The morning times., 1896-02-16
Women in Men Roles.
Triumphs of Great Ac-
tresses When Wearing
Sock and Buskin.

Miss Ada Rehan's appearance in the
part OF Prince Hal. Shakespeare's mad
cap hero of " Henry IX,'' marks the revival
of actresses in male characters. 1t is also
S announced that Miss Vera Beringer,
e who was the original Little Lord
x Fauntleroy in London, and her sister,
Miss EsIne Beringer, are studying the
w parts of Romeo and Juliet. This is
T. the first tune since the days OF Char
l. lotte Cusliinan that these famous roles
l. have been essayed by two sisters.
AS early as 1893 Miss Cushnan
- played the male part OF Rolf in Poca-
hontas,'' drama by George Wash.
, ington Parke Gusts, and her career
u at the Park Theater, in New York, as
- utility actress developed her ca
pacity in this direction. 1t was when
y she began her second London engage
E ment at the Haymarket, in s45. that
- she appeared as Romeo, selecting the
original play instead OF the acting YER
sion then in vogue. Her idea of playing
this tragic lovers part was chiefly to
bring out her sister Susan. She met with
great success, for the play ran eighty nights,
then wonderful length, and had an ex-
tended tour in the provinces.
inc LonupH LINES Sdld: 1t Is enough to
say that the Romeo OF Miss Cushman is
far superior to any Romeo we have ever
had. The distinction is not one OF degree;
il is one of kind. For a long time Romeo
has been q convention. Miss Cushman's
Romeo is creation, living, breathing,
animated, ardent human being
Miss Cushman looks Romeo exceedingly
wei; her department is frank and easy:
she walks the stage with an air OF COM
mand; her eye beams with animation. In
word, Romeo is one OF her grand sue
cesses."
Although Nine. Sara Bernhardt has never
appeared as Romeo in this country, she is
said to both look and act the part OF that
passionate young lover with conSummate
art.
Though Charlotte Cushman is associated
chiefly with Lady Macbeth and Meg Mer-
rifles, she achieved great renown as Car
dinal Wolsey. On few occasions she played
Hamlet, which her biographer, Emma steb-
bins, says gave her intense pleasure"
Miss Cushman alludes to it in some of her
letters as the very highest effort she had
ever made, and the most exhaustlng of all
her parts, this one seemed to fill out most
Nbttipittt!N tttG CulfIt tl HtI ItNNAs
Miss Marriott appeared as Hamlet at Sad
lers Wells. London, under her own manage
ment in 1864, and in 1870 appeared in
New York ia Che same role.
Another woman who gained early dis
tinction in this line was Mrs. John Drew,
who began her career sixty-eight years ago
as the Duke of York to the Richard III OF
Junius Brutus Booth. She played also
Hamlet as well as DR.. Pangloss in the
Heir at Law" The latter character she
appeared i'll about 1929.
Pretty Peg Wellington, the heroine of
Charles Reades novel. was famous for her
mans characters, and sir Harry Wiidair,
in the Constant Couple" will always be as
sociated with her name. She first played
it in 1873 in Dublin. taking the town by
storm, and, it is said, one maiden refused to
believe that it was played by a woman and
offered her hand in marriage to the hand
some Peggy. She made sensation when
she appeared in London ia this character
in Z 40, which had never before been acted
there by a woman. sit was admitted"
says Macklin. THAT Peg Woffington repre-
sented the gay. good-humored, dissipated
rake of fashion with an ease and elegance of
department that seemed almost out OF the
reach of female accomplishments
The most fascinating dressing bag the