They grow heedless
in the delivery of language, weakening or obscuring its meaning, and
missing its significance; and in some way lose that rich and mellow
colouring that characterized the bygone performers. So marked is this,
that some of the old dramatic characters are abandoned altogether,
because in the hands of the Realists they fade away into ineffective
and colourless forms. The _Sir Peter Teazles_ and _Sir Anthony
Absolutes_ of the old comedy require indispensably the resources
of the old art, and no thin, water-gruel realism, so-called, can
personate them. In avoiding the declamatory Kembletonianism of the old
school, our actors are right enough; but they cannot safely disregard
the skill which sharpens and chisels, as it were, the sentences; nor
forego the care, study, precision and stern adherence to rules of art,
that marked the old stage."
Steeped in such belief, it is small wonder that two of Bunce's plays
had characteristics in them to suit a member of the Wallack family.
And being such a lover of old English Comedy accounts for some of the
spirit of "Love in '76."
His plea, sound in its fundamental championing of the best that has
been on our stage, might well be heeded at this time (1920). It is a
strong valuation of tradition--the jade who is looked at askance by
the amateur players of the "little theatres," and too exacting for the
average player on the professional stage.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25