The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-14

one. I was married before I was IS
years Of age, and you will see my choice
of the stage as q profession was q
pretty mature one when say I was the
mother of two children before was 20.
At one time my tastes strongly i'm
PEELED me to the choice OF music as a
profession, for I have been devoted to
music all my life-a taste inherited,
believe, from my mother. who is of Ita!-
ian birth. though my father is an
Englishman."
Mrs. Campbelrs first appearance on
the stage dates back to 1888, when she
essayed small roles at the Alexander
theater. Liverpool.
Ills Wife's Judgment.
1t Is said that when George Alexan-
der, London's first leading man, had
the reading of Pinero's new play, "The
Second Mrs. Tanqueray." he acknowl-
edged the play to be great" But
where" said he in despair "can we
get Mrs. Tanqueray? Miss Millard
cannot play it-in fact. l know of no
London actress who can"
The situation seemed desperate. Just
at this time it happened that Mrs. AL
exander went one night to witness the
melodrama ut the Adelphi, and at once,
upon the appearance of Mrs. Camp
bell, Mrs. Alexander said to herself:
Here is Mrs. Tanqueray.'
Such confidence does Mr.. Alexander
rcpose in the opinion of his wife-for
she Is acknowledged to be his helpmate te
In every sense of the word-that a sum-
mons was sent the next day to Mrs.
Campbell before Mr.. Pinero, who said,
when he saw her: Yes, this Is the
woman l had in mind. Now, If she can
act"
That she could act, almost the first
rehea rsal, and. of certainty, the
first night" of Mrs. Tanqueray proved.
This creation has been further sup
plemented by her mastery rendering of
the unpleasant truisms and lines of the
unfortunately envirOned and miSun-
derstood Mrs. Ebbsmith. Such a pow
erful rendering as has hardly left room
for the very intelligent. but opposed
Interpretation of the gifted Miss Meth
ersole. who has followed her In this
part.
Mrs. Campbclrs Own Attitude.
OF the difficult social problems set by
the lines along which Mr.. Pinero's later
plays are cast. and of her opinion of the
class of parts with which she has been
lately identified, Mrs. Campbell says:
II scarcely think it fair to ask me my
opinion. 1t is sufficient for me that the
parts have afforded me great oppor-
tunities, and l certainly have no desire
to be drawn into any controversy or
the matter. may tell you that have
received hundreds and hundreds of let.
ters dealing with Mr.. Pineros play and
my shape in them as an interpreter.
gather from these not only that j have
made many very kind and sincere
friends. whom l have never seen. but
also that Mr.. Pineros handling of GER.
tain problems has excited the admira.
tion of hosts of people of the most di
vergent callngs and stations in life
Mr.. Pnero has himself, believe, beer
inundated with such letters"
Mrs. Campbelrs conceptions of hel
late unusual roles, while apparently
simple. are darinSly original and she Is
free to confess that she had no par
ticular model in actual existence from
which to build such conceptions. Hav
ing become letter perfect in her part
she then frames in her own mind, ant
often very quickly, a distinct notion OF
the woman she wishes to present. Man,
details are added at rehearsal, ant
sometimes in an actual performance.
Her Personality.
Mrs. Campbell. who is possibly a wo
man of 80, is strikingly tall, 1.-THE ant
slender; has a mobile mouth and force
full chin, set in face of unusual pal
lor, which is. in turn, framed in masse!
of dark Eoir worn in an artistically dis
heveled manner. Marvelously strikinl
and becoming gowns have we'll earned
her the title of past grand mistress O
the art of gowning." She Is strongly
of the opinion that beautiful frocks ar'
calculated to aid an actress and assis
the picture repsented, when they ar,
appropriate to the situations; but that
on the other hand, they accentuate
rather than assist, an inferior per
formance.