ACTORS ON ACTING I is interesting to see how these principles guided Goethe, In response to a jestion by his interviewer Eckermann 3s to how he chose the members of hi “IE his appearaice and his deportment pleased me, I made him read, in order to test the power and extent of his voice, as well az the eapabil some sublime passage from a great poet, to tee wi and express 5 estas ea te coking toda al he oma pace Lied warmed ope ofan eo ey pra ee for ar aps sin Lore he a ohh Be i a mh ea fe smn a red bn Se I had well-grounded hope ionic principles. Carrying with them the weight thus generated an external, artifical school of generations in the German theatre fought. Even nineteenth century, was forced to argue against their (268 | GERMANY Rules for Actors ‘The art of the actor is made up of speech and bodily movement. In the fl- lowing paragraphs we shall give some rule and suggestions on both of these, Beginy ning with speech, Dialect 1 ‘When a provincilim creeps into a tragic discourse the most besutifol is disfigured and the ear of the auditor is obended, the frst and mort ‘ecesary point in the taining ofan actors that be ‘rom all errors of dialer aol suive to auain 2 perfoaly pure pronunciation, ‘No proviocaism will {do on the stage! Nothing most be heard there but pure German idiom, which has been cultivated through good tase, a and science? 2 Hee who has to struggle with the habits of dialect should adhere to the universal rules of German speech and seek to enunciate quite clearly the new forms he wishes to de ore distinctly y really ought to be. Even exaggerations are is Setriment, for it is a peculiarity of human its old customs, and of its own accord to nor nature always to return wil malize what hat been exaggerated. Pronunciation is perfect when no Jeter of a word is suppresed, but when all appear according to their trve value. 5 Tis clean when all words are so delivered that the thought strikes the hearer easly and distinely. Both together make expression complete. 6 ‘The actor should seek to acquire such a diction, realizing clearly how a slurred lewet of & word pronounced indistinedy makes a whole sentence ambiguous, withACTORS ON ACTING the result that the audience loses the illusion and is often provoked to laughter, even in the mort serious soenes, “4 In order to perfect his diction, the beginner should utter everything very slowly, syllables, and particularly dearly, in order lables which mist be spokes long oF short, 28 long, ‘rapid speech one usually emphasizes only the verbs. ” all delamation, all play of the te real comedy and the to lean accurately; thus many an errr, bot of dialect and pronunciation, will be avoided. Recitation and Declamation 18 By recitation is underod a delivery which without emotional rising ot the tong, oot gue wit multion es midway beween cal ge poh Te Zadear mh aay fel chat ia this ese the speech i objective, v Therefore i x nessary to emphasize the passages to be rected and deliver GERMANY 2» But it i quite dierent with dedamain o eightnedreiation, Here 1 must place myself wi “The words which ‘a actually present. on the plano employs the sft pedal and ll modulations which possesses. If they are se yes hl seed in since wah the effect which ean be produced through them, then beautiful and completest evult sie, answering it own Purposes, dedamation, on the oh ‘more limited in the range of its tones and is subject 0 an alien ‘must alweays take to wit, the ministerial cadence. It is easy, ef, © run aground on this one. ‘The declaimer is free to select his own stops, pauses, and guard against ing the true meaning, which he ean do by this means just as ‘easily aby an omitted or badly expressed word? 2 One can readily understand from these few observations what unending toil and time it costs to'make progrest in this dificult art. 30 For the beginning actor it is very benefici ig Voice? ‘mattered the lower register he will certainly be able to express perfecly all possible shadings. Anton Gen, sg ms Si which Gort gave fo 2 Content Prince be td de Semon, colon, elas ‘Banded » pruse for ech of thee tions yp —tACTORS ON ACTING Rhythmical Diction a ‘he rly and eras ade und the ead of damon ae bere supposed at fundamental But itis epecially the character of shy Tivery that the subject must be dedaimed with an even more lofty and emetional expression. Each word i to be uttered with s certain impresveness 2 ‘The rhythmical structure as wel a the endrhymes must not be indicated too seikingly, bur the contest most be observed sb in prose. 3 If one has iambice to delim he must be careful to indicate the beginning of cach verte by a sight scarcely perceptible pause, ot suicent, however, to inte: rupt the fow of the dedamation” Pore end Movement of the Body on the Stage 4 On this part ofthe player's art some general principles may aio be given, to which of coune, there ae innumerable exeeptionall of which, however, go back ino he pinle ‘We mut nie v0 vgoelyf timate thee tat they 35 First, the player must reflect that he must not only imitate Nature, but must also present her ideally, and that therefore bis presentation must unite the true ‘with the beautiful. 36 Hence each part of the body must be completely in his control so that he can make use of each member for the desited expression, freely, harmoniously, and gracefully. 37 Let the postion of the body be exec, the chest up, the upper half of the arms to the elbows close to the body, the head turned slightly towards the person to whom ‘one is speaking, yet so slightly that three quarters of the face is always turned to- wards the audience. 38 For the actor must constantly remember that he is on the stage for the sake of the public. 39 Accordingly, itis mistaken naturalness for the actors to play to each other as if no third person were present; they should never play in profile, nor turn their This pectin wat pci cred by Tick See his ene, "Uber das Temi welche of dey Date tsrachon wenden ll™ On the Tine Which Should Be Observed ta Stage Delivery), Drometarge Baier, Vue He (272) GERMANY backs to the audience. If it is done forthe sake of characterization or of neces, lec it be done with judgment and grace. 0 One must also be especially careful never to speak in toward the stage, but always speak out toward the public. For the player thst always vide his ateation ‘tween two objects: that between the petton to whom he is speaking and is audience, Instead of toring the whole Head away, it iy beter, When necsary, ‘erly to tora the eyes “a Je isa cardinal point that when two actors are playing together the speaker always mover back, fade eae who has sopped openg me dows aight If one makes use ofthis advantage with undentanding, and through pracice can go shout it quite witho : the eye as well a for bility ofthe wt exhers equally very fine eee an have pest advantage over thse who do Pantomime @ To ausin a correct pantomime and alo to be able to ert should ote te flowing ral as oe pie bi 6 Bur this presupposes character and the sles Agioation works on the material properly atke neither to deca nor to act convey. has previously made fully his own the on he is to represent, and that his im- ithout this preparation he will be It is of great advantage make his arms pliant and supy ‘out reciting it, solely by pantom suitable gesures To be Observed in Rehearsal 6 To acquire an easier and more suitable movement of the feet one must never rehearse in boots. @ Le the actor, parclatiy the younger man who bas to play lovers ad other light fl, hep 4 pro pers A te thea in which to fekeane an he wl [273]ACTORS ON ACTING toon notice the good effects of this practice* 6 One should not permit himeelé to do anything in rehearsal that he cannot do in the play. o ‘The women should put aside their small purses. 70 No ar sould eens ina donk, bu shld have the ands and ams ey sin hey? Ror i dek ns ey nde hin ln taking ope gee ber frst we ane fake one wich be hen sje nly in ® nm The sco sld alo mike no movenest a seca which ews to thee . He who places hie hand in his bosom in rehearsing tragic roles runs the risk, in the actual performance, of fumbling for an opening in his armor. Bad Habite to be Avoided B yy errors to be avoided is this: the actor who is siting farther forward, pass his hands between his slightly, and so’ drag it forward. This is an ‘aot only against appearance, but still more against comfort. production to be tll banderchit ab indeed is now the fashion, a help in cate of need Bearing of the Actor in Ordinary Lite A In ordinary lif, too, the actor most remember that heist be part of a public presentation. ‘Fie sme advice i ven the player in Wile Meier's ABBrentcnbip, Book V, Chapter vn, p'295. Moy elber vaggrsot ia this chapter pals cloly the advice given bere GERMANY 76 Hence he must guard hinvcf agains habia gesture, omures, and postions af the arms and body, for if during the play his ntentod must be digeed oe B¥oiding such habits isto be agrest extent lotto the play. 7 Tei therefore, abscltely necessary thatthe acne be completely free foc all habits, 40 that inthe presentation he can imagine hima comely fa be le and busy his mind with his awumed characters 78 (On the contrary, i isan impertant principle for the actor wo uke pane in oF inary life wo give such « tua to his badyy being, indeod to al his aso, {hat Be will be kepe in constant practice. This wil be of anal advashage fot ‘part of the actor’s art. ae He who has chosen to bea trap actor will perfect ime if he seks to brn cout everyting that he hast sy with a cenain accuracy of tone aswel ay of i sof cure eee ry [npn Henne pynaiinp wg ah rit ge Senng ore co te a toy les ogee pa Zoe nce eee Ge NR on ny he me pe i fi eae eee ee cig eb i es neat ates Het © Soper Tarn n y ael tih ay i eld SEIS oem ong acne tn cs ik de ee Arrangement and Grouping on the Stage 2 ‘The stage and the auditorium, the acors and the audience, constitute exen- tially a single whole ae The e i theatre is to be regarded much as a fgurcless tableau to whi * waa ard ™ to which the actor a ‘Therefore one must never play too near the wings. (7)ACTORS ON ACTING % Just as seldom must one step into the proscenium. ‘This is the greatest im- propriety; for the figure seps out of the room in which ic makes a complet wait with the sene picture and with the fllow-players. 86 When one sands sone on the sage lt hin remem that he cll pen to decorate the stage, and #0 much the more s0 since the attention semains di- rected quite alone on’ him. 8 He who steps out for monologue from the wings upstage does well to move