with sufficient skill to
illustrate the authors meaning. Would
any ordinary spectator in playhouse
rather admire an actresses wonderful
denotement of youth rather than youth
itself? It's almost sure, whatever else
she may be able to do, that she will
not look the part. Right at this
minute there Is in this town an exam
pie OF what I mean. An actress OF
talent and experience is playing the
role of woman twenty years younger
| I. 49, l. ali. 49,
the play would not be more plausible,
the audience more interested and the
general effect of the performance vastly
improved II there were in this part n
woman Of the right age.
IT am no enemy of the actors art.
I respect it immensely and nobody en-
Joys more than do its exhibition un-
der the right conditions. But do
not consider that an actress Of 40
trying to play the role of a girl OF
30, however skilful she may he, is
revealing her art at its best. She Is
working against difficulties that lay
too heavy a burden on her. ] am for
type casting, although I must admit
that good acting seems TO me just As
necessary in cast put together on
this principle as in any other"
With regard to the question whether
1t Is better to cast young girl who
looks the part In "A role calling for a
certain type rather than a player who
does not fill its requirements in APP
pearance but Is technically fitted for
It, Mrs. Fiske said that in her judg-
ment II depends on the part to a great
extent.
If II is an important part. she said,
she would invariably choose tho
woman whose training has given her
the technical capacity for II, II the
part were comparatively Insignificant
she would entrust it to an ineXpe-
rienced girl provided her looks were
those called for by the type. Mrs,
Fiske summarized her attitude by say
ing that 1t was expressed in the fol-
lowing lines which she speaks in Mis-
Nelly of N'Orleans":
"As the precious ModJeska says, no
woman can play the part of Juliet
until she has reached the age when
she can no longer do 1t with propriety.
can love now as have never loved
} before-with poetry, with passion,
with prodigality. 7 have every re-
quirement for Juliet now except tbs
face"