New-York tribune., 1921-03-27
Learn TO Act, Then
Forget 1t, Advises
Star of Lightslinn

Lyceum Thcater last Tuesday.
"If you were TO ask me what I know
about acting" he told the young actors
I'D say / don't know. I think it's wen
to learn all you can of it and do Mons
of it. believe absolutely in natural
ness--bclieving it yoursef?--and I'm
sure If you don't believe it the listeners
will never believe it.
Il think the greatest actor that e-er
lived--I know in my time he pleaseS
me most of all-was Edwin Booth
When / was-I was going to say first
married. was married first, and ~
been first ever since-thirty-s yearx
ago--it cost 50 seat to see Booth, and
/ deliberated as to whether we should
pay 81 a seat. My salary was sI2
week. 1t wasn't salary in those days
it was wages. / think salary applies
to acting. Once asked: What is the
difference between wages and salary =
said: You get wages and thew as.
you the salary We deliberated Iopv
whether we should take So out of tie
S12. to see this great actor 1--WE were
amateurs then--very ambitious-we had
our secret-we both wanted to 20 ON
the stage, but we daren't tell anyboay
because our people were religious and
opposed it,.
Il think learned more that night in
seeing Booth play Hamlet than bsvs
learned in any ten years since
noticed that he was quiet. The other
actors were all noisy, stamping arouns
the stage. But every one was watchin,
Booth. Some people used to say tbas
ne surrounded himself with inferior
actors That he might shine, but i
wasn't true. He was so great that h.
made it SO appear.
Some years later we went on ,bs
stage, and l want to tell YOU that wy
were forty-two weeks with the comnanv
and there wasn't one salary day in fhat
company. But we were happy-,rs
were doing what we liked. There is >
great deal of difference between ror,
ing at something you like and sometime
you don't. When ] went home INV
father and mother shamed me very
much; they really talked me out of the
ldea OF ever going on the stage again,
My father said: You ought to be
ashamed of yourself You're the onJr
one in the family who has ever s VH.y d;s.
graced US. Everybody ir this town i
talking about you
well, it was terrible. Of course
the manager had to pay our fare and
hotel bills. But will say this. that we
! never missed meal. When the he'll
rang We were there. II was wonder.
fui experience. Pm going to tell Won =
little thing that happened. wanted to
become manager after that-that was
an there was to it-and / did. got
little company together, and a young
man came to me and said, + want to
Joln your company l said: Indeed
| was a manager now. Have YOU ever
been on the atage" No, SIR was the
answer. Well, what makes you think
you want to go on the stage?' He said.
I'm tired of the job I've got What is
that? I asked. 4 drive milk Wagon.
and I'm the best milkman in this towr
he replied. think / could place you.
but ia hate to ruin good milkman, /
told him.
He Joined the company. We were AZ
little slow at first, but he kent on and
on. We have played together manv.
many times since then. He's plavins
with us now in Lightnin'.' He plays
Mr.. Hammond, you remember--tbe real
estate speculator. He's wonderful in
that. -
Another occasion. I speak of this
because it brings to my mind an actor
OF prominence in New York now. We
were in Spokane. The Sheriff used 10
visit us occasionally. He wanted to
know what we were going to do about
1t. These things are funny now. OF
course, we were anxious to know what
HE was going to do about it. So the
Leading man of the company said: i
don't think our repertory is what thev
want
well, thought so too. He said: @I
think we can get out of this difficulty
Il we put on Romeo and Juliet,
Where will we get the costumes q,
inquired We haven't any money TO
pay this Sheriff. Well make them.
ne replied. / wasn't much of a dress
maker. But we did.
Inc same man that's playing Mr..
hammond played Romeo. He made his
own costume out Of gray flannel shirt.
1 want to tell you that it was as we'll
dressed a Romeo and Juliet company
as l ever saw. So we were SUPPLIED
there. That was Lester Lonergan--I'm,
quite sure Mr. Lonergan is not shamed
OF that experience.
Now, / think I've told YOU enough
OF those. had about twenty-five wears
or that, and liked it and I'd rather do
~ than do anything else; in fact
cant DO anything else. made more
ttanules IN our nome town than any
boy therein other businesses.
You are going to meet with n Tot
Of disappointments. The ma,agers are
nard birds-when they haven't anv-
thlng' to give. Of course, there are
many, many people who 60 there. an.
Slous to get something and the man-
ager hasn't it to give, SO it's not to-
oay' come back next week. But before
you are established many OF you viii
encounter a lot of disappo1ntments.
us gong to be hard to bear; it's going
70 pe hard, but be big enough to over
come that, and just bide your time.
don't think it's acting so much to-day
as IT'S personality. They used to call
At magnetism. | don't know what the
next step will be. AS | told you be-
tore, live what you do, believe il your-
SELF and then they'll believe it.
:, IN going to close by bringing in
the family. My father passed on. All
9i my people were opposed to the step
IN, had taken in the dramatic world.
W nen the war was over my sister had
three boys in the service on the other
side and she came on to New York TO
meet her boys. Well, as you know,
hghtnln is success. It's great sue
cess Is as much of surprise to me as
1t is to anybody that's surprised We
naturally talked of the home folks
and she said one day: 'Whas would
iatner say now if he were alive?' I
don't know | said. What do yoa
THINK Well he would say she re-
pied, The whole town is talking about
you"
Nhnflnn psrf.~ro NTo,, L.: