The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-05-03
Anna Dickinson on Herself.

Anna Dickinson who has assumed
he rote of Anna Boleyn in her own
play of tho Grown of Thorns has
takon up arms against tho host of
critics who pronounce her u failure.
Here is how she unburdcned herself
to Now York World reporter a
few days since:
81 would rather play before Now
York audience than any other audi>
ence in the country. It is composed
of old playgoers. They have seen
everything; they know how to COM
pare and appreciate, and consequent
ly are largcr~minded and moro gene
rous than a provincial audience.
AS for the New Yorlt papers, they
did not let me go forth to find my
level, and climb if I could. On the
contrary, they digged me pit, put
me IN it, pulled up the ladder, and
left me to get out the best way I
could. [ was told That I was ugly,
that 1 was awkward, that was middle
aged. Now I never was d raving
beauty. Indeed, there is no one
more conscious of her personal
defects than I. I became so sensi-
tive after those unkind things which
were spread from one end of the
country to the other, that when I
came to go before my audiences I
was filled with horror. On present
ing myself to them I would say to
myself, you must do it, and literal
ly would lift myself up by the hair
of my head and set myself down
before the footlights as Auna
:boleym. You have probably seen a
lot of rubbishing stuff about my love
scenes? And you do not take
kindly to them perhaps. Naturally
L am not a demonstrative person,
but on the stage I am not Anna
Dickinson~I am 1ana Boleyn."
Ii do not take kindly to having
man arm around my waist, on the
stage, certainly expect to do all
that is required of me in love-malz-
ing. But even the actors have
heard so much of this thing that
they think Miss Dickinson is
touch"mc~not, and scarcely meets
the actual demands of the stage and
with about as much passion as is in
that claretbottlc. Now, as to the
charge that I am middle-aged
When you have made woman an
antiquity, all is said. 1t is certain
that l. am not as young as [ was ten
years ago, and of course not so nt.
tractivc, but [ am not a middle
aged woman. 1t is unfortunate, it
seems, that I went into public life
50 young. L have marked porson-
allty, certain movements, ways of
using my hands, and peculiarities
which are q part Of my identity.
Now, if were another person they
would be part of my stock in trade
AS for me, having so thoroughly
traversed the country, every man,
woman and child has become so
familiar with my ways that whom
they sec me on the stage they OK
claim, oh, that's Anna Dickinson
it's her voice that is tho way she
always used her hands'-and that
they recognize me is assumed as Oh
indication that cannot act-I am
still Anna Dickinson. And the
critics have made the most of this.
1 am sure would succeed for this
reason better with m audience to
whom was entirely unknown"
DO you think of going to Eng
land?"
"Alr. Mills, an Englishman, on
the Globe-Densocrat OF st. Louis,
spoke to me of that. He said I
would succeed far better with M
audience which is not always CON-
pairing me with myself.
"But my play All, I I'm not
bit modest about my play I know
it is good play, and it has borne
the test. Wherever have staid q
week my audiences have increased
steadily to the last. Yet the critics
damned my play last spring as
heartily rs they did me. So, per-
haps, they have made mistake even
about mo. But I have had to
amplify all the speeches. The play
Monday night is in many respects
now"
"You have another play, have you
not ?"
eyes; but L do not know that it
will be brought out now. Of
course, manager wants q play to
run as long as it will"