Bellombre, who was watching him critically, stopped him a moment, to
say: "You make a great mistake in attempting to suppress your natural
emotions; you should take care not to do it, for they produce a capital
effect, and you can create a new type of stage bully; when you have
gotten accustomed to this sort of thing, and no longer feel this burning
indignation, you must feign it. Strike out in a path of your own, and
you will be sure to attain success--far more so than if you attempt to
follow in another's footsteps. Fracasse, as you represent him, loves and
admires courage, and would fain be able to manifest it--he is angry
with himself for being such an arrant coward. When free from danger, he
dreams of nothing but heroic exploits and superhuman enterprises; but
when any actual peril threatens him, his too vivid imagination conjures
up such terrible visions of bleeding wounds and violent death that his
heart fails him. Yet his pride revolts at the idea of being beaten; for
a moment he is filled with rage, but his courage all disappears with the
first blows he receives, and he finally shows himself to be the poltroon
that he himself despises. This method it appears to me is far superior
to the absurd grimaces, trembling legs, and exaggerated gestures, by
which indifferent actors endeavour to excite the laughter of their
audience--but meantime lose sight entirely of their art.
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