Ogden Morning Examiner | 1909-01-17 | How Henry Miller Casts His Productions

I How MILLER MiLLE CASTS HIS PRODUCTIONS Essential That an Actor Be Thoroughly Familiar With With the Kings English Englich To Be a Good flood Actor Is s Easier Than to Be a Bad Bail One Main Requirements of the Stage 11 r Henry Miller though one of Ameri Americas cas best known and capable actors for 01 more than a quarter of a century has lias won new famo fame as a producing man manager manager manager ager his highly successful success ll pro productions productions The rhe Servant in the House The Comet Camel The Winter Feast Feas The Bewitching of Helen and last but ut what Is considered most important of all an The rhe Great Divide which a Is s to tolie toc tobe lie be c the attraction at the Grand Opera House for two night beginning Friday r Henry Millet Miller has hn without a tit doubt doub built up a reputation a as a producer that is second to none nono in this country in view of the fact that he has such stars as Margaret Anglin Madame a ame Mazimova Isabelle Isabellc Irving and Tyrone Power Power under un under under der his managerial wing Mr Mt Miller in years gone by b has visited Ogden presenting plays plas like Captain Darcy Darc of the Guards Heartsease and only last season sm in the latter part parlor of June he presented The Great Dl DI Ide vido to and since then any anything thing leaving Bearing the tho trade mark of o Amen Ameri Americas cas most famous actor manager is sure of or a cordial welcome Only a week cek or two has passed since sinco Miller fluor has made male a production that will go godown godown godown down In the annals of the theater as one of the most daring plays plans over ever pre presented to an American audience Tub The Th Winter Feast is h what It was called written too by b the author u o of Too The TooS Servant S rant In the House which Is I now In Its third year car at the Savoy theater in New York elt city The First Play For nine months mouths the manuscript of the named play pIa on Mr lr Millers desk and though often requested by b Charles Rann Hann Kennedy Kennerly the author to destroy destro it Miller awaited what ho thought was as his chance to see ace it acted on a stage sta e The chance chanco presented It Itself Itself itself self a week ago last laet Monday when whet the actor manager was not playing On that day he called the associate playa play pla t era ors together and told toll them of or This nis ili plan phin L to resent present I Ionly the new hen play pla for ono one ht only at the Savoy Saor Savo theater where niche Tho The Servant Senant In the tho House was w mooting with unprecedented success Those These famous actors Including Edith E lith Wynne Tyrone Power Walt Walter r Hampden Arthur Lewis Charles Dal Ial DalIon Dalton ton Ion and ethers of equal prominence foil fell in lit with the tho th scheme and last r rl 1 I day Miller announced his Ills production I ready for fill tine the public to see aco It but for forone forone one onh only What the tho press preas I f of or the metropolis sail said of the play pIa i inow now ancient history and to 10 say sar that one oue performance of The Jime Winter Feast was Wilt enough h to convince Miller that the American pla lover 1001 floes does not want a tragedy clothed aa ns U it Il were ere In modern dross dress t i r His Other Side Now Nov for tho the other siclo sr of this pe pc peo e I o man gnaw When then The Tire Great l Divide r was first put on In New lew York Miller hiller was wan more than thun anxious that his bin t r Baron Karon aron You von on the Gorman Garman am nm see tau tou play and ho fro sag 8 lg o orman l that the tho G i iZ ito Germin Grman minister COUIG b e o to sew en York ork to witness Uncas a it performance pe Z y 1 I r ec of o what the metropolitan reviewers had called Tile Tho Long Waited Great American Play PIa After Altol many special performances had been arranged for fOI only onI to be he given up at the last moment Mr III Miller decided If the UlO mountain come to lo Mohammed loham Mohammed Mohammed med would go to the mountain So despite the fact that all of o the seats scats for Cur the tOe Princess theater where The Great Divide had been playing lIa for or al almost almost almost most two years had been sold for the performance on Friday January Januar 7 1907 Muller Miller at the suggestion of Baron von on Sternberg assisted by Miss Aug Ang An Anlin lin and his company compan comI an presented The Great Divide on the stage of or tho the Cochrane galleries in Washington on that night refunding to the New ew York theatergoers more than 1500 What the press of the country said of this thi special performance would fill till a book hook and anel Miller was accused of o advertising the tae play pla at the expense of the different corps Of or course this accusation accusation accusation was wag easily disproved dh proved by hy his most recent acts such as stopping slopping the therun therun therun run of one cue of or his plays at the Powers theater Chicago so that a perform performance ance of it could be given gien for the special special apel cial edification of the faculty of the University of o Michigan at Ann A n Arbor This sort of thing is h common with Miller His notions to his pia many business representatives are arc such that special performances of Tao Tito Great Divide and all other plays pla s under his management may maybe be ghon free of any cost whatever before classes In lu Eng Ens En lish lisp literature in III any and all nil parts of u o American Mae rican Casting Caslin His Production In tills way wa says bays Mr Miller Hiller 1 l hope t gain serious consideration for forthe 01 the theater in this country In casting ny n productions I have always alwa s held that It is essential that an u actor be bo thoroughly familiar with the kings Icings English lh as It II Is la called and that to bo lie boa hea liea a good actor speaking histrionically Is le infinitely easier casler than lIlan to lo be he a bad had badone badone one This Is a proposition on that may mar sound strange to many critics and re reviewers viewers ewers who find Ond nothing but faultiness ness In the methods used and the re pulls ills obtain 1 l v t tl io r majority of players They may be right In r n 1 i I contentions contention in they the are arc hut Kitt that does dO S not nol piove prove the tho of lC the tho foregoing The Tho assertion 1 make maIm is not that all actors arc are highly in the practice of their art but they should be lie so One of the tho great pities of life Is that most folk tolk insist ill lt t upon doing things the tho hardest i way Wf and therefore the wrong way wa waI It is much easier caRler to do a II thing I right than limit wrong nether wether It be ue a n slum sim simple lito dally dall duty a momentous business tvan tr action or the tho delineations of a character in tn a play Although this truth is 18 obvious it Is amazing how fail to sob sen It Actors Actor mo nrc particularly prone to overlook this I natural Jaw Year Yc ar i of oh have ha haht ht me that thal ir f ft oi of ii Portrayal al concern rn them 0 S r GIll selves elves with the They go I r cut cul of their way war to do the tho Ul unnatural I and the stagy thing I think some I explanation tion of this lies lles In the common designation of their calling Doing Being called colled actors they the think It incumbent upon themselves to act and many of or them do it with energy persis persistence tence and conscientiousness worthy of ofa o a better cause That the art has had I been beon known as acting has done It lL from froth which It may mar never nover re recover cover coer When a man or a woman stud les lea a part pait the sole idea Ide should be the natural and therefore proper portrayal of the character the comporting of o self in the manner that common sense ant ami Intelligence would dictate with without without out Cout absurd posturing and grimacing or 1 and awkward concern The Main Requirement The main requirement for those who would be good actors is hat they lhor do on the stage what they thc would do doin doin doin in ordinary life under tho the samo same cir circumstances circumstances circumstances This applies to charac character ter as well as straIght work worl This does not moan mean that an actors per should be without variety The rulo rude would not restrict one to his own possibly commonplace dally routine and gesture It llis is merely that niter after studying the character chara ter intelli intelligently gently and understanding its intricacies cies cles and attributes he should speak its lines and assume its attitudes altitudes in ina a manner entirely natural to himself Ac As A to Subtlety In Acting We often hear of o subtlety tr in act art leg g and of oC Inspiration In the last analysis It is 15 the had bad actors who are arc subtle and Inspired for only by br some sonic curious psychological process could fome Laune of them arrive at the tho amazingly J and unintelligent conclusions slung they thoy present What is iR commonly common culled called subtlety ia is nothing more moie than thana a well sell directed and properly directed intelligence which studies stud lea a u charac character ter tel and anal a situation closely arriving at ata atu a u conclusion by b process of mind and expressing thoughts and emotions un under der cler rational mental direction Tho The subtle actor Is simply one who knows what w at to doand do amI has sufficient self he to do it In a l perfectly natural way vay I the tho bud actor does not know what to lo do or If ho has hm Fome some slight inkling of or the tho how to todo do du it he leaves his Int li at home Iome walks all around tho the right way of u doing It K and find thus as a natural consequences s produces producer results that w were re never lleVer conceived con by h tho the play playwright wright or of 0 dreamed of In the philosophy of tho playgoer Illa It takes tal os genuine subtlety to some somo of or the time re remarkable efforts produced by some seine who regard themselves olos as finished ac I I tors toma Somo persons may mar take tale exceptions I I to the hypothesis and nail con ion bv by that many players I I 1 who ho meet the time above requirements have have j jj j f risen to no great fame farno and give no promise of stepping into the ranks of oC the Immortals The subject in hand handis halldIs is good acting not genius We Ve arc are considering the tho man or woman who plays the ordinary part not the tho tragedy trag tragedy edy IcIng king or queen tho second old man the leading juvenile the tho woman who takes a character hit It is In Inthir thin thir rank and and file where this fine fino In Im Intelligence Intelligence or time the lack of it Is more noticed Genius is a matter of per por and temperament as well w ll as asor of or Intellect and training Two actors might play the same part in exactly the same way Identical in gesture inflection In movement and in bus business Tress iness and one might awake the au an audience audience to clamorous enthusiasm while j the other othol would leave leac it cold colli and un nn unresponsive I responsive The first has within him that illuminating spirit that lays lars bare arc the soul of the character Intelligence and common sense sen e are arc hue hilt a part of o ohis his equipment Behind them are aro the qualities that mark the man of ties des destiny do dotin j tiny tin Yet the mind and discretion of or orth the th other when whon placed outside the shadow east cast by br genius might vendor him conspicuous and place him in a n re oled position Frequently the lure critics say sar He gave gac gaveau an au intellectual performance but his ilis work oik was not convincing That man mail probably suffered limitations limitation of or temperament tem tern temperament through which he lie was un tin suited to the tho role 1010 in hand hund Some very good actors cors moros noros the pity are arc un Ull unfortunate fortunate in their personality IWI to lO tills this extent When one ono halls to make mako a I good Impression for or this reason it is i haul hard for him that critics and anti spectators tors do not give g o him bum his due for or tech lech technical technical I merit It JL is remarkable how I I few persons are aie able to judge jUdg an ac ao actors tors tois work strictly on its lIs worth as 1 I that Unit which it Is I expected to reproduce i 1 The rho majority of those who attend i the theaters are aro open to Impressions i 1 i ionly only If II tho the general effect of a pay pa payers I 1 era els ers work Is pleasing they ther praise What may be Its value technically they neither know nor nOI care If ho Ito is unsuited to the role 1010 he lie gets gots no credit I and scant sympathy Therefore after I all is said It would seem that person pernon alit Is ia the tune great force In ht acting just justas as ag it is In ia the pulpit the senate or 01 orthe orthe the counting house bouse j I TONIGHT 1 Sis Sin Hopkins that delightfully fag frag fragrant g 1 rant Tant play of o country life In the Hoosier state which is now no on Its tenth tour has been booked for fOl an engagement jit at atthe tt the Grand tonight Miss hiss Rose Melvine Mel Mol Melville vine ville the tho originator of or the fascinating type of or stage chai character actor represented Iol d by b Sis Hopkins Is la play ing the title tille role again and und is support supported ed by hr a company tho the equal of any an she hc has hus had yet et j l the undertaker lIu is ono of the be quaint character bits of the play pIny 2 He carries a tape measure with him always alway to measure prospective cus a hollow cough Fills him with joy Jov jo and rumor of accident death and devastation d are aie his constant hope nope lie Ho lieI I writes epitaphs of or rare wit and humor In which the follies and foibles of the I goo Boot good people of Posey Pose county art hit off with delightful simplicity Ho ie wears an exaggerated costume of deep deop j mourning and lives elves in the hope nope of j death j i Mr Mt J R Stirling Miss manager manage has hns put out an entirely new i production prod and the play has been am amplified amplified and improved until now It has reached the acme of perfection The costuming Is all new and the special specialties specialties specialties ties which have been heen so delightful a feature of o previous engagements have vo been Hoen changed and amid added to until now there thore is left noting nothing to bo ho desired This is especially true trot of the fire famous lamous som song Inary scene which has been cen Improved to the tho uttermost I WEDNESDAY JANUARY 20 Cohan Colton Harris under whose man management mant tho the George Cohan Musical comedy CO Fifty Mlles Miles Front Boston no lon lonwill will be presented at al the Grand Giand next Wednesday have again given the pro Ino production Inoc c a cast of o well players Mr Joseph Sparks who appears as n HarrIgan has been formerly formell iden identified h en titled with May Irwin Invin being her lead leading I ing lag comedian for fOl several seasons He lie I also appeared with Arnold Daly Dily in I IJohn John Bulls Dulls Other Inland 1 and in of or Savages productions Mss Miss Suzanne Leonard West Westford ford is isono ono nun of or tho limo most moat brilliant club women omon w of 01 the day clay She Site was president of the tho New Mew York Professional Prot Womans lemons league and has lias spoken many times limes be before before before fore the most prominent clubs of Uio country Miss Mss Westford is the sister of Miss Lillian Russell and Is a tall tali statues quo qua beauty with a charming chalmin manner I She appeared In the time Cohan play Ilay as a atypical atypical typical Now New England En gossip and and her song bong Aint it Awful Is said to be bo especially clever I Miss Hazel Lowry appears as tho limo demure New Now England postmistress a arole arole role lole which Is said