按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
direct。 To be plain； for the sake of those unfamiliar with the sports of the
village； the rider in a donkey race may； and does； cudgel the mounts of his
rivals。
Consider； therefore； how encouraging the prospect really is。 The
individual actor may fail … in fact； he must。 Where two people ride
together on horseback； the married have ever been warned； one must ride
behind。 And when two people are speaking slowly one must needs be the
slowest。 Comparative success implies the comparative failure。 But
where this actor or that actress fails； the great cause of slowness profits；
obviously。 The record is advanced。 Pshaw！ the word 〃advanced〃 comes
unadvised to the pen。 It is difficult to remember in what a fatuous
theatrical Royal Presence one is doing this criticism； and how one's words
should go backwards； without exception； in homage to this symbol of a
throne。
It is not long since there took place upon the principal stage in London
the most important event in donkey…racing ever known until that first night。
A tragedian and a secondary actor of renown had a duet together。 It was
in 〃The Dead Heart。〃 No one who heard it can possibly have yet
forgotten it。 The two men used echoes of one another's voice； then
outpaused each other。 It was a contest so determined； so unrelaxed； so
deadly； so inveterate that you might have slept between its encounters。
You did sleep。 These men were strong men； and knew what they wanted。
It is tremendous to watch the struggle of such resolves。 They had their
purpose in their grasp； their teeth were set； their will was iron。 They
were foot to foot。
And next morning you saw by the papers that the secondary； but still
renowned； actor； had succeeded in sharing the principal honours of the
piece。 So uncommonly well had he done； even for him。 Then you
understood that； though you had not known it； the tragedian must have
been beaten in that dialogue。 He had suffered himself in an instant of
weakness； to be stimulated； he had for a moment … only a moment … got on。
That night was influential。 We may see its results everywhere； and
especially in Shakespeare。 Our tragic stage was always … well； different；
30
… Page 31…
THE COLOUR OF LIFE
let us say … different from the tragic stage of Italy and France。 It is now
quite unlike； and frankly so。 The spoilt tradition of vitality has been
explicitly abandoned。 The interrupted one waits； no longer with a roving
eye； but with something almost of dignity； as though he were fulfilling
ritual。
Benvolio and Mercutio outlag one another in hunting after the leaping
Romeo。 They call without the slightest impetus。 One can imagine how
the true Mercutio called … certainly not by rote。 There must have been
pauses indeed； brief and short…breath'd pauses of listening for an answer；
between every nickname。 But the nicknames were quick work。 At the
Lyceum they were quite an effort of memory： 〃Romeo！ Humours！
Madman！ Passion！ Lover！〃
The actress of Juliet； speaking the words of haste； makes her audience
wait to hear them。 Nothing more incongruous than Juliet's harry of
phrase and the actress's leisure of phrasing。 None act； none speak； as
though there were such a thing as impulse in a play。 To drop behind is the
only idea of arriving。 The nurse ceases to be absurd； for there is no one
readier with a reply than she。 Or； rather； her delays are so altered by
exaggeration as to lose touch with Nature。 If it is ill enough to hear haste
drawled out； it is ill； too； to hear slowness out…tarried。 The true nurse of
Shakespeare lags with her news because her ignorant wits are easily astray；
as lightly caught as though they were light； which they are not； but the
nurse of the stage is never simply astray： she knows beforehand how long
she means to be； and never； never forgets what kind of race is the race she
is riding。 The Juliet of the stage seems to consider that there is plenty of
time for her to discover which is slain … Tybalt or her husband； she is sure
to know some time； it can wait。
A London success； when you know where it lies； is not difficult to
achieve。 Of all things that can be gained by men or women about their
business； there is one thing that can be gained without fear of failure。
This is time。 To gain time requires so little wit that； except for
competition； every one could be first at the game。 In fact； time gains itself。
The actor is really not called upon to do anything。 There is nothing；
accordingly； for which our actors and actresses do not rely upon time。
31
… Page 32…
THE COLOUR OF LIFE
For humour even； when the humour occurs in tragedy； they appeal to time。
They give blanks to their audiences to be filled up。
It might be possible to have tragedies written from beginning to end
for the service of the present kind of 〃art。〃 But the tragedies we have are
not so written。 And being what they are； it is not vivacity that they lose
by this length of pause； this length of phrasing； this illimitable
tiresomeness； it is life itself。 For the life of a scene conceived directly is
its directness； the life of a scene created simply is its simplicity。 And
simplicity； directness； impetus； emotion； nature fall out of the trailing；
loose； long dialogue； like fish from the loose meshes of a net … they fall out；
they drift off； they are lost。
The universal slowness； moreover； is not good for metre。 Even when
an actress speaks her lines as lines； and does not drop into prose by
slipping here and there a syllable； she spoils the tempo by inordinate
length of pronunciation。 Verse cannot keep upon the wing without a
certain measure in the movement of the pinion。