New-York tribune., 1919-03-30
BY Frank Bacon

There is as great difference be-
rween the acting Of to-day and twenty
I've years ago as there is between the
plays themselves and the stage dircc-
ion.
When first began to play my great
. est handicap was my insistencc On
being as nearly natural as | could.
This got me into many arguments with
tho director. He would say: what
sou are doing is not acting. Acting
means to act. So let's have some ac-
ton" l knew what ne meant, and
3would then try to do my part the way
ghc wished. This, while il pleased him.
made me sad, for couldn't feel it.
1 never played many Shakespearian
roles that amounted to much. | know
that I couldn't have made a success of
those parts then any more than could
now. In Shakespearian play the
actor was expected to move about al
most continually His arms were sell
dom at rest and he spoke in a loud
voice. / know just enough Of the
blank verso play to let it alone and
try something more in line with my
capabilities.
In the popular melodramas Of twen-
ty-hve years ago every character occu-
pied the centre of the stage while de-
livering important speeches. The lead
ing man, who could do no wrong, spoke
his heroics and moved down stage,
right or left, and the next character
to speak moved to the centre of the
stage. When he finished the leading
man would back to the centre again,
and this was kept up through the
scene.
The leading man, leading woman,
soubrette and comedian always had
music for their first entrance, and if
the leader of the orchestra failed to
pick up his cue there was trouble. The
soubrette always wore skirts to her
knees, had love affair and married
She dressed like a girl of ten, acted
like a miss of fifteen and was actually
anywhere from thirty to fifty. The
leading woman (called leading lady"
then) always wore long, black "rnis-
cry" cape, and I think a melodrama
without this garment would surely
have failed. Of course, every one re-
members the soliloquies and the fire.
quent change of scenery. Every time
a playwright of those days got stuck
he would shift the locale. It's not so
easy to write play nowadays.
By degrees many of these unreal
things have been done away with, for
the public wants truthful play, hon
estly acted. Even the makeup has
changed, for now not nearly so much
grease paint is used as formerly. In
fact, one sees as much in the street as
on the stage.
While the plays of the past had
many long speeches which were para
doxically priced and dreaded by the
actors who spoke them, the dramatist
who writes for these times makes an
effort to say what he has to say in
as brief and concise way as possible.
Plays that have long speeches now
are characterized as "talky" and
hacked to pieces by the producer no
matter how the author walls that he
Ia being crucified.
But / do not believe. little as | know
about writing plays, that playwright
can follow q pattern as n tailor cuts
suit Of clothes. There would be little
difference in them If all authors fol-
lowed ono rule. Also ono frequently
hears some one or other speaking about
q plays "timelness." This reminds
me Of something valuable said TO mo
once by George Cohan. II WAS several
seasons ago and / was trying to get
him Interested In one Of my efforts.
not "Lightnin'" | put forth all my
best arguments and finished by say
Ing. "And tho greatest thing In favor
OF this play Is that the time Is oppor-
tune for the public to see 1t. They
want this kind Of a play right now"
Mr. Cohans reply was short, but 1t
made lasting impression on me.
"The opportune time for GOOD
play is--always," said he.
In producing a play it is as essen
tial to have capable cast as It Is
to have good play. But the system
used in securing this result is differ
snt nowadays from what it was when
began my stage career. The com
panies started with engaged actors
for a certain fixed line OF business