Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-20
THE TOPICAL TAtKER.
Behind the Act Drop at the Theater There
is a Dark ContInent-Come, Let o.


is a Dark ContInent-Come, Let o.
Explore IL.
CRoss1Ne the stage of theater when there
is only the curtain between one and the
audience has had no delights for me since ]
saw brother writer, who was talking to a
pretty soubrette about her aspirations and
other interesting things, in the center of the
stage was exposed suddenly to the view of 1000
or 1900 persons, among whom was his best girl
An impressionable headstrone beauty. The
curtain went up suddenly. Although I was
thinking Of my unfortunate friends fate did
cross the Bijou stage yesterday afternoon when
the drop-that is becoming, sad to say, a drop
too much-was down between acts II. and Ill
of The Honeym oon." The passage was un-
eventful; no envious stage hand tested the
strength of fat upon my person, and nothing
fell from the '.iies," where faded blue sky
and dingy stripes of ceiling tapped side by
side.
The palatial dressing room where stars OBJ
| scure their brilliancy for time only to re-
appear more dazzling than ever, is situated on
| the right side of the stage, and between the
! proscenium arch and the auditorium. 1t is a
beautiful room; its splendid equipment I can
hardly describe. You may catch some idea of
Its furnishing when 1 tell you that MisS Mar
| garet Mather's first words, or nearly her first
when we entered the room were: well. gen.
| tlemen, hope you don't mind sitting on
trunks"-and she herself and her dresser were
standing. But what is chair after all but
luxury for which our ancestors. Mr.. Darwin
| assures us, had no manner of use.
SsR
| pREsU MING. then. that you are not particular
about chair-stay, Miss Mather's dresser
has unearthed one which was hidden by long
trained dress-you can get good look at Miss
Mathar1a do hafO nd
there's more light in the room than anything
else, excepting stage costumes which are all
over the place. If you saw her last year you
will remark that she is looking better now than
she did then. She is slighter by good deal.
"Oh. as to The Honeymoon, " she says, II en-
Joy playing it as a change and relief from the
heavier plays in my repertoire"
How long have you been playing Juliet. Miss
Mather?"
Between seven and eight years-and it sstill
apparently the part the public likes best to see
me in. You know am Juliet four times this
week. Yes, 1 enjoy Shakespeare's unhappy
heroine still. But, am glad I am to
drop Romeo and Juliet next season. 1
want to study the character - and to im-
prove myself in it; it is impossible for
me to do this satisfactorily while am playing
Juliet all the time. A character gets like gar
ment after you've been in it worn il, good while;
it takes on the creases of your own fgere, your
own ideal, and you can't mend it or reshape it
while it's on your back. But shall never get
tired of Juliers love story"
PHYsIcALLY Miss Mather is the very opposite
of Sara Bernhardt. In their dramatic work
the strongest similarity is visible in one direc-
tion at all events-whatever either of them |
takes to do she does with all her might. Per- |
baps the sympathy which exists between the |
Bernhardt and her American sister springs |
from the common intensity of their natures.
You think a great deal of Sara Bernhardt. |
don't you ?'
'Yes-she is wonderful actress, but beyond
and beside that like her as woman. She has
been very kind to me- 1 expect her to give me
no little help when I 60 over to Paris next
April to see her in her new play. Jean D'Arc,'
which am to produce IN this country next
season. When I saw Mile. Bernhardt last year
in Paris she it was who proposed that some day
we should play Romeo and Juliet together
Bernhardt to be Romeo. She writes me that
she is studying English hard now. to fit herself
for the attempt believe that we shall COM
bine forces next year."
"And as to Jean D'Arc ?"
From what have learned of the play and
my part in it, I am encouraged to believe that
j oan of Arc as 1 shall name it. will appeal
shall have the advantage OF seeing the divine
Sara in the title role at the Porte st. Martin
rheater in Paris this spring, and all the origin
Il properties and scenery of what is called
most elaborate production will be mine also
say like the part as I understand it now, and
am studying every book relating to Joan of
Arc that can buy"
1t does seem likely that "Joan Of Arc" when
t is produced for its initial run at the new
Madison Square Garden Theater, New York.
will be remarkable event at the birth of next
eason.
: SoMEBoDY wrote to THE DISPATCH day or
two ago asking what color Miss Mathers
yes were. Even the editor of the Mail
'ouch" was staggered. Yesterday during our /
ete-a-tete, tried hard to find the answer for
HE DIsPATCH's correspondents. 1t was no use.
III that mortal man could tell in the glare of
he gas light was that Miss Mather's eyes were
arge and wonderfully bright. So asked her
he question plumply. +.
She laughed as she replied; my eyes seem
o puzzle people. Last summer sat for my por- !
rait to a notable painter, never got good :
ook at the picture till 1t was done. Then the
rtist brought it into strong light for me to
ee. At the first glance noticed that the eyes .
Yere blue, deeply but vividly blue. Sir, said L
You have given me blue eyes-yOu are kinder 7
han nature
He looked hard at my eyes and still asked, | =
are they not bluef'
mo, sir" said, they are brown. uumistak- v
bly, brown. though dark in tone"-and SO they Q
re- And as her cue was called and she said ;
oodby. she added: ''and if anyone asks what Il
Olor my hair is-sNy, please say it is brown, no t
n uhurn-no brownrn Z