Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-15
AN HOUR WITH MOOJESKA.
a Delightful chat With the Charm
In. Actress Sensible Talk Con
ccrn:ng Real LIE.
arv Jane" in Co,Irier-Journal |


l"Mary Jane in Courier-Journall
1t was on a murky, ugly afternoon, a
real Cincinnati dirtv-day, which cannot
he appreciated unless seen, and the
more seen the less appreciated it is. and
We went down to the Burnct house en-.
cascd in umbrellas, gossamcrs and the
Grunts.
We sent up our cards. and IN q few
minutes We're conducted to tie famous
suite, occupied in wears PAST by Sontag
Nilsson, Nelson, Jenny Lind, and
where, last year. | was so delightfully."-
enter. aimed by Miss Mary Anderson,
and there we found Modjeska, her hus-
band and Il lady of our acquaintance
were seated about little table. The
count rose to meet us. was presented
to madame la countesse, WHO shook
hands with n real, g Oh o!d fashioned
hnnd-Silake, an! III Il minute was at the
table talking and being talked to. as
though We had known each other since
childhood.
(which of your plays do you like
bes,. lGadame?" kel Dickev.
None of them: none of them. Tn
tired of it all, and want to rest. / like
to play, but | don't like the rehearsals. "
and her fine face showed a WEAKNESS
which made me think of tired child
looking for its mother.
The houses have not been good in
Cincinnati, anl You are depressed, y
said her husband. when the clouds
are dispellcd ana the sun shines it will
be quite different" And we all laughed
over her woes; and she Ian .hcd, too.
and told MS how lonesome it was at the
matinee, and how, If il had not been for
few familiar faces. she would hardly
have had heart to 90 through her lines.
The conver 'ation drifted along in a
delightfully."- aimesl way, full of inter-
est, as would he the tloltinr down n
river winding among bcautful hills and
dividing lovely valleys. carried along
by the current whittier it would
Finally ModjeSka's own work came ND.
and gracefully and without cgotism she
talked of it. 1t happened that "Frou-
From was the play spoken of, and
Dickey said:
do You think, madame. that Frou
Frou loved her husband? Do you play
it with this feeling?"
"Oh, no." she answered. "Frou
frou was spoiled girl. who knew
nothing but to he loved. Careless and
thou@htless she went about until Louise
came upon the scene. and she thought
Eer husband loved her sister. think
she loved her child as result of in
strnct, but her snrro ln;lings and her as
sociatcs led her away from all sucb
thoughts. When at las: she left her
home it was not done thou III jealousy.
but anger and for spite, and she at
once realized what she had done, and
tie woman, wife AMI mother Ieveloped
in her, but too late to repair the wrong
she had done. She was still From
Frou, however. and in the death agony
the same spirit was with her. and she
was but child"
DO you play those parts with other
than the feeling of the artist 2" asked
Dickey.
Not always; hut sometimes one
can not help but feel what enc is
doing"
What of the effect of applause and
good audiences?" asked Mrs. W.
They are much, very much"
"Do you approve of recalls? Don't
You think they spoil the illusion pro.
duced by the play?" said I.
mo, indeed. appreciate the COM
pliment and like it. l think the illu.
sion is mostly gone when the curtain
goes down. and the appearance of the
player after that has no bad stfects 7
do not, however, approve of recalls dur
ing an act"
How do American audiences com.
pare with foreign audiences in enthu-
siastic demonstrations 2" asked Dickev
Not at all. Why, when made nv
first appearance in San Francisco. /
was told that such applause was rare
and could scarcely understand that
! had not made u failure In England
audiences are cold, but l received five
recalls i'll London; in Dublin it was aI-
most like home; in France audiences
are less demonstrative, but in italy and
in Poland, especially, they are wild
One night | was recalled twenty two
times, and was so tired that / had to
have chair on the stage and finally /
had to ask the manager not to let the
curtain be rung mp again. That was n
little too much, but it was very flatter-
ing
We spoke of Mary Anderson. and I
told her how | met her in that room
and how cordial she was Modieska
praised her greatly, and the count dwelt
glowingly upon her beauty. They had
seen her in London, and asked if she
thought the fair Kentuckian was cold
Is the critics had pronounced her to be.
"No woman is cold" she said. Though
/ think one must know something of
the feelings she would portray to do it
with the best effect. No girl who is
perfect in her physical development
and is well and strong can be cold. 1t
is her nature to have n heart. and when
it is touched. then the feeling viii be
developed and her womanhood will be
beautiful. There is a right one some
place in the world, and when he comes
the coolest woman is warmed"
"Ah," slid young newspaper man
Just arrived. II think some girls are
awfully f., ezing cold. l have been
frozen olt more than once"
"Oh," laughed madame, that was be.
cause You were the wrong one, that's
ALL
"Woe is me!' he sighed.
Love and friendship were discussed.
IL think" said Mrs. W.. that friend
ship with no thought of love can exist
between man and woman"
"a very young man and Young
woman ?" said l, in'errogatively.
"Well, no: not that kind" she said,
and they all smiled.
"The love of husband and wife"
said Modjeska, is the purest friendship,
and the husbands and wives ho are
friends, rs well as lovers, are the hap
piest."
Love is SELFISH" said I, "the highest
and best form of seltishness."
"Ye ," said the count, "it is"
Il know" said |, that woman who
is in love thinks first of her own happi-
ness, and what may he apparent sacri-
flee is her pleasure. She cant be happy
only in heing miserable for one she
loves. Her loyeis subjective as much as
it Is objective"