New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-10-26
By Haywood Broun

MISS ETHEL BARRYMORE, who has
w acted in plays in which she had
to cry and in plays in which she had
was required to do both, is the au-
thority for the statement that the
lighter emotions put much the greater
strain on the constitution. 1t is no
great effort for good actress to tear
ber neart out night after night once
she has fashioned the performance to
Ger liking. Her technical equipment
will carry her through. but with
scenes of unaagging cayety the actres S
must make a definite contribution out
oi her own store of high spirits
Technique is not enough. She must
actually key herself up to a merry
mood. All OF which may serve to ex-
plain the almost universal good health,
GOOD temper and longevity of emo
tlonal actresses.
VI course, there is tradition that
an actor or an actress creates char
acter by losing himself in the part"
as ne is often fond of telling the man
VINO comes TO interview him. Miss
Barrymore is frankly skeptical whether
any considerable number of players
use this method, and if they do she
is equally inclined to question its eff
fectveness.
Barrymore scornfully. "why, where
90 you 60 when you do that 80
Miss Barrymore is of the opinion
that the actor who actually loses grip
on himself in playing part must
necessarily sacrifice much of his judg-
ment in playing. After all, the actor
must be enough outside the part he
~ paying to calculate nicely just how
40 shall convey the effect which he
- Trying TO create. Miss Barrymore
ooes not deny that she cries real tears
upon stage occasion. but she is equally
positive that they are not actual tears
.. sorrow but merely device, ready
az ner command, TO give the impression
OF sorrow. Still, she finds that difficult
20 explain to her children, one of whom
vas much distressed by his mothers
emotion IN recent play
-, but those weren't real tears" said
'iiss Barrymore after the play.
linen, why is your face wet?" he
asked, and was not 70 be satisfied
accordingly. the children have not
yes been taken to see "DecIassee" 1t
might disturb them to see their mother
aie In the last act. even though she
eoes u with so ingratiating an air of
1, MISS Barrymore feels sure that one of
she most valuable factors in her equip
mment Tor the stage is the family ira
ai'lon which lies behind her. Curl
ousiy enough, the family name was no
mlss Barrymore played her first role
a. the age Of fourteen, but after that
came weary time, when for five years
she ramped from one agency to
Hhotner and bombar ded the various
ssoeS company managers without sue
cess. Once a definite opportunity
zane she made rapid progress.
<out II the word barrymore" did
.o' Immediately open every stage door
80 her, Miss Barrymore feels that in
t''e business Of acting certain things
nave come 10 her just little more
"s.y tnan they would If her grand
ssao'hss mad not been in the theater
~. seventy years, and if there were
gene rasions and generations Of
Ssvs an Barrymores behind her.
HseA g the art Of the theater. Miss
n1As'Sroore will tell you. is instructive.
.est az there is an ear for music so
pess ~ an ear for the spoken line.
r.'oOaoiy TINS ~ not 10 be acquired.
may De God gwen gift to some
one wno mas al. . single generation
pehlnd him, tx n IL more Akely to
y. me rcA&Sz nj the long and careful
tanning. - those Who have gone be.
...,. < you possess ar ear for the
P"a>7a line you know when il is said
rxnIy ana when IL IL said wrongly.
." pe sure, there are other approaches
20 .ns correct delivery, Naturally, there
s t'rnes when good, sound common
'nse VIII dictate the manner in which
tine ~ TO be spoken. But there are
su"Ne problems which are 10 be solve
,a,,i no such manner. A perfectly in
.T,nRen, reading may fail 10 have pre-
.iseiy The correct effect on the au-
pence. And II IL In such cases that
sns heeision must be left 70 the ear
par1cniarly II that ear has sensitive.
4 Nntcb represents the accumulated
saom Of long line Of players who
ssss struggled with the problem Of
rsessinx emotion In the terms which