The New York herald., 1922-01-15
Actress Thinks
She May Have a
Dual Personality
Margaret Lawrence Says She
Learned Art in Home as
Well as Theater.

wonders If she isn't an ac-
ture. The star of Lawful Larceny"
in which she is co-starred with Lowell
Sherman and Alan Dinehart, reached
the conclusion in her dressing room
at the Republic Theater the other day
that her art had developed over sew
eral years, even while she was stay
ing away from the stage, because of
her subconscious mind, or something
like that.
Maybe a psychoanalyst could ex-
plain 1t with charts, but Miss Law
renee didn't dare one to. She didn't in
any way offer herself as subject for
examination by any mental specialist
with whiskers and a prying eye. But
she did believe that her histrionic
powers had insensibly matured while
she was at home, not bothering her
self for a long time whether she could
still produce an emotion to order.
Many an actress has said that she has
ripened her talents only by constant
hard work before the footlights, but
Miss Lawrence, after serving an ar
cred that her fruition came principally
through handling the teacups in her
own household. 1t was almost as
though Destiny had slipped some-
thing over on her.
Miss Lawrence opened wide her eyes
in her piquant face and gave the inter-
viewer the impression that this had
been done without anyone having con-
suited her.
ITS my belief, you know" she said,
that an actress can't truly act unless
she has the same self-possession among
a stage full of persons that she would
have in her own drawing room. Other
wise the audience won't believe she's
real. After ! was married l was away
from the theater for eight years, and
when | returned / was as surprised as
any one to see that my technique had
grown surer. even though 1t had moth
ing more dramatic to strengthen 1t than
passing tea things around.
Suspects Dual Nature.
'It was that unconscious training that
gave me the light touch of a comedi-
enne, and the cup and saucer poise
necessary for Tea for Three Maybe
I'd really been only acting all the time
L was at home and thought I was so
natural. Perhaps the responsibility is to
be put on q dual nature. l suspect l
have one"
Miss Lawrence smiled her engaging
smile and tilted up her elfin nose. prob
ably the most effective instrument for
comedy possessed by any actress on our
stage. The petite actress looked. in her
wide-eyed glee, as though she didn't
| fnr in oil haY
but a large spirit of fun. But she found
accommodation for another self.
when I'm at home I'm the most pro.
sale person in the world-breakfast at Z
tea at 4. and all that sort of thing. In
as orderly as an eight-day clock. Bu
when I enter the theater l become
another person-I think that dual per
sonality steals upon me. If anything
disturbs me at a rehearsal become up.
set Immediately and all the tempera
ment comes out of me.
when I'm playing a certain char.
acter I am that person to the life. fol
| couldn't breathe on the stage other
wise. 1 simply have to have all hel
emotions and feel they're mine, too. Ir
the last act of this play, when / deliver
that diatribe against the scarlet woman
who goes unpublished for stealing othel
womens husbands. for the moment
believe every word Of that speech. jus
as IL I'd written it myself. l hate the
fair charmer I'm addressing. and ye
I know that Miss Gail Kane, who plays
her, is a very charming young woman
Yet for the moment 1 can't control my
feelings against her.
Makes Up Her Personality.
THAT scene leaves me completed,
exhausted and / no longer realize Tn
a prosaic person. Several minutes be
fore the curtain goes up, while I'm still
in this dressing room making UP ml
face, / begin to make up my person
atty into the part can't allow an!
one to speak to me just before ! go oil
the prologue, SO I won't stop thinking
myself into my part For one thing
we 90 on almost cold and snap righ
into a dramatic moment almost befor'
the audience have stopped blinking a
the footlights.
but hard as emotional acting Is. III
much more difficult to play comedy
though you ought to try TO convinc
any outsider of this once. IN n comedl
the actress has to be absolutely sincer'
and perfectly serious. otherwise tn
| public will refuse to believe It's funny
I said some really very extraordinary
and daring things I'm Wedding Bells.
but because of that air the public swai
lowed them and called for more. Bu
I'm glad for change TO be in Samue
Shipman's play. even II one does receiv
more credit for doing less work"
AS Miss Lawrence said herself. she
very ambitious for the theatre ant
would like to see measures taken b.
managers to bring forward she youni
actresses who will be the future stars
but who nowadays. with n dearth o
stock companies, get little more training
than a stage hand. And presently sh
hopes to go to London and take he
place among the American actresse
over there who are endeavoring {
reconcile English audiences to tn
American theater. For though Mis-
Lawrence is OF English and Frenc
descent. she wants to represent the the
ater where she has been so successful
in exercising what the aviators call =
dual control"