Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-16
SIXTY SEVEN YEARS
Or STAGE LIFE.
MRS. JOHN DREW WRITES OF her Ca
REER.
First Appearance as "Lials Pickls"-A New
Dramatic Bra-Ia tho Good Old Times.
Changes for Better and Worse.

N@N@aN~
Copyright 1891 and o. Rights R.Isrrsf.
IL was on September %, 1927, at the
Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia,
as the little Duke OF York In Shakes
peare's play OF Richard III. sG=S
with j. b. Booth-tbe great "E'dsr
Booth" father OF the late S~"ln Booth
As the crook.ba,L<syIRnt, that began
n cage >,ra-., and as that was sixty
seven years age, aud as have been
continuously before the fOOtlights ever
since, l may justly claim 10 have had a
longer stage career than any Of my con-
temporaries. Even before my mother, the
late Mrs. Kialock, herself a very &C
comDlished actress, brought me from
England, / had appeared in Liverpool,
in 1928, but l like 10 date my stage life
from time OF my first appearance IN
this country. Mrs. Vernon, al the tim
OF her death some twentY-tour years ago,
was the veteran Of the American stage
1t that time, but she had seen only
ffty-two years of service. Mrs. E. n.
Thayer, who for two generations was
the delight OF our theatre-goers, died
hAL6E uALN-AAA0o 6unOA 1NASAS VI 80
life. These two ladies led the longest
stage career Of any actress known TO
the American stage except myself.
Taough so MANY years have passed, l
remember nv first performance 10 this
country as well as though IL had taken
place last night. The performance OF
the elder Booth as Richard made 4 most
powerful impression uDon me. His
dramatic force and magnetism were
like a giant whirlwind, sweeping all be-
fore IL. l have never seen any one else
in that part who seemed TO completely
realize II as he did. II almost seemed as
though II had been written for him.
Early in the following year my moth
or TOOK me 10 New York, and l made my
first appearance in that city at the old
R6wery Theatre on the Sth OF March,
1925, playing Little Pickle. / subse-
Quently played child parts at the IRE
mont Theatre, Boston, and the Balti-
more Theatre.
A PLAY WRITTEN o HER.
There was quite a rage for child act
resses az that time, SIMILAR 20 that which
prevailed a few years ago when the
Little Lord FauntlerOy craze was at its
height, and on the 9Th of January, 1929,
began an engagement az the Walnut
Street Theatre, Philadelphia, in a play
written expressly fO- me and called
iTwelve Precisely; or, A Night at Do
YER" ia which l portrayed five charac-
tiers, ranging from alittle fodder OF two
years 10 the Warehouses de GrenViile, a
hne lady OF thirty-one. l also appeared
as Little Pickle in the aiteTpieCe. My
engagement continued for two weeks,
during which l appeared in several
other plays.
In 1888 l became a member OF the
stock company at the old Bowery Thea
tire, New York. There | played with
all the great stars OF those DAYS in a
constant round Of legitimate pieces. l
was intensely fond OF my profession,
aud l applied myself TO the study and
practice Of IL with the utmost diligence,
leaving nothing undOae 10 constantly
improve. In those days there was no
lack Of work FOR the members Of a stock
company. The bill, which was changed
almost nightly, always included two
pieces aud often three or four. As a
natural sequence We had TO be always
p studying and rehearSing. In June,
1883, / accepted an engagement as lead
ing lady at the Walnut Street Theatre,
Philadelphia, under the management OF
the late Franciss c.. Weymiss, and il
was at that house. on the cath Of Sep
TENDER, 1889, that l created the part o.
Julie de Mortimer In this country, the
willy Cardinal Richelieu being imperson-
ated by Edwin Forrest.
ANEW DRAMATIC ERA.
That first American production OF
Bulwer's successful play was a memoir
able one. The scenery, properties and
costumes were unusually elaborate, and
the cast remarkably strong. Edmon ).
Connor, then the popular idol Of 3 large
class of theatre goers, played de Maui
pratt. The instantaneous success achiev-
ed by the play and by Forrest in lis
principal character marked the begin
ming OF q new era ia dramatic history in
this country as well as In the career Of
her great tragedian. Up 10 that time
the great drawback 10 Forests impsr-
! sonations had been their excessive ro-
4 business, not TO say righteousness, and
with his performance OF Richelieu he
eemed TO realize the necessity Of toning
own his redundant vigor. From that
me he became more subdued and nat
al.
IL was in the old Chestnut Street The
re. Philadelphia, in the season Of fish
under the management Of Lewis I.
BIT, that l played in the same COM
y with Peter Richings, the father OF
late Caroline Richings, who FOR
~ years was the idol of the Ameri-
bubble as a prima donna in English
|, but who died some years ago in
tty aud obscurity, entirely forgot
" those whose favorite artistic she
pee been. Peter HnRings was a
y we, sedate gentle more like
man than an actd annoyed
y much 10 hear year,
Fould remohStratt oneI
so in his presenc
were very few