Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 1906)
"A I iT DOESN'T do any harm, and it may accompli.'h some good, to stop and look at some of the more prominfint customs of twenty-first-century theaters and ask ourselves why such " or such a custom exists, and whether It should con tinue. The matter of curtain-calls, for exam ple. How werethey regarded in former years, and how are they looked upon now by the audiences and hy the players? The conditions that surround them now, and the conditions that once surrounded them, the natural development of the star's or the popular actor's "speech." the function of the curtain In stage representation these are matters upon which opinions vary, and not only audience and players do not agree, but the histrionic profession and the public that pays money to witness stage productions also disagree among themselves. Applause is the sole, trustworthy Indica tion the aotor has that he is appreciated. Thus he. or she, comes to live upon that ! sweetest, dearest, most desired thing in he whole wide world the sound of two hands patted together. Hand-clapping i eeems to be the natural way to express ! enthusiasm. A baby does the same thing to manifest his glee, as naturally as he bawls in order to Inform his immediate audience of other feelings. So we may set down the act of hand-clapping as suf lieiently regular and reasonable for all time, and accept It as the permanent way that people will always show their ap proval of a happening on the stage. To secure this applause the players have wandered far and wide from the canons of art, the principles of good taste, the tenets of common honesty. There may be some few actors who continue to go through an evening's concentrated thought (which alone permits and insures a good performance) without swerving from his purpose, without utilizing a trick to whee dle the audience in to special rounds of applause, without sacriflclne a jot of the smoothness of the role's creation as it develops, in order to get a "laugh," or without depending upon a clacque to as sist the disposition of the audience. But those conscientious actors who let their role consecutively grow upon the audience and round out at the end of the play a wonderful performance free from clap trap, free from any special effort of the moment to gain a personal advantage In consistent or even unessential to the char acter which he Is portraying such actors are few and far between nowadays. THE rule today Is that the player will go many lengths, not any, but many, to secure the temporary ascendancy of ! the Instant that comes from a sudden ! spell of hand-clapping from the audience. I The player cannot resist the temptation. ! This is s for many reasons, and some of them are Justified. Members of the pro (fesslon always "throw bouquets" at each (other. They seldom speak to each other I disparagingly of any performance In j which either the speaking person or the person epoken to Is concerned. In conse quence of this, they can seldom learn anything from each other regarding the merits or demerits of their performances. Ko doubt they act in this silly and insln- , cere manner mainly on account of their necessarily temperamental organizations, I for they are, without many exceptions, : supersensitive beings, and lean toward the childlike In their natures. They must be eo If they are fit individuals to play the art of mummery. By simulating feelings of all kinds, they kneed and mold their natures into a sensitive state that seems to foster a certain consideration toward fellow-actors who are known to be in the same boat. They make up for all this "taffy" a thousandfold by their aupperti tious "roasting" when the object of their condemnation is not around. But that Is not necessarily to their discredit. It may argue that they are acting on an im pulse born of the fact that they lied when they praised their friend'a perform ances In the first place. It is possible that they are at the moment squaring up accounts with their own souls. The fact remains that actors estimate their own performance by the "hand" they receive. Again, they know that their worth to the manager Is rated by the amount of ap plause they call forth. Also they think that their fame and standing are greatly affected by the applause. Not only is their egotism ministered to, but their very tiffing la stimulated, their pocketbook filled and their happiness made complete by the hand-patterlngs that come to -their ears when they "hit" their audiences. The record of these occurrences is pre served by making the occasion as mem orable as possible. If vigorous applause is responded to by the raising of the cur tain, and the player who Is called for ap pears on the etage. bowing his acknowl edgmentsif this thing is repeated and it is extremely emphatic then there is a chance for it to get into the newspapers. A. yv " r . i i 7 " i 7 1 If' (4 ... ill All of this hurrah helps the players ma terially and spiritually, and. In a meas ure, they are entitled to all that it brings. T HOW about the habit of making everything in life and on the etage subservient to the accomplishment of some such scene as the one to which I have alluded? The applause that Is heard in theaters is more than half false. It is seldom the honest, spontaneous result of appreciation of genius a superb piece of acting. The potential and latent mischief that always underlies the attitude of an audience is responsible for plenty of crazy applause, giggling, startling spurts of laughing and handclapplng. The people are like sheep. The 'theater makes them more so when they are listening to a play. A clacque can start and keep up ap plause, and the ushers, a few friends, anybody, can make an audience seem, and really feel, enthusiastic over an in different or a mediocre performance. It is usually possible to so bunco or hood wink an ordinary audience that. If the conditions are favorable, an opening per formance can be made to look like a great artistic success, when it Is in real ity only an ovation that has no founda tion whatever except a mistaken and es sentially cruel forcing of festivities by kindly disposed friends and a lot of lambs that can be led whither you will. Yet the actor must take the sound of applause as it comes to him. -It will avail him but little to analyze it. He must receive it as sincere. And if he does not seek it with all his might and main, the chances are that others in competition with him will make him suffer as things go in these days on the stage. It is only when a man or a woman gets up rather high that they may disregard the help that watching chances for applause and curtain calls may give them. Inasmuch as players offend our good taste in this matter of seeking applause, I think they could be criticised. I do not think they should ever drop down on their performance in order to get a "laugh" or make some grotesque point. I jegrct to. notice many who interpret a role so that it falls far short of what the role might be, just because the actor saw points where he could easily get "hands." It they could only realize that the very best performance possible thought out on the most Intelligent lines will. In the end, do them more individual good than any special advantage they may conceive for the moment, we would have better acting on the stage. The fact that actors as a rule do not follow this practice is because the majority of them are under-educated rather than the opposite, and are acci dents rather than trained members of a profession. CURTAIN calls have grown to be to day a kind of Joke. The alacrity of the curtain is phenomenal. It can go up far quicker than a woman can lift her skirts on a rainy day, and it often re THE SUNDAY OFvEGO'IAN, PORTLAND. JUNE 10, 1900. . ... ( cl. . j.f if fi . Js veals objects less artistic. The smirk ing star, or popular favorite, of the usual type, or, even more objectionable, the ihane extemporaneous "speech". of the actor entirely out of his element, Is the limit of Incongruous and abom inable atrocity. Too. often the audiences are guying the player on such occa sions. But the attitude most often en countered on the stage today Is condu cive to just this condition of affairs. Days that arc past seem the brightest, and It is also ludicrous to a degree to always refer to the past for some pon derous and well-bred illustration of allJ that is good and sound, but you re member that John McCullough and his big mates of the footlights took their curtain-calls seriously. It was only in reply to heavy, oft-repeated, thunder ing plaudits that they came out be fore the curtain and bowed with grav ity. Why should the curtain be raised to give the actor a chance to emlrk at his audience? The curtain is a piece of furniture, shutting off the canvas stage picture after the scene has been finished before the gaze of the audi ence. If the audience wants him bad enough let the actor come out from a special aperture at the side, pass be fore the curtain and bow his acknowl edgements. The very difficulty of the operation would make the audience rea sonable in its demands. Only when some extraordinary example of excel lence were shown would the applause be long and strong enough to warrant the appearance of the hero or heroine of the moment in front of the curtain. But now the audience is encouraged to get some more play by the stage peo ple. The success of the piece is fixed by the number of curtain- calls. The men in the "flies" are on their taps, iready to hoist or lower that curtain if anybody bats an eye hard enough to be heard, and in stock productions the habit becomes ridiculous. After a scene has been concluded with some impres slveness, Biff! goes a little appreciative pattering, and up goes the curtain on two or three of the jealous principals of the performance, who bow to the audience and shake each other's hands and bow to each other in congratula tory -obeiaances. The leading lady, or the leading man, or both, take the cen ter of the stage, whether they have been prominent in generating the ap plause that caused that curtain call or not. The people have apparently had enough of that particular kow-towing, and so the applause ceases and the cur tain goes down. More applause and the curtain is raised again, to reveal the whole company except the supernumera ries on the stage. The audience gets more "play" for their money by this method. That is all there Is to it. This is repeated again, and finally, if matters can be ad Justed with the assumed hereditary rights and class distinctions observed behind the scenes, possibly some person in the cast who has made a remarkable impression may at last be singled out and the au dience be treated to a solitary glimpse of him, or of her as the case may be. The news of the event is that there were "so many" and "so many" curtain calls, and that So-and-So made a big hit. When any member of the cast makes a hit In this way it only stimulates the wrath and the active emulation of everybody else in the cast to duplicate it or damage the effect of the hit that has been made. cur tain calls with great modesty, and. although he at length fell Into speech making, he was always brief and he had remarkable intelligence. Mans field, after that greatest of all clim axes. Baron Chevrial's death scene in "A Parisian Romance," responds to a curtain call with gravity, always tak ing his make-up off. He is ManBflold and he believes that he deserves the compliment. I think he is right. If you are going to appear before the audience then do so as ou are the actor, not in the role. The curtain has shut oft the play. The audience is complimenting the actor or the ac tress on his or her ability to act. Let us see the player, not the part that has been played. Stoddart, in "The Bonnie Brier Bush," refused to respond to curtain calls. He would not inter rupt the consecutive thought that he knew was necessary to his best per formance of the part. After the play was finished he was willing to see anyone. Henry Miller is doing a re markable thing in the way of giving more for the money than the tickets call for, just to show what is- possible in the fashion of sustaining and con tinuing the "picture" after an act has been ended. The curtain goes down on a scene where several members of the cast are being serenaded. The scene is an interior and the people are in the room, where you can hear the music from the outside. The players run to the window and wave their handkerchiefs, turning their backs to the audience. . Down goes the curtain. Applause rings it up again. A drop has been lowered and the scene has changed to the street. The actors are seen poking their heads out of the window and waving their handker chiefs, while you still hear the seren ading. There has been a great deal of ingenuity displayed in preparing "pictures" for use after curtain calls. It has been run into the ground, but It helps to make a play appear suc cessful and it gives the audience more play for its money. The question of whether it is proper or not to have an actor, or an actress, die one minute In the play and the next minute bob up serenely, smiling before the whole howling assemblage In answer to a curtain call, will never be settled. Most people think it a very inartistic thing to do. After you have heard Camllle cough and seen her die in complete exhaustion, you gasp when she trips on and smiles the paint off her face at the admiring audience, if you have really felt the play. After a king has been stabbed through the liver, and he has died unquestionably and been carried off for burial, you feel creepy when he winks at you, dawdles with the leading lady's hand and make.- a Chesterneldian bow. The reason for all these incongruities is the intimacy that has grown up be tween the. public and the stage. The people know the players and the peo ple want to kiss and hug them when they give a good performance, and they insist upon seeing them again and again In response to curtain calls. Tou must not offend the audience, fof the audience pays its money through the box office, and there's where the salaries come from. THE mercurial and whimsical charac ter of the audience when wrought up to a high pitch is well illustrated in this climax of Mansfield's. The line that drops the curtain on the great sup per scene In "A Parisian Romance" is, "Let the music cease the Baron is dead." Mansfield has received as many as 13 curtain calls for that climax. The usual greeting of the climax is the wildest ap plause and cheering for his realism. See how great enthusiasm can instantly be converted into giggling. One night an ex cited actor delivered the closing line thus: "Stop the music. It has killed the Baron." The house roared. "What Mans field did to the actor for ruining the scene is not a matter of history. A, WEEKS come and go, this week will pass muster as an acceptable period in the theatrical category of this season. The run of "The Eternal City" at the Baker Theater has been the most important and the most talked of event. This heavy and in many respects beautiful play has called forth so large an amount of interest that they are going to run it Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the coming week. There were so many peo ple who wanted, to see it that they could not get into the Baker Theater within a week's time. That Is a ramer good piece of judgment on the part of Mr. Baker. I think. If he Is able to select plays that draw like that, and can secure them, he Is a valuable man to have around a pro ducing firm. TJS1CAL comedy stock season at the Heilig Theater, opening tonight with "The Rounders," sets me aglow. I am glad to see this theater open with music and light opera, and what appears to be a good company, xnere certainly is mer it in some of the people, and they have a big list of pieces from which to pick. They tell me that the schedule for the first few weeks will be: "The Rounders," then "Said Pasha," which is a fine sing ing opera; next "The Runaway Girl," which is large in variety and general In Its appeal; then the producing of their big star tenor, Russo, In "Cavallerla Rus ticana." Russo- is a phenomenal tenor who bowled everybody over in San Fran cisco. They are saving him for the fourth week. But this programme suffices to tell me that they are In dead earnest to put on a good sort of light opera up there at the Heillg. Now I am satisfied. I see two stock or ganizations, one devoted to the drama (the Baker), and one devoted to light mu sic (the Kendall Company at the Heilig).' The prices of these entertainments are, both together, not equal to the amount theatergoers are willing to pay for one good entertainment. So, If the music end Is kept up to the standard we expect all along from the drama end of the duo, the people can acquire two evenings of satis factory amusement during the Summer at a reasonable figure. The Hawaiian Roy al Band charmed big audiences at the Heilig from Thursday night to the end of the week. The town is full of people and the vaudeville houses are happy with fairly attractive bills and large audiences. A. H. BALLARD. 'THE ROUXDERS' TOXIGHT Kendall Musical Company Begins Engagement at the Heilig. Hilarity, fun, music, pretty girls, singing, dancing, attractive stage pic tures, in fact, a rollicking, jolly season of musical comedy begins today at the Heilig Theater, Fourteenth and Wash ington streets. The Kendall Musical Company, fresh from triumphs m Los Angeles, and augmented by artists from San Francisco, Boston and New York, comes here to open-the musical comedy season today. There will be a change of bill each week and the first week, beginning tonight, comes "The Rounders," the famous New York Ca sino hit. Lottie Kendall, the dainty premiere, is one of the brightest lumi naries in the organization, and she Is well associated with others, who will instantly please the Portland public. The greatest care has been taken to gather together a company of really capable people and a strong, skillful, shapely chorus. The stage piutures will be attractive, the singing excellent, and the verve of the performance quite up to a high standard. A season of musical stock, high-class and smooth and artistic, put on by competent peo ple, who have won fame elsewhere and who can be counted upon, is a wise enterprise for the management, and they promise to make good emphati cally witih Portland. Myrtle Vane, the soubrette, is with the company! And also there are among the better known people: Millar Bacon. Ben Lodge, E. F. Seamans, Bessie Tanne hill, Laurel Atkins, Robert Pitkin, Harry Bradley, Ned Lynch, Melvin Mayo, Bell Dale, Edna Pltkins,. George Spauldlng and others. -Some local fav orites are in the chorus. The opening tonight is likely to bring out a very representative audience. The cast of "The Rounders" is the following: Priscilla, wife of Marquis - Miss Lottie Kendall (An American Girl, belonging to a worthy family of Quakers.) The Duke de Paty du Clam Robert O. Pitkin (Who has tried everything- and found nothing in It.) MoGlnnls Pasha, an Irish Turk . Ben Iods: The Marquis de Baccarat Millar Bacon (The moth, for whom Thea la the name.) Siegfried Gotterdammerung Harry C. Bradley Header of a German street hand.) Jnsoph Ned Lynch (Head waiter In the Hotel Rival Blarrllz ) Ludwlg Dollar Frank Abhrama (Leading cornetist.) Firm Nighter Melvin Mayo Call Boy Kittle Easan Stella Glltedge Myrtle Vane (An up-to-date American girl.) Thea Bessie Tannehlll (A ballet dancer.) Mama SerapMne Iatira Atklna (Thea's new mother.) La Polama Nina Beaman (A Spanish belle.) Angelique Emerga, Gorden fAn innocent.) Adele Vere ile V'ere Edna Pitklns (A type of English beauty.) Joliet George Spauldlng (A reporter.) Fanchonette Bell Dale (A little Parlnlan.) Members of Siegfried's Band. I-adies of the Ballet. Swel's and Patrons of the Ballet. " SYNOPSIS OP SCENES. XcL I. The Beach of Biarritz. Act IT The Dressing-room of a Theater. Act" III. I'orrldor of the Hotel Metropole. c n-o n mm, GAlllnr at lh hot . 1l.il ..i . ,1 ' ' ' v - - ...... - office of the Heilig Theater. XEW PLAY AT THE BAKER. "The Man From the Golden West" Opens Fifth Week. "The Man From the Golden West," E. A. Rose's best play, will open the fifth week of the Baker Theater stock season at the regular Sunday matinee today. It will give way to "The Eternal City" Mon day, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, June 11, 12, and 13, as the demand for the latter great production has forced the management to add three nights to the regular allotted time, and then "The Man From the Golden West" will resume again Thursday night and play the week out. James Errol, "The Man From the Golden West." is a man from Nevada, who goes to New York to try his fortunes among the quick and sharp-witted denizens of Wall street. There he comes to grief for a time, but fate brings him among old friends, whom he is permitted to help, and he also becomes Involved In a de lightful love tangle. He Is a strong char acter and winning In every way. The heart Interest Is there, and the comedy also, for there is a couple who also come from the West, and who are addicted to betting on baseball and horseracing. Er rors part is to come in the action in time to. save his old friend from utter ruin. A rise in stocks puts all the worthy ones on their feet at last. Instead of taking New Yorkers out to the West, as does "The Girl From the Golden West," this play, "The Man From the Golden West," takes the man Into New York. It is a peculiarly Interesting and strong play that gives the Baker company an opportunity for delicate as well as forceful characterization. The cast is as follows: James Errol. from Nevada Edgar Baume Harry lawton. a scapegrace. .Howard Kussell Mathew I.awton. a heavy holder In Kan Dlabolo Harry D. Byers Blmon Dean, from Keene, New Hamp shire William Dills Andrew Burke, a shrewd speculator John Salnpolla Charley Reld. a fool In evil hands Burt L. King Messenger Harry MacAullffe Martin Ferris, from San Dlabolo Mine, Arizona William Harris Mary Uwton. Mathew's daughter Miss IJIllan Lawrence Mrs. Simon Deane (her first visit to New York) Mrs. H. D. Byers Jessie Dean, frank and unsophisticated . . Miss Jewel Power Time Present. Place Vmw Vnrlc Act I Mathew Lawton's drawing-room. (San Dlabolo above par.) Act 11 A garret in New York City. (San Dlabolo falls.) Act III Mathew Law tons office, (baa Dlabolo wavers. ) Act IV Mathew Lawton's drawing-room. (San Dlabolo 17r.) HENRIETTA CROSMANV Celebrated Actress Coming to the the Heilig Theater. That Henrietta Crosman, who is coming to the Heilig Theater shortly, in her latest New York hit, "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," is entitled to be regarded as the greatest of living comediennes is proven by her brilliant achievements in various lines of . com edy. She has scored throughout the range from classic comedy to modern. She holds the record run for a woman in Shakespeare, having had a run of 100 nights In New York in "As You Like It." This run has never been equaled by a woman and never at tained but by one other player, and that was Edwin Booth, who at the height of his fame presented "Hamlet" for a like number of nights. Miss Crosman will be seen here now in a modern play. This is a departure from the line she has been following for some time, as for several years- she has been presenting romantic comedies.