The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-02
ADJUSTMENTS.
s'La Loie'' To-Night-How She Invented
the .Serpentine.-


indianapolis will have an opportunity to-
night to see la Loie" Fuller dance at Eng
lish's Opera House. The performance will
be given with the same completeness and
elaboration as In New York. 1t is somewhat
amusing to think of this little American
woman. VINO has been the idol OF Paris and
London. and Is now making a very brief tour
OF her own country, giving only one night
TO each city, and to contrast her present po-
sition with that in which she only some
five years ago. when she had been for a long
time vainly seeking for an engagement to do
any kind of theatrical work.
On Sunday night she entered the Bijou
Theater. New York. where a benefit was sup
posed to be In progress. 1t was soon apparent
that something was wrong with the per-
formance. People who had promised to ap-
pear had failed to arrive, and it looked as
II the evening was going to end in a dismal
fzzle. Miss Fuller saw an opportunity to
appear before New York audience and sent
around word that she would like to step in
and I'LL the gap. No one knew her. and the
people who had the show in charge
hestated about accepting her offer.
There vas no one else to go on,
however. and. making virtue or
thusissm as a young actress from Chicago,
not even giving her name. She had mo-.
ment's consultation with the pianist and told
him to play Comm Thro the Rye" In A.
II stepped on the stage" said she. in de-
scriDing the momentous event, with fear and
trembling. and was received about as en-
Enthusiastically as a country cousin is now
adays by Chicago folk living near the world $
fair grounds don't wonder at Ii, though
anything about me. and people thoEg thought they
told me afterward-that i was some cheeky
amateur; They did not know that it meant
practically life or death to me and they tit
tered. Well. 1 began to sing. knew In
very few moments that something was
s Mrons gave The my n,a1 ear n te il and
Comm Thro' the Rye by different paths.
! was singing in A and he was playing in A
10 him. struck the. chords of A and said:
Won't you please play II thereT He was
furious for a moment. but did as I asked,
audience. and they asked for more ] sang
once twice. recited several times and told
time I appeared. And among the people who
applauded, although did not then known fl,
we're Mccauil. Nine Cottrelly, Rudolph
Aronson. Ben Stevens and half dozen 9TH
After my turn was over I went to the
front OF the house. Half a dozen rushed
forward with congratulations and shook
hands General Barton. manager OF the
house. drew me into his private Office and
Shepard with Nat Goodwin You may I'M M
aEine with what alacrity I said Yes
NJ That was The way her career began in
pei. week, and when the season closed 1t
had risen to SO per week. After this she
played with several companies IN town and
with much success She is the same "Loie
Fuller who made hit at, Niblos as Ustane
in She" Everybody knows about her trip
to the Wegt indies with William Morris in
legitimate roles. and her journey to London,
where she was very popular In Caprice"
She came back to America 10 play IN "Quack
~ D." at, Hammersten's Harlem Opera
Just before She began this engagement she
received box. severed with foreign labels,
She opened IL andSfound that Il contained a
gift from a gentleman named Goddard
whom she had met Just once in London be-
fore she sailed for Tndiax The box contained
q thin silk robe OF snawy Wilderness and
delicacy which she had>pever seen before.
Why he should have sent>he anything at
all. or Why, any way, he Should have Sc
lected this silk robe as an appropriate gift
she says she does not know TO this day. But
the extraordinary texture OF the fabric
Pleased her immensely. and she wore IL in a
hypnotic scene In efluack NJ d. one day
wholly by chance, She tried few dance
steps In II. The effect of the whirl on the
gauzy SAX was graceful and pretty and she
thought she might be able 10 turn II 10 ac-
count. She h3canne 80 absorbed IN her prac-
ficing that night that she forgot to sleep
In short time, with the help OF Mrs. Hon.
man, who has been second mother 10 her
she invented the ''Serpentine Dance"
This was the hrst step along the road