STAGE ILLUSION

APLAYissaidtohewellorillactedinproportiontothescenicalillusionproduced.Whethersuchillusioncaninanycasebeperfect,isnotthequestion.Thenearestapproachtoit,wearetold,is,whentheactorappearswhollyunconsciousofthepresenceofspectators.Intragedy——inallwhichistoaffectthefeelings——thisundividedattentiontohisstagebusiness,seemsindispensable.Yetitis,infact,dispensedwitheverydaybyourcleveresttragedians;andwhilethesereferencestoanaudience,intheshapeofrantorsentiment,arenottoofrequentorpalpable,asufficientquantityofillusionforthepurposesofdramaticinterestmaybesaidtobeproducedinspiteofthem.But,tragedyapart,itmaybeinquiredwhether,incertaincharactersinedy,especiallythosewhicharealittleextravagant,orwhichinvolvesomenotionrepugnanttothemoralsense,itisnotaproofofthehighestskillintheedianwhen,withoutabsolutelyappealingtoanaudience,hekeepsupatacitunderstandingwiththem;andmakesthem,unconsciouslytothemselves,apartyinthescene.Theutmostnicetyisrequiredinthemodeofdoingthis;butwespeakonlyofthegreatartistsintheprofession.

Themostmortifyinginfirmityinhumannature,tofeelinourselves,ortocontemplateinanother,is,perhaps,cowardice.Toseeacowarddonetothelifeuponastagewouldproduceanythingbutmirth.YetwemostofusrememberJackBannisterscowards.Couldanythinghemoreagreeable,morepleasant?Welovedtherogues.Howwasthiseffectedbutbytheexquisiteartoftheactorinaperpetualsub-insinuationtous,thespectators,evenintheextremityoftheshakingfit,thathewasnothalfsuchacowardaswetookhimfor?Wesawallthemonsymptomsofthemaladyuponhim;thequiveringlip,thecoweringknees,theteethchattering;andcouldhavesworn"thatmanwasfrightened."Butweforgotallthewhile——orkeptitalmostasecrettoourselves——thatheneveroncelosthisself-possession;thatheletoutbyathousanddrolllooksandgestures——meantatus,andnotatallsupposedtobevisibletohisfellowsinthescene,thathisconfidenceinhisownresourceshadneveroncedesertedhim.Wasthisagenuinepictureofacoward?ornotratheralikeness,whichthecleverartistcontrivedtopalmuponusinsteadofanoriginal;whilewesecretlyconnivedatthedelusionforthepurposeofgreaterpleasure,thanamoregenuinecounterfeitingoftheimbecility,helplessness,andutterself-desertion,whichweknowtoheconitantsofcowardiceinreallife,couldhavegivenus?

Whyaremiserssohatefulintheworld,andsoendurableonthestage,butbecausetheskilfulactor,byasortofsub-reference,ratherthandirectappealtous,disarmsthecharacterofagreatdealofitsodiousness,byseemingtoengageourpassionfortheinsecuretenurebywhichheholdshismoneybagsandparchments?Bythissubtleventhalfofthehatefulnessofthecharacter——theself-closenesswithwhichinreallifeitcoilsitselfupfromthesympathiesofmen——evaporates.Themiserbeessympathetic;i.e.isnogenuinemiser.Hereagainadivertinglikenessissubstitutedforaverydisagreeablereality.

Spleen,irritability——thepitiableinfirmitiesofoldmen,whichproduceonlypaintobeholdintherealities,counterfeiteduponastage,divertnotaltogetherfortheicappendagestothem,butinpartfromaninnerconvictionthattheyarebeingactedbeforeus;thatalikenessonlyisgoingon,andnotthethingitself.Theypleasebybeingdoneunderthelife,orbesideit;nottothelife.WhenGattyactsanoldman,isheangryindeed?,oronlyapleasantcounterfeit,justenoughofalikenesstorecognise,withoutpressinguponustheuneasysenseofreality?

Comedians,paradoxicalasitmayseem,maybetoonatural.Itwasthecasewithalateactor.NothingcouldbemoreearnestortruethanthemannerofMr.Emery;thistoldexcellentlyinhisTyke,andcharactersofatragiccast.Butwhenhecarriedthesamerigidexclusivenessofattentiontothestagebusiness,andwilfulblindnessandoblivionofeverythingbeforethecurtainintohisedy,itproducedaharshanddissonanteffect.HewasoutofkeepingwiththerestofthePersonaeDramatis.Therewasaslittlelinkbetweenhimandthemasbetwixthimselfandtheaudience.Hewasathirdestate,dry,repulsive,andunsocialtoall.Individuallyconsidered,hisexecutionwasmasterly.Butedyisnotthisunbendingthingforthisreason,thatthesamedegreeofcredibilityisnotrequiredofitastoseriousscenes.Thedegreesofcredibilitydemandedtothetwothingsmaybeillustratedbythedifferentsortoftruthwhichweexpectwhenamantellsusamournfuloramerrystory.Ifwesuspecttheformeroffalsehoodinanyonetittle,werejectitaltogether.Ourtearsrefusetoflowatasuspectedimposition.Butthetellerofamirthfultalehaslatitudeallowedhim.Wearecontentwithlessthanabsolutetruth.`Tisthesamewithdramaticillusion.Weconfessweloveinedytoseeanaudiencenaturalisedbehindthescenes,takeninintotheinterestofthedrama,weledasby-standershowever.Thereissomethingungraciousinaicactorholdinghimself,alooffromallparticipationorconcernwiththosewhoareetobedivertedbyhim.Macbethmustseethedagger,andnoearbuthisownbetoldofit;butanoldfoolinfarcemaythinkheseessomething,andbyconsciouswordsandlooksexpressit,asplainlyashecanspeak,topit,box,andgallery.Whenanimpertinentintragedy,anOsric,forinstance,breaksinupontheseriouspassionsofthescene,weapproveofthecontemptwithwhichheistreated.Butwhenthepleasantimpertinentofedy,inapiecepurelymeanttogivedelight,andraisemirthoutofwhimsicalperplexities,worriesthestudiousmanwithtakinguphisleisure,ormakinghishousehishome,thesamesortofcontemptexpressed(howevernatural)woulddestroythebalanceofdelightinthespectators.Tomaketheintrusionic,theactorwhoplaystheannoyedmanmustalittledesertnature;hemust,inshort,bethinkingoftheaudience,andexpressonlysomuchdissatisfactionandpeevishnessasisconsistentwiththepleasureofedy.Inotherwords,hisperplexitymustseemhalfputon.Ifherepeltheintruderwiththesobersetfaceofamaninearnest,andmoreespeciallyifhedeliverhisexpostulationsinatonewhichintheworldmustnecessarilyprovokeaduel;hisreal-lifemannerwilldestroythewhimsicalandpurelydramaticexistenceoftheothercharacter(whichtorenderiticdemandsanantagonisticalityonthepartofthecharacteropposedtoit),andconvertwhatwasmeantformirth,ratherthanbelief,intoadownrightpieceofimpertinenceindeed,whichwouldraisenodiversioninus,butratherstirpain,toseeinflictedinearnestuponanyunworthyperson.Averyjudiciousactor(inmostofhisparts)seemstohavefallenintoanerrorofthissortinhisplayingwithMr.WrenchinthefarceofFreeandEasy.

Manyinstanceswouldbetedious;thesemaysufficetoshowthaticactingatleastdoesnotalwaysdemandfromtheperformerthatstrictabstractionfromallreferencetoanaudience,whichisexactedofit;butthatinsomecasesasortofpromisemaytakeplace,andallthepurposesofdramaticdelightattainbyajudiciousunderstanding,nottooopenlyannounced,betweentheladiesandgentlemen——onbothsidesofthecurtain.