New-York tribune., 1922-03-12
Here Is Courtenav's
Plan for Assisting
Unemployed Actors

William Courtenay, back on Broad
way in "The Law Breaker" makes a
suggestion for taking in the slack in
the long line of unemployed actors and
he inserts bit of the dramatic into
his plan.
Men like Frank Craven and Harri-
son Hunter he said with a twinkle
in his eye, "are entirely beyond the
pale. They are bloated plutocrats, not
actors any longer, but members of the
bond-clipping class. Why, they are do
ing so we'll, no one speaks of them any
longer. They don't belong with ord-
nary actor folk" he continued laugh
ingly.
Things like The Bat and The First
Year should not be allowed. Why not
give the other fellows chance? When
hits like these come along it might
be good plan to give the members
OF the company ten-week contracts and
put in fresh cast at the end of every
ten-week periods. Of course, there arc
difficulties, such as sensing e. success
full play in advance, which has never
been done yet, but at least here is a
suggestion which will be welcomed by
actors to whom ten weeks would be a
splendid season. No one can accuse
me of not having given a thought to
the problem of the unemployed actor
The actor was slipping into dinner
suit to make his first act entrance and
he looked as if he might have walked
out of magazine page, which gave
visible proof of the superiority of the
House of Soandsos's evening clothes.
1t is hard to think of any one who
looks better in q dinner coat From
the discussion of "The Bat" and "The
First Year" Courtney drifted into the
consideration of the difficulties which
result from the introduction of new
people into play after it has run
many weeks
After playing a role for many weeks
an actor almost forgets the sound of
his own voice. He becomes accustomed
to the voices and mannerisms Of his
companions in the play. The timing
has been worked out to a nicely. He
has grown to expect certain definite |
things and the slightest mishap throws
him off. New voices coming into the
cast ruffle the calm under which he !
has been working and until they begin |
to fit in he is likely to be at sea. When |
| was a youngster in Manstield's COM
rany he was satisfied to go ahead with |
inferior actors and actresses in the |
plays which he had done so many
times, fearing to make changes for
these very reasons"
A recent play which was lavishly |
but had little else of merit |
came to the actors mind.
"No production ever carried a play
or ever will" he said. you've simply
got to have the play. The production
will satisfy the eye for two minutes,
but that is all. When interest in the
production lags the play must be good
enough to hold it."
1t was almost time for Mr.. Courtenay
to 60 on. He sought in the deep re-
cesses Of trousers pocket for the
money necessary to the action of "The
Law Breaker" He drew out an attrac-
tive roll which turned out to be a CON-
hination of real and stage money.
There were three bills, and the rest
were property" yellowbacks.
81 hand these bills to Morgan Wal
lace every night, and when l see him
at the end of the show to get them
again l accuse him of extracting some
Of the real money. I've got him wor-
ried to DEATH he concluded with a
mile as he heard his cue.