The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson . dramatic art fall intothe error of teaching too much. The pupil shouldfirst be allowed to exhibit his quality, and so teachthe teacher what to teach. This course wouldanswer the double purpose of first revealing howmuch the pupil is capable of learning, and, what isstill more important, of permitting him to displayhis powers untrammeled. Whereas, if the masterbegins by pounding his dogmas into the student,the latter becomes environed by a foreign influencewhich, if repugnant to his nature, may smotherhis ability. It is necessary to be cautious in studyin
The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson . dramatic art fall intothe error of teaching too much. The pupil shouldfirst be allowed to exhibit his quality, and so teachthe teacher what to teach. This course wouldanswer the double purpose of first revealing howmuch the pupil is capable of learning, and, what isstill more important, of permitting him to displayhis powers untrammeled. Whereas, if the masterbegins by pounding his dogmas into the student,the latter becomes environed by a foreign influencewhich, if repugnant to his nature, may smotherhis ability. It is necessary to be cautious in studying elocu-tion and gesticulation, lest they become our mastersinstead of our servants. These necessary but dan-p-erous ing^redients must be administered and takenin homeopathic doses, or the patient may die bybeinsf over-stimulated. But even at the riskof being artificial, it is better to have studiedthese arbitrary rules than to enter a professionwith no knowledo-e whatever of its instinct is so implanted in humanity. CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN. OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 449 that it sometimes misleads us, fostering the ideathat because we have the natural talent within,we are equally endowed with the power ofbringing it out. This is the common error, therock on which the histrionic aspirant is oftenestwrecked. Very few actors succeed who crawl intothe service through the cabin windows; andif they do it is a lifelong regret with them thatthey did not exert their courage and sail at firstbefore the mast. Many of the shining lights who now occupy thehighest positions on the stage, and whom the publicvoice delights to praise, have often appeared in thedreaded character of omnes, marched in proces-sions, sung out of tune in choruses, and shoutedthemselves hoarse for Brtitus and Mark Antony. If necessity Is the mother of invention, she Isthe foster-mother of art, for the greatest actorsthat ever lived have drawn their early nourish-ment from her breast. We learn our professionby t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectjeffers, bookyear1890
