New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
Fannie Brice Will
Hide Far From the
Maddingg Throngg

I MduUInS u nrOng
"Therc isn't an actor or actress who
wouldn't be helped by getting away
for a time from the public and think
ing things over, reading worth while
books, hearing good music and fore
going hattery and the petting Of
friends" said Fannie Brice, eomedi-
enne, who will say farewell to yaude-
Vile at the Palace Theater next week
before becoming legitimate star in
q Ring Lardner musical play under the
management of T. ziegfeld ir. Miss
Brice continued:
"When was In England this fall
the subject of privacy was under dis
cussion everywhere one went in stage
circles. Managers and the thinking
actors and actresses are coming to real
ize that off stage performers should
keep more to themselves. Mystery OF
personality adds greatly to public ap-
pearance on the stage. As it is now,
most artists have their minds much
more on dancing, dinners, teas, parties
and publicity than they do on their
work. Ellen Terry and st. John Ervine,
the dramatist, have pronounced ideas
on this subject and are very much III
favor of occasional retreats for pro-
fessional people.
t'Miss Terry declares that there must
be mystery in the actors life. She
declares, also, that the current theory
of publicity is destructive of that
mystery and therefore harmful to
the craft OF acting. The principa,
mystery about some Of cur fapper ac-
tresses is how on earth they ever got
onto the stage, but that is not quite
the sort of mystery which Miss Terry
upholds. Her argument was antici-
pated by Hazlitt in his Table Talk,
fact which indicates that the COM
plaint IS an old one. Hazlitt' would
not permit an actor to sit in pthe au-
ditorium of the thcater.
GAS Hazlitt says, 'An actor, having
performed his part well, instead of
counting further distinction. should
affect obscurity and steal most guilty
like away conscious of admiration
that he can support nowhere but III his
proper sphere and jealous of his own
and others good opinion Of him IN pro-
portion as he is aidarling in the public
eye. He cannot avoid attracting dis
proportionate attention; why should lie
wish to fix it on himself in perfectly
fiat and insignificant part, viz, his own
character? 1t was a bad custom to
| bring authors on the stage and crown
them. An actor, like q king, should
appear only on state occasions. he
loses popularity with too much pub
licity. Familiarity breeds contempt"
"The whole Of this essay of Hazlitt's,
Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the
Boxes might be probably studied by
members of the theatrical profession
| o-day. am sure that the mystery
point is very substantial one, bat
appreciation of it demands a certain
amount Of intelligence, and therefore
it is hardly likely to appeal to the
pseudo society ladies who are now
, swarming on the stage.
II might add that no employer will
continue to pay wages and salaries to
people who spend their unemployed
hours in such a way that they are
unfit to do their work properly. And
time may come in the theatrical pro-
fession when contracts viii contain 8
clause whereby the actor agrees not to
ibe out Of bed after midnight.
"And now we shall hear fatuous as
sertions that we do not desire grand.
motherly laws for actors and actresses
/, We don't, but if this foolish business
of exhibiting ones self continuously in
the public eye and wasting energy II
! exhansting pleasures goes on it will
rot be long, | am afraid, before the
public makes up its mind that theater-
going costs a great deal more than ii
lis worth.
with all of which ! am heartily II
accord, and have 50 notified f. Il. Albee
head of the Keith circuit, and Nh
ziegfeld, who is going to star nc
! Come TO the theater. hereafter II yos
i want to see Fannie grices,