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A DRAMATIC CRITIC ward limitations of the histrionic life is the disposition of the players themselves. They compose a guild of extraordinary independence, which, in spite of its vague and shifting boundaries, intensely feels and sturdily maintains its es-prit de corps. "Independence of temper," as Mr. Leon H. Vincent lately said, " is a marked char- acteristic of the theatre and of theatri- cal life. The stage is a world to itself, and a world altogether impatient of ex- ternal control." One cause of this temper is to be found in the legal disabilities under which the player labored in most countries for many years. The reaction was sure. Treated as an outlaw, the player became a law unto himself. But the causa causans lies in the peculiar conditions of temperament which inhere in most actors, and in the singular concentration and de- votion of energy, essential to success upon the stage, which are exercised upon the [ io8 ]
THE ISOLATION OF ACTORS fictive material of the theatre. The rule, to which there have been important but few exceptions, is that the actor, like the acrobat, must be caught and practiced young, in order that the suppleness re- quired in the mimetic as in the gymnastic art may be attained ; and, as a result of the application of this rule, nearly all the great body of actors are devoid of general academic and scholastic training. Their culture is the culture of their own private stud}^, worked out in the green-room and on the stage. It is marvelous what acqui- sitions many of them make with such handicaps ; but their general narrowness of mental vision may be inferred. Practi- cally out of relation, then, with the social, political, and religious life of the entire rest of mankind, immersed in the unreal realities of the mimic life, driven both by natural impulse and by professional compe- tition to whet their talent to the sharpest [ 109 ]
- Page 77 and 78: WILLIAM WARREN must submit to a rec
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- Page 81 and 82: WILLIAM WARREN depth and suggestive
- Page 83 and 84: WILLIAM WARREN through a vast galle
- Page 85 and 86: WILLIAM WARREN Senator from Massach
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- Page 91 and 92: TRAINING FOR THE STAGE not brought
- Page 93 and 94: TRAINING FOR THE STAGE rade;" Mr. M
- Page 95 and 96: TOOLE AND MATHEWS Mrs. Rousby, who
- Page 97 and 98: TOOLE AND MATHEWS rapidity against
- Page 99 and 100: TOOLE AND MATHEWS finesse, and dext
- Page 103 and 104: CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN figure and homely
- Page 105 and 106: CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN was great, the ac
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- Page 109 and 110: CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN be so pronounced
- Page 111 and 112: CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN mendations " and
- Page 113 and 114: THE XII E. A. SOTHERN, Sr. most not
- Page 115 and 116: E. A. SOTHERN, SR. inverted as in a
- Page 117 and 118: E. A. SOTHERN, SR effective for mir
- Page 119 and 120: E. A. SOTHERN, SR. thrown completel
- Page 121 and 122: E. A. SOTHERN, SR traordinary were
- Page 123 and 124: E. A. SOTHERN, SR. Tragedian, a dra
- Page 125 and 126: E. A. SOTHERN, SR sought or seeking
- Page 127: THE ISOLATION OF ACTORS plish. Behi
- Page 131 and 132: THE ISOLATION OF ACTORS rary life w
- Page 133 and 134: DURING XIV Charles Fechter the seas
- Page 135 and 136: CHARLES FECHTER holding the lease o
- Page 137 and 138: CHARLES FECHTER psychic scheme, but
- Page 139 and 140: CHARLES FECHTER man, treasure, pabu
- Page 141 and 142: CHARLES FECHTER clouds, where Shake
- Page 143 and 144: CHARLES FECHTER and in his final dy
- Page 145 and 146: CHARLES FECHTER Glavis, there was a
- Page 147 and 148: CHARLES FECHTER on lines already in
- Page 149 and 150: CHARLES FECHTER internal discords,
- Page 151 and 152: THERE is XV Edwin Booth no occasion
- Page 155 and 156: EDWIN BOOTH A famous nomen I called
- Page 157 and 158: EDWIN BOOTH creations, because of t
- Page 159 and 160: EDWIN BOOTH ated with his name. Tha
- Page 161 and 162: EDWIN BOOTH gance and distinction o
- Page 163 and 164: EDWIN BOOTH thus to distinguish the
- Page 167 and 168: TOMMASO SALVINI combination tolerab
- Page 169 and 170: TOMMASO SALVINI the past fifty year
- Page 171 and 172: TOMMASO SALVINI ing Shakespeare and
- Page 173 and 174: TOMMASO SALVINI of rare delicacy be
- Page 175 and 176: TOMMASO SALVINI interpretation of K
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A DRAMATIC CRITIC<br />
ward limitations of the histrionic life is<br />
the disposition of the players themselves.<br />
They compose a guild of extraordinary<br />
independence, which, in spite of its vague<br />
and shifting boundaries, intensely feels<br />
and sturdily maintains its es-prit de corps.<br />
"Independence of temper," as Mr. Leon<br />
H. Vincent lately said, " is a marked char-<br />
acteristic of the theatre and of theatri-<br />
cal life. The stage is a world to itself,<br />
and a world altogether impatient of ex-<br />
ternal control." One cause of this temper<br />
is to be found in the legal disabilities<br />
under which the player labored in most<br />
countries for many years. The reaction<br />
was sure. Treated as an outlaw, the player<br />
became a law unto himself. But the causa<br />
causans lies in the peculiar conditions of<br />
temperament which inhere in most actors,<br />
and in the singular concentration and de-<br />
votion of energy, essential to success upon<br />
the stage, which are exercised upon the<br />
[ io8 ]
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