The Washington herald., 1921-10-23
DRAMA BANsHES MUSIC FROM THE LATE OCTOBER STAGE
A Plea for Actors
Concerning the mere player and the rem
orally mistaken idea Of his importance as
IN artist and a craftsman- g..
By EARLE DORSEY

~ all popular theories concerning the theater NO
I one theory is perhaps more generally faIIADiOus
- than the, theory actor and by
aimself is chiefly responsible acting, good
or bad this idea Is highly contradictory
frequently confusing to lessen its hold
on the mind Of the average theater-goer
II happens often that actor will cover
himself with glory in one role. only around
the next month and give another performance that
make tn-roofer blush. Joseph shildkraut
whose performance in 'Liiom is one Of the histri-
onic achievements Of season furnishes a In
point In contrast with his fine acting in "L4liom%
shfIdkraut gave, months before, one Of the
most miserable exhibitions of acting seen in three
seasons the central role Of Pagans the opus that
scarcely outIived its stage novtiate. -.
This one instance be multiplied indehnitsh,
but is forced TO the single conclusions
That praisng actor some outstanding perform
ridiculous assaulting the poor coot
anathema the he fails TO live to some
Of his ability In other words tse
investigates, the one is forced to the
theory the actor in at least eight out Of
little do with the character Of his per
formance in any given play. ..
am not Of course. attempting to prove that there
lives today player with the seasoned skill. the
critical viewpoint and the artistic equipment
to good performances time after time. The
stage affords dozens Of such players-warheld. Uric
the Barrymores, Otis Skinner. Mrs Fiske. and many
others Of outstanding but lesser prominence Such
players not merely actors They either stars
and they almost entirely unrelated
artsticay speaking to the vast array Of serEeAntS
corporas and plain buck prfvates in the army
who contribute easily rs Of the than
finds expression in the a
#Ty/HAT I an trying to get at @ the fact that
81 w the octor-tke VdrtotyreadtNo, spat-toeGrtHg
Aou-poEshiH0 actor-is rarely, q erer. more
than 20 respoMsible for the Of perform
he gives. In vine oHt Of he
1rotertaI ~ the hoHds Of a director
IN the same MSrHber Of cases, he is HetheT better
NOR ~rorse thoH the nav OhO directs ht' part.
THE idea OF stating actor and ignoring di-
rector for the acting in a play like The Right
!, :. q to Strike is Just bootless hAiling the
child actress Miss Bett" a future Duse and
totally passing the part that Producer Pembeon
InvsfbIy played developing
1t occasionally happens Of course, that actor
breaks loose from control and LAYS down an indePeI
lights mis- happens, occasionally but usually hap
Illogical inept direction and interpreting the part
Unless ! am greatly mistaken that is precisely
Win S saS q FSd @ %n ruiz
In REht to STRIKE previously referred TO- thoSss
for The dIrectorai task. simply let them a they
alone %R ps ana vRs both Mss
ed are %oS9 o ~. other 10 sab praise BE
wholly 11Gs to blame the q the cast for Their
SrSsfs a 9S1 st 60 at 6sR hs Of ss,
one across much evidence to support the
a a dm the eS praise @o o nH s BE
found in the Piays Of certain producers like BessSo
BY total ras Of S & bad SeG
%eTeaI producer il which is STick 70 ind
|
1t is difficult to point to a single instance Of
ual bad acting in production sponsored by
three for the simple that each his line
a stage director-a play interpreter-of large ability.
important personal OF
their plays All three metcuous in their selection
three genius reflects In, capacity for
taking Infinite pains In the development indvid-
ual parts each is guided by the gospel craftsman
ship The mnutia of Characterization slowly
fully and accurately built usually in long
TNDER such ciTcWmstGHcss, on actor beIop the
! rank Of actual star a mere paUn ~
the game. His every speech, every gesture,
every movement. infection carefully
sdered, tcorked out bTit up aud dIedL Rigid stage
dad tchde each producer may 0roii hingseB Of
stsdHce In naiHOr affairs such productions
fleet IN ever hHe, the Judgment, the appraisal
the f"dl mandate Of some competent direcortd heod
~ the other hand the business OF the thester
is primarily concerned with finance. His
for the most part in channels Of proht and
loss and II is indeed that he himself
than remotely with the technical production
Of playmaking This work is farmed the hand
tute, far too often, temperament ability and
whose idea Of direction frequently, is far below
that of their subordinate Nevertheless
the directors who habitualy enforce unsound inerprs
tive ideas players and the actor orders
| suffers in the of the public
this: In really hne production the good acting OF
individual is, often than the product
of mans artistry reflected through the human
mechanism Of another. In the Of the