Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1912 — Act Without Words [ARTICLE]

Act Without Words

Old Art of Pantomime Has Gained in Popularity. George L. Fox and "Humpty Dumpty” Recalled—London’s Regular Annual Revival—ls a Novelty In America;

New York.—Gesture—the refinement of action—is perhaps the oldest form of expressing emotion, and just now there seems to be a tendency to revive the old art of pantomime. With the English the pantomime play Is an institution, with Americans ft is almost a novelty. Our older generation of theater-goers, however, can recall “Humpty Dumpty," In which Goody Two-Shoes, Old One-Two, Tommy Tucker and Humpty Dumpty became famous. “For tho’ true love ne’er did run smooth, I’m told. All will end well where true hearts, like yours, are gold." What a satisfying couplet to come from a fairy queen after the opening vicissitudes of the wordless play. Perrot, Arlecchino, Pantalene and Columbine were ' characters in Italian masque plays of the middle ages. An incoherent plot was strung together to embrace acrobatics and ballet dancing. It was 400 years later that the descendants of the Italian quartet appeared before an American audience. Plots of the older plays were simple and fantastic. Without speech there must be swiftness of action to sustain interest The story of "Humpty Dumpty.” whose popularity began In the spring of 1868, when George L. Fox played the great clown at the Olympic theater in this city, is a good example of pantomimic plot. Goody and Tommy were rustic lovers and were forced to make love In secret. Old One-Two was the guardian of Goody, and at the beginning of the play comes upon the pair and threatens punishment Humpty appears to

take away the ugly guardian in his w heel barrow. - Then the good fairy appears to deliver her hopeful couplet about true love and changes the characters Into Columbine, Pantaloon, Harlequin and Clown. Tommy Tucker becomes the Harlequin, garbed in scales of yellow, symbolizing jealousy, blue for love, red for passion, black for death. Harlequin Is given a magic hat and a mask to make him invincible. Old One-Two, for offense against true love, is put in the power of Humpty’s tricks, Humpty becoming the Mown of the harlequinade. Such was Humpty, who has gone where. v “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Can never put Humpty together again.” Pantomime is a distinctly different art from that of acting. Some of the clowns of the day who are pantomimists are Adams, Ravel, Melville, Marceline, Mlaco. A pointed finger must often tell the whole story. The most difficult task in pantomime Is to mimic animals. The animal costume does not suffice. A dose study of animal movements Is necessary. Without speech an actor Is wholly ineffective unless he can express his thought and emotion by facial expression, manner and gesture. The niceties and gradations of feeling until lately have not been considered within the province of pantomimists. Pantomimic acting has been "broad” to the point of bad art The art It Is said, never gained permanent favor because of the very,fact that It lacked the resources of suggestion.