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A DRAMATIC CRITIC and dancing, practicing with his compan- ions what he learned from his masters; through observing other actors, and with the help of some of the humble servants of the stage, he would begin to acquire the arts of " making up." That is literally all the schooling that Mr. Warren had. His assiduous industry did the rest. But ex- perience shows that this schooling, limited and imperfect as it was in some respects, was adequate to make of good material a highly finished product. I doubt if Mr. Warren ever took a lesson in what is known as elocution; yet, by practice and imitation of good speakers, he made him- self master of an exquisite enunciation of English, which was a source of pure plea- sure to sensitive ears. The resident stock company as a school of histrionic instruction must be said to have passed away. Actors in traveling troupes learn from one another by snatches, of course; private teachers — often retired [ 70 ]
TRAINING FOR THE STAGE actors, and sometimes of considerable skill — are fairly numerous in New York, Phil- adelphia, and Boston; separated by long intervals, in two or three of our largest cities, are Conservatories or Schools of Expression, of which some in terms pro- fess to train for the stage. To the person who wishes to become an actor only the last two means of instruction are accessi- ble, until he has got a foothold in some company. I shall have something to say by and by concerning our great national aptitude for the stage; but it is plain to any clear eyesight that the condition of chaos in respect of instruction, and the want of fixed standards at almost every point, are interfering seriously with our progress in the art of acting, and make the attainment of distinction in that art in the largest way, for the American stage, prac- tically impossible. It is unfortunate that the actors themselves are barren of helpful suggestions. As a class they have little ca- C 7M
- Page 37 and 38: THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO bill of f
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A DRAMATIC CRITIC<br />
and dancing, practicing with his compan-<br />
ions what he learned from his masters;<br />
through observing other actors, and with<br />
the help of some of the humble servants<br />
of the stage, he would begin to acquire the<br />
arts of " making up." That is literally all<br />
the schooling that Mr. Warren had. His<br />
assiduous industry did the rest. But ex-<br />
perience shows that this schooling, limited<br />
and imperfect as it was in some respects,<br />
was adequate to make of good material a<br />
highly finished product. I doubt if Mr.<br />
Warren ever took a lesson in what is<br />
known as elocution; yet, by practice and<br />
imitation of good speakers, he made him-<br />
self master of an exquisite enunciation of<br />
English, which was a source of pure plea-<br />
sure to sensitive ears.<br />
The resident stock company as a school<br />
of histrionic instruction must be said to<br />
have passed away. Actors in traveling<br />
troupes learn from one another by snatches,<br />
of course; private teachers — often retired<br />
[ 70 ]