The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-19
MADAME JANE HADING
Next to Bernhardt the Most
Famous French Actress.
RARE TALENT, DAZZLING BEAUTY
A Visit to Her Home in Paris-What
She Thinks of the Profession
aud of Audiences.

PARIS, June Especial correspond
ence, After Sarah Bernhardt, Jane Had
ing is the most famous ana noteworthy
actress France has produced during she
last thirty years Great talent joined to
exceptional dazzling beauty is so rare %
to be in itself singular thing. and she
possesses both. Although she has made
many friends abroad and been royalty re-
ceived IN both Great Britain and America,
her heart is ever IN Paris, and she is never
50 happy as when acting some sympa-
thetic part in some Boulevard theater
within half an hours drive of the Bots de
Boulogne. Living a qaiet home life with
her mother in a pretty little apartment
situated in the Boulevard DIES Batignoles,
her own mother is ever her closest COM
panion and friend. The surest way to
James heart, so her comrades will tell
You, is TO pay court to the fine looking Old
lady who is so justly proud of ma fiie.
The sitting-room in which the great
actress receives her visitors reflects the
habits and tastes of the occupant. A long
piano is half-covered with richly en-
broidered cloth, on which stands number
OF photographs, old and new, souvenirs of
many chimes and many now vanished
comrades. big pot of Towering yellow
roses, not long arrived from sunny Monte
Carlo. I'LL the room with their subtle, deli
cate scent. 4 beautiful portrait of your
hostess as Claire de Beaulieu, her favorite
role in Ohnet's ''Ironmaster," is half-hd-
den by an old hrocaded screen of exquisite
Pompadour coloring and design. The log
fire burning in the open CRATE throws out
occasional bright sparks on the Turkey
rugs that lie all over the polished floors.
Madame Jane Hading wears indoors
loose, flowing tea gown composed of pale
pink and gold brocade, rutfles of old cob
web lace edge throat and sleeves, and a
JeWeled girdle confines the slender waist.
her bronze-colored hair, parted in the
middle, falls Clytie-wise in undulating
masses, and is fastened up in a heavy knot
on the nape OF the neck. When speaking
lights and shadows fit across her face,
and if the subject under discussion proves
exceptionally interesting, she emphasizes
her words by slight gestures.
"You wish me TO tell you what think of
the dramatic profession for women" she
exclaimed in answer to question
Would / recommend my own young girl
friends to become actresses? Yes and no.
No, if their life is not cast in theatrical
circles; yes, If they belong by family and
associations to the theater. You see,
myself was so entirely un infant de Ia bale
why, / made my debut at the age of in
the part of certain little Blanche de Cay
lus, which, as you may we'll imagine, did
not require much dramatic experience to
fulfill. The play was called lie Bossu'
('The Hunchback). and my own father
played the leading role"
But every one cannot start with such
advantages. madame?"
mo, and that is why | should never adj
wise young girl to join my profession if
any other were open to her. The life is
wearing, so wearing an actress must give
herself UP entirely to her art, she must
think of nothing else and, alas. care for
nothing else. Look at the day of even q
successful actress with plenty of money to
make ali things easy to her-hardly has
she finished her cup of coffee but she
must hurriedly dress and be Off TO re-
hearsal, then when at the theater comes
two or three hours of hard, anxious
work. After little lunch, for we
artists must diet ourselves carefully.
comes an hours rest, this is imperatively
necessary, rehearsals are SO fatigu-
ing Then endless visits to the cos
tumiere, milliners, jeweler. shoemaker
etc, etc, que sois-jef Toward evening
there are business calls, young authors 10
ne seen. new plays to be read. and friends
to be attended to. AT 1880 off to the
theater again and then at midnight home
az last! 1t is such wearing, fatiguing ex-
istence that l often wonder those who
have domestic ties to think about can get
through il at all.
But some consider themselves gifted
with an irresistible vocation?"
There is great deal of imagination in
these vocations. / consider that no one
can really tell what they can best do until
some accident reveals their special talent.
Look at my case! An early loye of music,
combined with a good voice, apparently
settled my career while l was still child.
Before | was 20 | had sung leading light
opera parts in Cairo Marseilles, Algiers,
Nice and other southern cities. My best
roles were Ianetta IN Coppee's Peasant"
Amaranthe in MADAME Angot" and
Pedro in ''Girohe-Girotia.
And do you think that any of your
success as comedienne is due TO that early
work, madame?"
Eyes; all round operate training is
help to any actress. because eacn opera re-
quires such q different style of acting as
we'll as singing. The secret of our art is
the power of changing our mental atmos-
phere-in other words, excessive adapta-
bility."
and how did you come to abandon
singing for acting?"
II am coming to that presently. Like
ell other provincial artists, / was anxious
to attempt La coaquete de Paris, but all
my friends declared that it would be Grim
Inal III me to abandon the field where |
had already considerable reputation, in
order to plunge, as so many provincial ac-
tresses did, into certain ruin. However.
the chance which they say the gods send
to every mortal once in their lives came at
last to me- The manager of the Paiais
Royal during two days stay III Mar
settles went to the theater and heard me
sing one Of my most popular roles. Before
the evening Was over | had signed an en-
later witnessed my debut in Partisan CON-
edy. But a singular thing occurred.
Jeanne Grassier, then singing La Petite
Mariec, Aicazar,' fell i'll. and koning
asked my manager to lend me for few
nights in order that she might be re-
placed. | was so successful in the part
that destiny seemed to force me back into
my Old career, and | successfully created
the light operate roles of La Jolie Per-
sane and Belle Lurette, indeed the
latter charming operetta was specially
written Tor me by Otfenbach himself; the
dear old man was ever very good to me
and used 10 call me Ia GrGuier du midi.
But | really preferred comedy to opera,
and all the evenings | did not sing saw me
at the Theater Francois watching my
more fortunate comrades act the classical
reportory of La Maison de Molers.'
And then came the Ironmaster2
Yes said Madame Hadlng. drawing
long breath then came lie Maitre des
Forges.' You know the story Of that ex-
traordinary book2 No? Then ] will tell
il 70 YOU Ohnet, the young delicate.