Life — March 27, 1902 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A |Real Conversation with William Archer. By Watrter Sartre. VW, 8: Good morning, Mr. Archer. * W. A.: Good morning, Mr. Satyr. W.S.: I suppose, Mr. Archer, that, inasmuch as you are the origina- tor of the Real Conversation as a welcome variant on the old review, which, of course, would hardly have been consonant with the dignity of so distinguished a man of letters as yourself, you will have no objection to talking for publication through me in your most realistic style. W. A.: Certainly not, my dear Mr. Satyr. Indeed, I am most glad , of the opportunity it will afford me— W. 8. (interrupting): I was sure you would be. Now, of course, you understand the method of procedure. Iam to do most of the talking. I am to ask all the leading questions and answer them myself, to propose the final propositions and all that, and you won't mind being interrupted oc- casionally when a clever thought strikes me while you are having your say. For I surely do not need to remind you that it is the interviewer who is the important person in the Real Conversation, and that the person interviewed is merely a foil Lo set off to advantage his cleverness. Am I not right, sir? W. A. (rather restive): Why, yes, but— W. 8: Thank you. Mr. Archer, that is the way I want you to answer. I shall, perhaps, give you an opportunity to make a longer speech a little later when the proprieties have been provided for. W. A. (subsiding, but rather defiant): Well? W. S.: Yes, well? (pointedly) I said when the proprietics had been provided for. Haven't you forgotten something? Ab, then I must remind you. Shouldn't you—ah, eh—offer me a cigar? Professor Masson offered you one, you know. W. A.: A thousand pardons (fumbling in his waisteoat pocket and producing tuo stogies). W.8.: Thanks (lighting). Ah, (puffing) a true Scotch weed—redolent of Auld Reekie. And now for our interview. You see I have come a long way to find you. It is a pity you hadn't devised the Real Conversation when you came to America several years ago. Then I could have caught you on American soil, have received some fresh impressions— W.A. (with hauteur): Do you mean to insinuate that my impressions are not still fresh at the present moment? Do you not know that fresh- ness is my main attribute— W. 8.: Yes, yes, Mr. Archer, we all know that you are the freshest man —of—letters in the world{to-day. But we are forgetting our agree- ment. You had an agreeable visit then? W. A.: Very. I was with my friend Mat- thews— W. 8.: Brander, we call him. A very good story I heard about you in that connection, too. I am told you and Brander were talking of the dra- ma and of dramatic criticism—a hobby with you both, I believe—and that you chanced to remark, “ Well, after all, there are only three critics in the world who really know anything about the drama on its artistic side. Poor Sarcey{was one, you areanother, Matthews— ” but you didn’t say who the third was, W. A. (blushing): If that is the way you beard it, [take it Matthews told you himself, for he, and not I, was the one who made the remark. W.8.; At any rate, noone will deny your right tothe third place. By the way, how is the drama doing these days? W. A.: Poorly, poorly. My Independent Theatre scheme is as far from realization as ever. We hare some hopes, however, that King Edward will interest himself in the matter. He has always paid a great deal of attention tothe best kind of plays— W.S.: Players, too. W. A.: And he recently had one of your American companies out at Windsor to perform comicbooks.com