t to an individual night. Doubtless, even thus restricted,
it suggests that the player should make a remarkable series of
modifications in his methods which are not within the practical politics
of the stage; and, indeed, these remarks are pushed purposely too far in
order to draw attention to the fact that the actors are prone to
consider their own "reading" of a part without reference to the
audience, and even, in some cases, to the author. In other words, they
are misled by the delusive term "create," so often applied to acting as
well as to millinery. The word is inappropriate to the rapidly
evanescent. "Original interpreters" is the highest phrase that can be
justified.

These observations would be incomplete without some reference to more
material aspects of the "optics." For instance, one may comment on the
fact that, regardless of seating arrangements, which in almost every
theatre cause a considerable number of people to be unable to see the
exits on one side or the other, important business is often transacted
in the wings, to the intense annoyance of would-be spectators, who are
left out in the cold, and of course imagine that what they miss is the
plum of the play; also valuable scenes are sometimes played so far back
that people in the higher parts of the house are unable to see them
properly. This sounds perilously like an invitation to players to take
the centre of the stage close to the footlights, but of course the
matter is one of degree.

Yet, at the least, it must be urged that nothing, the exact
understanding of which is necessary to the audience, should happen much
on one side or very far back; to this may be added the suggestion,
hardly novel, that the first few minutes of each act should be confined
to immaterial affairs; blame the unpunctual--even if you blame unfairly,
since, as a rule, the _entr'acte_ warning bell is inaudible in most
parts of the theatre--but do not make the guiltless suffer by presenting
important matters during the time when the stage is half hidden by the
people struggling (through a passage as a rule shamefully narrow) to get
to their seats. Sardou's precepts may be pushed too far, and we do not
need a whole first act of nothing in particular, but facts should be
recognized and simple common-sense considered. There is always some
trouble during the first few minutes of each act.

Make-up

The word "make-up" is very ugly, but seems irreplaceable, and therefore
is em