The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 6, 1902, Page 3

THE SUNDAY CALL. A Pointers for Girls Who Are Interested in as s‘me and the character she grease paint and elusion, but just h est evolution, the mak- at to the fortabl e the re- fon, but one is that the dwelt upon s elsewhere the present tima nd if earr v sees a cred- h Forbes’ s is a sweet, unaf- Gibson type; demure, and fresh with the en- y summers. he gods have given h the twenty- follows: She ows herself an then the day's riding, 8 to 9 tes thro to noon; voice, 5 to rest, 7 to 7 . m. £:15 to 11:15 p. m.; studying m. to 12:30 a. m.; sleep, 1 to programme is elastic pse for so- most part out Miss Forbes n hours and n to constant s and forty- sing in the morning ory for sleep at es for rest. On y gives mat- hour is given to um or the fencing of Pro- Tronchet, and the afternoon i for that day is omitted, our of the hours are given to physical The first step is to get the body under ct control of the mind. The body 10 a. m.; re- | 5k )‘7(" TSy O 2 SrAINCGAA(E 755 1IN &7 SoWCH 3G A Ly ”/f‘e’n -'.(b‘ SR (ki 7o DEVELOPE THE ITyrer . is the servant of the mina. It is the in- strument on which is transmitted the varjous emotions. It is ordinarily stiff and unwieldy; it must be made supple and commandable and trained to respond instantly. In this age and generation we don’t get half enough exercise. Living is made too easy. It is as though we had to fight pature, overcome civilization in a way and get back to the primitive, so we can bend our body and twist our trunk and arms and head without showing the strain. “Practice with dumb-bells makes the body strong; using the gloves makes the arms foreeful and gives them character; Indian clubs make the entire body lithe und supple; fencing makes the body ISR =) ST ) ‘\,?n(\‘.‘) S 7 "7 (&Y =0 ENMU7ZZAND % Q) &5 OB =" fef B [ %5 7o) STY) ForBES. J"harz:/ef Byjrner e, S TvoInG H © & & 20 0O @ OO @ & ER KT graceful and gives it poise as nothing else can do. *“Volce culture and breath control are great factors in emotion or in any work in expression. ‘There is no magnetism in wasted breath. A person who does not know how to use, control and give out her breath for the emotion in: question loses just so much power over her audience. It is just like the boiler of an engine that is con- stantly leaking.” 4 "Miss Forbes has had two vears of stage training along the lines usually experi- enced by the beginner and she is now in the period of her evolution to engage in other practical efforts. She has taken hundreds of lessons in elocution and voic# culture and has played small parts in some thirty-seven different plays. She nas been taught to an effective degreo the art, of stage ‘‘make-up” and the consist- ency of style and color in stages gowns. All this has been gained by hard and FErnCING «TEAC ~ES ante 90//“1’:-/[/\45»/.7/ / ; JZ1BER THE JonT) oF THE AR ITINVTIES of “TCTRE, TIRANTING WORK constant work, and while The volce and Intcnations are still to be persistently perfected, the physical strength, fire and grace of gesture must be worked upon tlso. Four times a week she goes to Professor Tronchet and takes fencing lesssons for two hours each visit; three other days offeach week she is obliged to ypend at a ladies’ gymnasium. The days that she does not go to the gymnasium ahe spends two hours riding horseback or on a bicycle, One hour every day, “bike” riding or no “bike” riding, gymnasium or no gym- nesium, she must spend with the profes- sor of voice\culture. One hour many days is given to the study of faclal ex- losecacoee pression, four hours each day to the re- hearsals for the regular Neill perform- ances and three hours each evening to playing the parts assigned to her in the regular Neill performances. Mr. Neill was seated on a piece of stage property back on the stage in the California Theater and just as he spoke in dashed the subject in question, Miss Forbes, with book in hand and an every- minute-counts expressidn on her face. “I am a minute late,” she said, breath- lessly. “But I have my lines letter per- fect to-day; I studied till 1 o'clock last night on them.” She was talking to Scott Seaton, who ap- peared from the opposite wing of ths stage stretching himself and looking most apologetic. Miss Forbes, it appears, is going -to takésthe role of Barbara Freitchie next season with Mr. Scott Seaton as manager and in connection with her other work she is crowding in a rehearsal now and agaln with an 9@@&@.0@@@9@@@&\9 eye for a future triumph. We watched them stepping about the stage and reading their lines in a low voice which made the pantomine seem» like a take off on the real Barbara Freitchie, save for the earnestness that marked both these young faces. It seem- ed rather weird, this saying of lines and appealing to a houseless audience. “Do you believe in elocutien as a stage requisite?” “Elocution with practice—yes,” answer- ed Mr. Neill, “but the trouble is that the mind of the elocution student is crowded with ideals and theories that only irri- tate the managers, and excite ridicule and have to be suppressed, while a kiaowledge of the real technique of the theater and preparation for the stage is being obtained. He who takes up elo- tutidn and labors alone without the ac- tessories and other stage characters which go to make up a picture and the ensemble that appeals to the audience and suggests dramatic action lacks the inspiration of imaginate listeners and ® © @& CEHERRIING R NEW Pofé is like a student of painting who has canvas and brushes but lacks the colors. “The student who takes up elocution with an eye for the stage should study it In connectlon with stage work or at least in connection with some practical side of stage work. > “Elocution -as taught Is not elocution &ccording to the dictionary. Webster de- fines it as ‘the proper expression of thought.” The elocutionist speaks as if he knew the technique of expression— the actor speaks as if he thinks. The underlying thought is the main thing, so first ‘let the aspirant for the stage mas- ter the thought and try to get an fn- spiration out of it, and this mastery of thought will show in the delivery of his lines if he has the indispensable ground- work of an education and the ability to enunciate, “And even if his delivery be contrary to the set ideas of elocution, the actor endowed by nature for the stage will grasp the inspiration of the situation ana be capable of creating an illusion, while the elocutionist will be more apt to show the evidences of his work and its me- chanical limitations in his seif conscious- ress and his-adherence to the technique. The cultured, cold and correct actor will not be so true to the die as the rugzed, vehement, impulsive soul that appeals by natural methods to the sympathies of the listerier. The one by carefully studied intonation and a nice punctuation into sentences may excite admiration, per- Laps, but does not always carry convie- tion with it. The other will emphasize the thought in a way that will appeal to & his audience. “And that is what it all means after all; it is the power of convincing the au- dience, of making them feel that your emotions are real. That is what carries a plece on to victory. “The question of trainin=, for the stage has been a difficult problem to solve with any degree of satisfaction, and with such results as will elicit the recognition and encouragement of the managers who en- gage and the public who patfonize stage artists. In no art is it more clearly demonstrated by the artists who acquire prominence and fame thaf experience is the best If not the onlysteacher. Acting is like swimming; all the theories in the world will not serve uptil the first plunge is made, and as water is necessary for the learniyg to swim, so are accessories and audiences necessary to determine the apti~ tude or unfitness of the aspirant for dramatic laurels. It is with a full appre- clation of the diffictlties that beset the heginner upon the stage that employing managers and producers of plays are obliged to' reject so many applicants. “Genius and hard work may'not be twin companions, but they are so often found together that one is warranted In assert- ing that they are closely allied. As soon as a new genius 1s sprung on the world the wonder often is, ‘Why were-they not discovered before?” and the answer prob- ably is that they have not had time to work hard and long enough. There are hundreds of young women with ambition to shine behind the footlights who have not the temperament nor the desire to work hard enough to reach their cherish- ed goal. There are also many of splendid natural ability for conception of stage characters who fail when they do final- ly have an opportunity, for lack of per- sistent and constant endeavor. Then there are others ambitious for the stage who believe that all an actress has to do to gain an enviable reputation as an artist and the accompanying enviable salary is to wear fine gowns, receive the flattering attentions of numerous admir- ers, countless bouquets and late suppers, where glasses clink to the music of gay laughter.” A study_of the dally routine of Mary Elizabeth Forbes, a beautiful, charming and talented girl, will quickly dispel that delusion. How many factory girls, how many milliners, how many dressmakers, how many. stenographers, how many youag lady clerks are there who are obliged to work nearly fourteen hours a day, Sundays included, to gain recognition in the line of endeavor to which they have addressed their efforts? And Then There Wag Tronbls RAY note how a good impulse and p a creditable action may put things all awry. The clock was fifteen minutes fast. It was not in the least what one would call a sporty clock, but it was fast and it remained so for two weeks. As it maintained a steady galt, keeping just so far ahead of Father Time, this did no harm. Every one knew it was fast, and figured accordingly. It was eadier to de that than it was to set it. But one morning the head of the house- hold became suddenly particular. He had spasms of this sort occusionally and thers were never any preliminary symptoms. He demanded punctuality and accuracy verything, even clocks. ke exclaimed, after com- paring the clock with his watch. This is what followed his sudden awak- ening: His wife was late at the matinee. His son was late at school. His daughter was late for her music lesson. Dinner was late for all. “And,” added his wife, “mother, who intended to leave us to-day, was late for her train. Did you fdol with that clock?* Why, my dear,” he explained, apolo~ getically, “T set it.” “Oh, you set it!" she exclaimed. “For two weeks we have been deducting fifteen minutes from the time it showed, and then you set it. You thought it funny to play a little joke on your children and your wife, I suppose. Your perverted sense of humor made you think it amusing to trick your only son into tardiness!" “But. my dear—" “Don’t speak to me! If there is any- thing I hate it is a practical joker. Even mother missed her train.” es,”” he said, regretfully, “I'm sorry. orry for what?’ she demanded sharp- Y. “That I set the clock,” he answered. “Is—is she going to-morrow?"” f she can catch the train,” she sald pointedly. He said nothing, but when she had left the room he put the clock half an houz ahead. “That,” he commented, “will even the matter up for the poor woman.” The moral of this story is—well, what is the moral, anyway?—Brooklyn Eagle. Something to Think Abont. Tears pay no taxes. Stress makes strong. | A recipe is not a cake. A selfish success Is a sad fajlure, Cowardly fear finds no favor with God. Many words do not make much wisdom. The chureh 1is weakened by wicked vealth. Heaven oft takes in what earth casts out. Liking leads to love and love to like- ress. The braggart deceives no one but him- self. It takes a great man io comprehend himself. Many a man must lose his all to find himself. Religion without joy is a sun without light. A state religlon does not make a reli- o slous state. When God’s showers cease man’s sup- plies fail. Actual liberty centers In essential loy- alty. ' The path to greatness with God les open to all. The great life is made up of greatness in littles. Sincerity is the best sermon agatnst hypocrisy. ‘The pearls of truth lle deep In the sea of patience. The true martyr does not hire out to a museum. <A man may be judged by his judgments of others. It is hard to be healed when we hide our wounds. - Success is not salvation, but salvation is success. No man falls of success who conquers himseif. God wants flowers on hearts more than on altar cloths. It is still worth while to be right, no matter who is wrong. The foolish bark at truth because it is a stranger to them. No one is nearer heaven by belonging to the upper classes of soclety. The things that make us happy are these to which we have given our hearts. Milan has a curiosity in a clock which s made entirely of bread. The maker is a native of India, and has. devoted three yeyrs of his life to the construction of this curiosity. The clock is of good size and goes well.