| Show I i r POINTS FOR AMATEURS I BY BLANCHE WALSH 1 OST graduates of legitimate i i MOST schools of acting are prone to toi i i maintain that such Institutions afford the best be t training for the girl or young oung I mai mau who intends intend to adopt the stage as aa aaa asa asa a cation I um am a graduate of one f of these s but 1 I frankly avow I that private entertainments entertainment afford atron the tetter Letter ot opportunities to learn the rudiments rudi rudl rudiments I ments of th the profession I There Th re are ale Certain points whisk which an anI aspiring girt girl may make sure of nevertheless never nevertheless I she faces fac the audience I advise e her in the first t place not to attempt to make acting her profession slon unless she he ia lit positive she ahe is fitted for forit forIt forit it and has something besides mere In Inclination Inclination inclination to convince her that she has ability Otherwise e she will face tace years ears of heartache and disappointment just justas as sure as as the sun shines Once Onee deter determined determined determined mined on her course on the other hand let her strive with utmost en endeavor endeavor endeavor deavor First of ot aU all she must have cent confidence confidence dence deuce Let her say to herself that she ahe has extraordinary ability and that in time she will wiil convince the great man managers managers managers agers that she possesses po it IL But she must not of course coune allow her ac ao acquaintances acquaintances nor even her friends to become aware of her feelings She should have some really great actress as air her bel Ideal Ideel and then strive to outdo that actress In the performance of a certain part She will probably not suc sue succeed succeed In doing this but the continued effort will at least result in an Improvement Improvement Im Improvement provement in the quality of her own acting She must mu t use u e care cate In under undertaking undertaking taking this for tor she must never give e a copy of acting The foundation foundation tion for success on the stage is originality You must have personality If It you ou remind audiences of someone else all the time the audiences will never neer admire you y u for yourself In trying to outdo some good player you are not to Imitate Have your own conception of the way in which your Our ideal would act and then endeavor to equal or outdo O it It Is impossible Impo to write a set of rules that would apply properly to all beginners Individual eases rH r must be b treated individually but there are some rules that must moat be b followed by byall alt all For one oue thing if you would gain success l on en the t o stage you must know your JOur part parL You must know it so 80 well welt that nt you will not have to be thinking of it while the other members of the cast I are acting and speaking their roles Have a gesture for each sentence Never eer have your Our hands idle while you talk unless the stage s e business ex ax expressly pressly presely pres Jy coils calls for tor such Inaction Practice tice gesticulation assiduously as Never Neer allow your arms nOs to hang down unless I you ou are trying to look as a awkward as possible os Find out by b tests testa what is your actual tone then employ iton the stage You probably will need to speak three times as loudly loudl as you OU think you should be because because because cause you forget what your our natural tone In is when facing the audience De Determine termine the proper pitch for tor your voice before the performances have been be begun begun begun gun and then use that pitch or loud loudness loudness loudness ness Your natural tone cultivated perhaps by study of elocution ta what you must use Remember that beauty Is ia sometimes out of place A pretty girl neatly dressed would be sadly out of place as asa asa asa a scullery maid for instance Your looks must be what the character calls for Dont think you must look pretty all aU the time Especially E must you keep your head headon on and off of the stage It If you let it be turned by Hattery why there is only one greater of stage artists artist and nd careers than flattery and that is death The making of a great actress lies in the actress not in her mere ambi ambition ambition ambition tion Cultivate ability if It you have it and think not that envy em and covetous covetousness ness can replace it |
