upon which the actor is borne away may, or may not, be strong enough to bear the spectator upon its bosom.

The actor of the opposite school, if he is a thorough artist, is more certain of producing startling effects. He stands unmoved amidst the boisterous seas, the whirlwinds of passion swelling around him. He exercises perfect command over the emotions of the audience; seems to hold their heartstrings in his hands, to play upon their sympathies as though upon an instrument; to electrify or subdue his hearers by an effort of volition; but not a pulse of his own frame beats more rapidly than its wont. His personations are cut out of marble; they are grand, sublime, but no heart throbs within the lifelike sculpture. Such was the school of the great Talma. This absolute power over others, combined with the perfect self-command, is pronounced by a certain class of critics the perfection of dramatic art.

Nearly every one who has dealt with the subject of acting is confronted by this problem: is acting emotional, and does the actor live the part, or is it intellectual, and does he merely suggest it? The question is not as academic, from the point of view of amateurs, as it may seem, for upon the answer depends the attitude of the director towards the actors during this entire third phase of rehearsals. Must the director work on the actors entirely from the inside, by suggesting the emotions that the character ought to feel, or may he suggest actual devices for securing effects? The truth is, of course, that neither extreme is correct. There must be some sort of emotional understanding of the character that is being portrayed, but the portrayal must certainly be illuminated by all the devices and effects that the intellect can suggest. Bernhardt

in her Autobiography explains that she was an emotional actor, while Coquelin was an intellectual one. But certainly, intellect played a great part in many of Bernhardt's finest and most finished pieces of acting; they were the results of her keen observation. And Coquelin, I have been told by an old actor of his company, used to stroll up and down the stage before his entrance, gesticulating, and muttering to himself, and "throwing himself into his part." Both elements must be present in any successful acting. A. B. Walkley, the dramatic critic of the London Times, argues that "actors not only ought to feel the emotions of their parts but, as a matter of fact, invariably do, whether they realize it or not." But he adds, "No doubt, in the actor there is really a double consciousness. One side of him is acting, the other side is watching himself act, regulating and noting his effects, in short, controlling his art.”

Acting Aids

The director of amateurs should keep both of these elements in mind. He ought to see that his actors understand and feel their parts emotionally so far as they can; that they react as freely as possible to the imagined situations in the play. But he ought also to help them develop that other self that is watching and regulating, and aid them to make external appearances and actions suggest the desired character. Specific aid may often be given by directing the attention of the

A. B. Walkley, "The Psychology of Acting," Vanity Fair, February, 1926.

novice to certain definite external matters that have to do with the successful portrayal of character. They might be called acting devices, except that the use of devices makes acting seem more external than it should probably be. But it is a psychological fact that the simulation of the outward physical signs of an emotion actually arouses that emotion.

1. Breath Control.-In the first place, the importance of proper breathing can hardly be overestimated. "Emotion," says Curry, "must especially affect the breathing, or the muscles regulating breathing." The reverse is also true; breathing affects the emotion. There is an appropriate form of breathing for every character, or even for each mood of every character. Laughter, gasping, weeping, and many other emotions, are aided by appropriate breath control.

2. The Body.-A second point that must always be noted is the way the body as a whole is used. Harshness, hatred, and anger usually bring about a feeling of tenseness and tightness, and the assumption of these feelings helps to portray these emotions. Small aimless motions suggest irritation or impatience. The very act of drawing the body up to its full height, and moving slowly and with dignity, brings about a sense of regalness and nobility. A lightness of body suggests youth and health, while a heaviness suggests age and illness.

3. The Eye. The eye is a third important consid

5 S. S. Curry, Imagination and Dramatic Instinct (The Expression Company, Boston, 1896), p. 178. There is much interesting material in this book.

eration. It is an old rule of pantomime that "the eye always leads." Shiftiness of the eye is universally understood to denote treachery or insincerity; while a steadiness of gaze implies directness and honesty. Humility, scorn, thoughtfulness, and many other emotions are portrayed with greater ease if the eye is used correctly.

4. Master Gesture.-A fourth useful device is the "master gesture," which is a gesture that is used repeatedly until it becomes part of the character. An old man may be fumbling with his beard. A young fire-eater may constantly put his hand to his sword hilt. A nervous housewife may roll her apron. Of course, this idea must not be overused, but it is sometimes helpful.

When an actor is having difficulty with a character, the director may often solve the difficulty by giving specific aid in the use of the breath, the body as a whole, or the eye, or by suggesting a good master gesture.

Some Traditional Rules of Acting

In addition to these devices which help in the training of the individual actor, there are certain traditional rules of acting which the director should know. Each of these rules is founded on some sensible observation, and amateurs would do well to observe them, however much the professional may depart from them.

1. Make turns towards the audience. The face is

• See Volumes I and II, on The Art of Acting, in the Fifth Series, Publications of the Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum, (Columbia University, New York, 1926).

usually more interesting and expressive than the back of the head. Besides, only experienced actors can successfully throw their voices behind them.

2. Stand in general with the down-stage foot (the one nearest the audience) back, and kneel on the downstage knee. This tends to throw the face and the voice towards the audience, and as a rule makes better body lines.

3. When two or more actors enter together the speaker enters last. This allows the speaker to throw his voice forward, towards the audience, and not back, and it allows the action to be forward.

4. In general, eyes should be on the speaker. The tendency of an audience is to watch what is the center of interest for the actors, and this should be in general the speaker.

5. Stand still, unless the part demands motion or business. The longer an actor retains one position the stronger is his position in the stage picture. When George Frederick Cooke, the celebrated actor, was questioned as to the most difficult and important part of acting, he replied, "Sir, it is to learn to stand still." 6. Let the business precede the line a little. The eye is often more important than the ear.

Some General Suggestions

There are also a few suggestions that the director might keep in mind in regard to rehearsals for details. Have groups of actors rehearse by themselves, speaking their parts aloud and studying their own movements in a mirror.