The morning call., 1893-01-15

fair for the benefit of the Home for the
Orphans of Dramatic Artists. The booths
will be presided over by ladies with cele-
brated names, and it is to be hoped that
money will pour into the Golfers OF this in
stitution. whose president is Nine. Marie
Laurent. Nine. Laurent, who On the stage
has for years played the roles that express
maternal love, who has been mother par
excellence, who has brought tears to the
eyes of multitudes, is never more touching
than in the role of mother to hundreds of
little orphans. And the wonderful tri-
umphs that mark the long dramatic career
Of Marie Laurent are not the source of so
great pride to her as the fact that she is
one of the principal factors in the prosper
ity of O great charity.
More than half century ago Nine. Laurent
made her debut In paul and Virginia" at
RoueD. Then she was only IA years cid,
but when baby of three she had learned
the role at her fathers knee. The actress
belongs to the Luguet family, family that
has furnished so many artists to France, and
success seemed assured even from her
earliest childhood. From comedy the little
Marie passed TO the opera, and In the
Edwige Of William Tell she had q great
success. Had not chance placed her in the
sphere of tragedienne Nine. Marie Lau-
rent might have been a cantatrlee OF the
first order. Some time ago the actress told
me of her past life and said:
Have you ever thought on how slight
thread may hang The success or failure Of
whole life? ] was singing my little roles at
Toulouse in 1899; it was the time Of cholera,
and the actors in the different theaters who
were not i'll were afraid of becoming victims
of the dread disease. BOcage was the great
star of the principal theater. He was re-
hon aln fnr ho nt ~ nr
or actress to assist him. The manager was
in despair, and after much difficulty artists
were found for all the roles except that of
premiere. AT last the manager said TO
Boeage, Suppose l ask little Marie Luguet.
Do yon think she can play the roleP
1--WE can only try replied Bocage.
"And l played Marguerite de Bourgogne
in the Tour de Nesle'. as though | had
never done anything else."
Immediately after this success at Tou-
louise Marie Luguet went TO Brussels, where
she married BARITONE named Laurent.
AS Madame Laurent she showed so much
power in the roles of Marie Jeanne and
Madeleine that Monsieur PZentini engaged
her for the OdeOn Theater in Paris. Never
shall forget my debut at the Odeon," said
the famous tragedienne. my father. who
taught me all | know, never gave me les
sons. but simply advice. was very nerv-
Gus she day of the general rehearsal, and
played badly, very badly. With my father,
husband and brother | returned home,
mortified and troubled. From my room I
heard my father say DO not speak to
Marie of this rehearsal. She knows her
mistakes, and that Is the most important.
She will succeed This conversation gave
me courage, and decided to fail completely
or triumph absolutely. i trlumphed."
The greatest role ever created by Marie
Laurent was George Sands Francois le
Ciampi, and this was among her first roles
nj Of
could act the mother in SO remarkable
manner, but Marie Laurent says, "Of
course 1t was only theatrical instinct that
made me speak with emotion of my sons,
but ii was foreordained that should be
good stage mother" For thirty years Nine.
Laurent has played in no other char
acter but that OF mother, perhaps be-
cause since her first success in this role
dramatic authors have written no others
for her talent She relates an incident
about compliment given her by Auguste
Vitu, the great critic. Marie Jeanne,
by Ad0lphe Emery. was in her youth
favorite role of Marie Laurent. and when
played last year at the Porte Saint-Mariin
Theater Marie Laurent was asked to give
some advice to the actress who was
10 have, the role created for her. The
actress was much applauded, and Auguste
Vitu. who saw Marie Laurent In the theater,
said; ''Ihe actress who has Interpreted
Marie Jeanne is very remarkable, and yet
am told that she is far inferior to You In the
role. | am puzzled to know in what man
ner 1t was interpreted by you" Marie
Laurent said that this com pliment gave her
more pleasure than any received in her long
dramatic career. / think that no other
French actress has memory equal to that
of Nine. Marie Laurent. Never has she
taken to her own home the manuscript of q
play; her role has always been read at re-
hearsas and always before the first repre-
sentation has she known it by heart. How
ever, although the manuscript was not in
her possession she thought OF nothing else,
and that is why Marie Laurent believes
that actors are always playing. Even In
the midst Of a great SORROW" says the
actress, have / groaned or sighed. and
then wished that | could reproduce that
groan or sigh on the stage" Marie Lau-
rents home is In the Rue du Basse Rempart,
Boulevard do la Madeleine. and here she
receives few pupils of talent. Once a
week che lectures at the Theatre d'Appli.
cation" and this lecture is free to young
girls who have not means TO pay for lessons.
Every Wednesday at the Sale des Con-
feTences she lectures to all who are inter-
ested in theatrical represeD tations. The
subjects of her lectures are: THE Drama"
Work." How to Study Role" THE
Great Artists-Rachel, Frederick Lemaitre,
Fechter," etc., and Teaching Theatrical
Art"
Nine. Eaurents lecture on Theatrical
Mothers" Is the most interesting because in
this she relates her personal memoirs Ac-
cording to her only two roles of theatrical
mother deserve the name tragic. These are
the Merope Of Voltaire and Andromaque.
Marie Laurent's idea OF real mother lies
in the following lines:
You know who 1 am? Nothing; a
daughter OF the people, an actress-some-
thing that you will caress to-day and break
tomorrow, always in play. Well. small as
may be. had mother. Do you know
what IL is to have a mother2 Have you
ever had a mother? Do you know what it
is to be child-a poor child, weak, In rags,
miserable, starving, alone in the world,
and to feel that you have near you, around
you, above you. walking when you walk,
stopping when you stop, smiling when you
smile, woman-no, ali angel-Iooking at
you, teaching you to speak, to laugh, to
love, warming your fingers In her hands,
your soul in her heart; who gives you nour-
ishment when you are small, her bread
when you are large, her life always; to
whom you say My mother" and who saws
to you, My child, In SO sweet a manner
that the words please the good GOd?"
To hear Nine. Marie Laurent say this in
her expressive, touching manner brings the
tears to ones eyes.
BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR.
Paris. Dec, ID. 1892,