Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-10

telligible speech who was seemingly at q
loss as to how to bestow his hands. He
was consequently awkward and the tai
ent he had for expression was hampercd
by his lack of grace. She agrees with
Mr.. Skelly on the Importance of dane
Ing for grace and poise.
Il felt sorry for the boy" said Miss
Irwin" and the worst of it is that
probably no one will correct him, or if
the correction comes it. will be only
temporarily effective. That boy ought
to be taught to dance. Indeed, that is
what every person who goes on the stage
should know-how to dance. Dancing
gives poise and ease-the sense of physi
cal well being resulting from dancing
from rhythmic movement to music, has
its effect upon the entire body and a
person who knows how to dance Is
never at loss as to what to do with
his hands.
Il know the benefit of dancing. for
have been dancer since childhood Ny
dancing lessons gave me confidence whea
] was on the stage and l never get stage
fright. I was eleven years of age
when l made nv first professional ap-
pearance. 1t was with my sister, Flo.
and we had a little singing act. But !
was always eager 10 dance, and my op-
portunity came rather unexpectedly.
ore was big ballet spectacle to be
staged and the director, one of the best
known in America, was exertlng every
effort on what he hoped would be the
finest achievement of his career. lmag
inc his despair then when one of the
girls essential in the various evolutioEs
that had to be given with mathematical
precision sent word that she was i'll
and could not appear. / heard about
her absence and | Jumped at the chance
that seemed TO present itself. | de.
clared that l could take her place. that
knew just what to do. The ballet
master was dubious, but there was moth
ing else for him to do, and with little
belief in me to raise his spirits, be con-
sented to have me try to go through the
evolutions. I was the happiest of NOR
tails. At once l donped the fluffy little
ballet skirt and on | went. Well, |
don't think that l was the best in the
group, but l surely saved the situation
for him and he was really grateful
Then Miss Irwin reverted to the awk
wardness Of the actors of the younger
generation-thOse who cannot lnd
proper instruction. They are not TO
blame said she. I'VE really need
good school Tor the actor. ! don t mean
institutions called dramatic schools
school as a good stock company affords.
Otis skinner all the time he was playing
as young man took vocal lessons.
That is why mis- voice is SO resonant and
agreeable today. He learned to fence
and that gave him poise. | don't think
that fencing is imperative today, but it
surely is an aid to an actor. But what
really is needed is for every actor 70 be
good dancer-to have control OF his
body. With that control will come con-
troll of his. mind and also OF his art, Tor
himself with his physical actions. They |
will be natural and unprecedented
NLETER Florence Enright, whose re.
y markable portrayal of widely diver
sified characters during the life OF the |
Washington Square Players in New .
York city made theatregoers in Man
haitian sit up and take notice, has given |
the stage an entirely different maid .
from any it has heretofore known,
Edna Aug jumped into fame in five
brief minutes one night when she .
scrubbed small portion of a New
York stage in view Of CROW ded
house. Last season, when Miss
Enright was supporting Willie Col
lier in Nothing But the Truth,
she gave the theatrical world a stenos-
rapher of q distinctly different type, and
this season the clever young woman pro
voLes gales Of laughter as Bella, the
lovesicE maid in Nothing But Love"
Miss Tnright was last seen here with
the Washington Square Players at the
Little Theatre. In one evening there
she appeared II seven different roles,
" lich is said to be a world record.
CHAkESPEARE, the cosmopoltc, has
- appeared on every stage in every
tongue IN the world, ut it remained for
New York to translate him into deaf
and dumb and Hamlet and Rich
ard III in the sign language are ths
latest contributions to the stage there.
L Is at st. AIMS Church for Deaf
lIutes that Shakespeare appears IN this
newest translation. st. Ann s, which
IS the only church for deaf nlutes in the
,itv, is one of the important New York
institutions which will benGht from the
nation wide campaign of the Episcopal
Church.
As part of the churchs social ac-
-ivities Shakespeare takes his natural
olace along with church suppers and
basketball games. \ full sized stage.
costumes. footlights, all do their part IN
5elpiug to produce tue master IN real
dramatic style. Nothing is missing ex-
cent the audible voices of the players.
Pantomime serves TO portray the plot
and twinkling fingers spell out the
lines. Falstatt is just as up
roariously funny, Hamlet's dilemma is
lust as narrowing and Richard the
Thirds fght just as thrilling in sign
language as in English or French or
sanskrlt, and Shakespeare is by far the
best box office attraction that st. AIMS
ever offered.
A Nd, by the way, we arc TO have a
"A lot OF Shakespeare soon with the
5othern Marlowe and Maptell engage
bents. The latter viii begin in a few
keehn |; the former is not yet dafed.