The New York herald., 1921-03-13
Temperament OF
Capalini Appeals
to Doris Keane
Actress Says Playing the Role
Is Sort of Second Ma
ture TO Her.

After the fifth year actresses are often
rather peevish about articulating the
English language IN the same way in
the same role-it looks 10 them as II ths
next ten years would be the hardest.
But Miss Doris Keane. who has been
starring in Romance" pretty regularlv
for eight years, still finds II is meat and
drink TO h.r in more than the literal
sense OF some players who look upon
parts merely as meal tickets,
Il think ] shall tire OF everything
else" she said the other night in he
dressing room at the Playhouse. before
tire OF CGvaINnk I should weary Of
life first. She Is 50 big. so elemental
she IS 50 rich in human content that
she overfiows with It, She has the
charm Of infinite variety making her a
whole company in herself. l am con-
stanuy discovering her all over again.
so I think 1 never shall really catch
up with her
Since I began with her ] have had
dozens OF plays submitted TO me, and
hot one OF them contained quarter or
the range Of temperament which Cdrdl-
Nni turns on al will III the first act alonr.
It. is plays Of temperament which
always appeal most strongly, regardless
OF the settings-indeed. ! could play th:s
part In a modern plaid skirt and still
be listened 70 respectfully. or course,
the primary reason for placing Il back
| in the New York OF two generations ago
instead Of to-day was that then even
operate singers were not considered
social assets. They were the toast OF
the town. and received more public
adulation than prima donnas do nova
days, but for all that few citizens
thought them exactly a decoration to
IL cir front stoop. Nowadays they are
taken as matter Of course in the best
circles, and when young man falls In
love with a diva ne is considered to be
giving himself an honor rather than
cause for social suicide.
The role is multifarious in its
changes. but It is not dflcult-for
person OF temperament" and Miss
Keane smiled. THE speech about Beppo,
the singers first love. is one OF the
hardest. most exactlng ever written, and
yet ! am constantly amazed at the SYM
pathetic reception which il evolSes. But
the whole character IS like that---it just
makes the actress and the auditor fall
in with the mood. ! never studied out
effects even when / was rchearsing this
part Just did at the moment what il
seemed likely Cdpduia4 would do, S.
that playing her became a soi, second
nature. did not even find II difficult
managing the voluniuous hoop skirts
1t seemed to come naturally. as though
! had grown up in one.
But then, Edward Sheldon wrote
magnificent part. and I simply had 10
be it-and there you are Above every
thing else DO ] admire that poise OF
hers: there was always the grand ges-
ture about her. even in simple things
Her heart might be breaking, but she
would not show II when saying fare
well TO the crowd at the window. Her
head was held high, though the mo-
ment after Il might bend low as she
sank from exhaustion. II is no wonder
4 that. as old acquaintances OF mine have
told me, divas OF her day would send
them forth from an opera TO walk the
streets unconscious that there was snow
and they were running up good bal
ance in favor OF pneumonia"