Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-06-25

to prove that was not a fool In thiuk
ing that Negro can acr.
Here in New York there are SAID
to be more than 10000 Negroes, anu
that about 100000 of them live in Har
! lem. or that number l doubt whether
more than $4,000 ever have been IN
, theatre outside Of the section where
they live. There are several theatres
in that district that are for colored
people. l played In one of these com
, panies and also acted as manager. We
gave such plays as Within the Law
and Paid in Full producing them a
year or two after they had made a sue
cess OH Broadway.
'"Those audiences were not what
you might call thentre-wise. Most OF
the people, us l said before, never ~.
inside the regular theatres. But there
is surprisingly little difference between
them and white audience. The col
orcd people are more impressionabic
and more demonstrative. They not
only let you know what they like, but
also let you know what they don't
like. If an actor fails to please, they
, grumble audibly. And If he keeps on
they shout oh, take him of! We
don't want him!' They are particular
ly fond Of mclOdramn. Within tho
Law, for instance, could be put on
again In Harlem and draw crowds.
They will go to such q play three or
four times.
| "All the large cities, and in tho
South many Of the smaller towns,
have theatres for co,orcd people,
| There are five here in New York, two
in Philadelphia, two in Baltimore, one
Richmond and so on.
Some OF them are up-to.date houses
seating from one thousand to eighteen
hundred persons. Only Negro compan
les appear there and only colored pco
: pie attend; but in many Of the plays
given the characters are white played
by Negro actors who make up for
these white roles
"On the other hand, Negro compa-
MES give performances at other thea
tres in the South where white people
attend But the plays ;s;::":c,,r in thos'
houses contain only Negro characters.
, That is white peop,e will go to see
colorcd actors appear as Negrocs-but
they will not see them portray white
characters.
Il have played avery kind OF a char
acter: black, white, Jews, Cinnamon
, everything you can think OF. But |
have got my conceptions of these cnaI
actcrs from life not from seeing otl-
cr actors do them OH the stage.
think | can count on the fingers of
one hand all the plays | have seen
done by white companies: "DiSraeii,
with George Arliss; 'Rosmcrsholm,'
with Mrs. Fiske; The Music Master.
with David Warfield; and l saw Ham
let once and Oliver Twist once.
would like 10 see oliver Twist a doz
Ell times.
'Whcn | have a certain role to play
| go out and look for real people who
are represented by the role. If it is
Chinaman, | go to Chinatown ana
study the people there. If IL is an East
Side jew, | go down to Grand Street
and hang around watching the poo.
pie and trying to get their tricks 81
speech and Of manner. That seems to
me better way than to take someone
clse's idea and try to copy it.
''There Is n satisfaction in trying
to do something worth WHILE" lie
went on after i pause even though
1t doesn't seem to get you anywhere.
II 1t were not for tho insis.cnt quCs-
ton of bread and butter, l might keep
on trying. But there is my boy. He is
seventeen years cd, and I'd like him
to have the advantages l missed. II he
wants to 90 through college l am dc
tcrmined that he shall. Pm not going
to put tho idea into his head; but II
he expresses the wish of his own nc.
cord, l will earn the money somehow
People are saying now that can
act. I have known for long time
that l could. 1t has been demonstrate
ed that play can be written TINT
will give 'colored actor chance.
Perhaps someone will write another
such play. Anyway, If can get an5
thing else to play I suppose I can ut
least play the game After all, that's
what everybody has to do one way or
another"
He finished with n smile; but his
eyes were still profoundly sad. He hnd
played tragic part on the stage thut
afternoon. The echoes of the applause
that had called him before the cur
tain again and again were still in my
ears. But Charles Gilpin, the man,
with his unsolvable problem to face,
and with his hopeless "Where do
go from here?" was far more tragic
figure than any make believe charuc
ter ever portrayed in the theatre.
{TJE hh1ERIrA