Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-18
PLAYHOUSE TALK.
a CHAT WITH A CHARMING MEMBER
OF THE CONR led COMPANY.
"ossip Concerning Weil-Known People
julia Mariowe's Tmogen-wards and
Characterization for This Week.


GOSSIP Concerning weil-known People
Julia Mariowe's Tmogcn-wards and
Characterization for This Week.
1t Is not often that q Bohemisn-one Of
That hard-worked and often l-paid group
Oh men who, ~ the lateness OF the night.
srind out the articles that ill the columns
OK morning newspaper and that moro
fortunate people read at the breakfast
hour-sees or hears anything that is not
trite and commonplace. True, on rare oc-
caslons some poor wretch takes the life of
some other miserable being, and the re-
porter writes of the narrowing details; or. a
i"nway traln crusnes man into q shape
less mass Ut blood and flesh, and the re-
porter looks at the horrible remains and
describes; or, a tenement-house burns, and
the reporter tells Of the scene in INGRAM
NAUTICAL but forcible language-put unless
some God-send Of this kind comes to pass
the scribe is limited TO police-court
episodes, marriages, and political meet
ms Win an occasional dog-1ght thrown
IN.
1t was therefore an unusual event in my
reportorial career when l went to the
Theatre last Wednesday evening 10 pay a
WISH DehInd the scenes and interview
pretty woman.
lhe Conrled Opera Company was play
ing POOR Jonathan" and large audience
was listening 10 the woes OF the Unfortunate
@,.{ OF one Kubygold-as set 10 music by
Mllloecker.
BEHIND THE SCENES.
1t was just at the eui of the second act.
ne mae was being sung, Rubygold bad
departed, to jonathan ITipp's intense de-
HGht, and the mimic Monte-CarIo was re-
echoing with a stirring chorus. Ar the
curtain fell / knocked at the stage-door
ana was promptly adnitted-the wills
pered word, "a representative Of the Dis
rATCH,' seemed TO be an open sesame"
entered into region OF hustle and
confusion. Behind the curtain stage-hands
were banging scenery about, chorus-girls
were making up" in convenient corners,
musicians were lingering recalcltrant vio-
ms, hall dozen people We're uttering un-
intelligiole orders, and MacCollin, the
stage manager. had ceased TO be Johna-
IMAM lrlpp tor the moment and was seeing
mat the stage was being cleared for the
next act.
ALLoNs, TO THE CHARGE!
| might have interviewed MacCollin. l
suppose. If 1 had cared to. but | was on
another lay" as the law-abiding bur-
glar has 1t. l was bent upon Intervening
the bright particular star OF the company,
Miss Rita Selby.
found her presently. She was leaning
against one OF the wings, having already
changed her costume for the last act,
seemingly deeply interested IN the scene
that was being enacted before her eyes.
AT my approach she half turned and bent
upon me a pair of beautiful dark eyes
which expressed an unspoken question.
| fancy that II her eyes had spoken they
would have SAID: "Ah you are news
paper man-ycur ar of perfect dpiornb
tells me that--Dut what are you doing
here!"
ROW THE YOUNG SINGER LOOKED.
As the Young singer stood there in par
tial shadow could not help thinking that
the air of reserve and hauteur With which
she received me became her well. and III
the moment that went by before she put
her question into words 1 stole mental
snapshot" with the two little kodaks 1
carry IN my face. saw light, slender,
glrish figure, rarely-moulded head. which
was set firmly upon pair OF dIInpled
shoulders, face whose features might
have been stolen from some antique
stature--a face which had borrowed Tor
the noIce the carnIne tints of an October
sunset, and was shaded by tangie Of dark
brown rluglets. Ihls was the mental pno-
tograph | drew; il pleased NE, and think
IL would have pleased any other man who
might have stood III my shoes just then.
10 what am | indebtcd?" sne asked.
and while she asked the question, saw b.
her ewes that she had already answered 1t
herself.
1 told her that was not an ordinary
specimen of the genus nNrspGp1-mGn, that
| had not come TO pry into her past and
her present--and then | Immediately COM
menced 10 write myself down casuist,
and ked q hundred questions IL as many
seconds.
INTERMITTENT srAGE-FEvER.
Gradually | persuaded her to unbosom
herself TO me, and then l listened TO an ill.,
gemous tale that was told with charming
,dlree and perhaps "a little maldeuly diff
she said III Philadelphia. her home. 1t
was the Old. old stOry-love of the stage
and ambition. A girl who wanted to be-
come q cantetrIce. and u sober Quaker
grandmoth her who looked upon the mask
and buskln with apprehension and abhor-
renee. But the Girl lad her way (as girls
always do and made her dctrH III the " Lit
tie Tycoon company as al under-study
for the part of Dolle. She remained on
the stage for but few months, however,
and then yielded to the wishes of her rela-
tives and returned to the bum-drum life OF
a qulet home for two years. But when the
two wears had rolled away the fever re-
turned. and Miss Selby went back to
opera-this time for good and all. She now
was regularly IN the cashier hrsi part
being katisns in the "Mikado." A short
time later she joined the " Said Pasha 1"
troupe, and afterwards went with the Dun
company. Last season she was engaged
/ by Herman COnreid to sing the leading
roles in his opera company, and now Is the
most valuable member of that organlza-
ton.
she told me that her lite had been al
most without incident. and that there was
little to speak Of besides rehearsais by DAY
and performances by night. and railway
iourpeys. with their coal-dust and cinder
accompaniment.
REFINED OPERA SINGERS.
Life in the Conreid Company is very
pleasant, she intlmates. There are many
retined people i'll both cast and chorus
Aldrich Libby and his wife, Mr.. MacCol-
lin, Miss Hall, the billiards. and the Rem
inptous. The last named. she told me, are
the wife and daughter OF prominent aud
wealthy citizen of Cleveland, o. The
dsuputer IS another sufferer from stage
fever, who is rubbing the greenneSs on IN
the Conreid chorus, and her mother, with
true maternal sollcitude, travels with her.
| asked Miss Selby If she did not IND IT
| disapreeab bic going alone TO and from the
theatres through unfamiliar streets. Yes,
it is disagreea6le," she replied, "acutey
so; for though my mother. who always
| travels with me, often accompanies me TO
end from the theatres, / OH frequently
compelled to make the trip by myself.
asked her if the women of travelling
companies were not often annoyed oy some
of those strange creatures calied mash-
ers'" At TINS the young prima donna
. sighed: "Ah, the poor girls of the chorus
have q time Of 1t. Many men seem to think think
that their only object IL walking nome
alone IS 10 attract the attention OF gentle
men and do not hesitate to Insult them.
II is very hard, think, that these poor
Girls who are trying TO win their bread ID
an honorable way should not nave the
sympathy of oil men,"
BROADWAY EXPERIENCE.
| questioned her whether any experience
| o,,6;a kind hsoever befallen her. Yes.
Che said, refectivelv. Once, IN New