Evening journal., 1896-12-09
WOULD Be AN ACTRESS
Gotham Society Favorite Seeks
Fame on the Stage.
SHE IS YOUNG, PRETTY AND CLEVER

Mrs. Jack Bloodgood, Formerly Mrs. Have
never. to Devote Her Future to the
AIIurements OF the FootlIghts-cets an
Engagement with Manager Frohman.
NEw YORK, Dec. 9.-Afrs. John X.
Bloodgood, beautiful Mrs. Jack, as she
is called, is about to forsake the society
role which she has adorned and in which
she has gained tremendous applause and
to cast her lot upon the stage--yes, actual
" begin at the foot of the ladder and climb
her way up it is TO be hoped hy her
friends, to the toplnost rung, to share it
with Bernhardt, Hading, Nethersole, Duse
and Mrs. Patrick Campbell.
She was Miss Clara stephens, q grand
daughter of the well known authoress, An
ma stephens, and that is where the talent
comes in. Her mother was Miss Sutton,
the sister Of Mime. Ely Goddard, Lloyd
Aspinwall and Walter Crosby, and that is
where the beauty and vivacity come in.
/ When only IL, Miss Stephens married
Mr. William Hayemeyer - runaway
match-the youngest son Of one of the
| former mayors of New York. Their mar
ried life was not happy, and a divorce fol-
lowed. Afterwdrd Mrs. Havemeyer mar
ried Mr.. John X. Bloodgood, Jr, whose
father was "a very well known Wall street
man, married to tho heautiful Miss Emily
Lottimer
Mr.. Bloodgood, Sr, died last August,
leaving a very much involved estate. Mrs.
Bloodgood, his wife, is now living in Par
is and her property coming through the
Lottimers, is also, according Go current re-
ports in a state Of chaos
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bloodgood are living
in pretty house, West Ninth street, and
it IS undoubtedly owing TO their straitened
circumstances that Mrs. Blcodgood has
decided to strike out for independence for
herself as an actress.
She has youth, beauty, intelligence, a
tall slight and graceful figure, an ex-
tremely speaking pair of brown eyes and
one Of the very best managers in her favor
Mr.. Daniel Frohman
Manager is pretty big word for a
young society woman TO face who has new
cr been managed at all and never
thought thing about how to sit down or
get up or walk about and talk except that
she always did them like every one else.
But managed they all have to be, from
Bernhardt down. and the less experienced
she Is the mere the stage woman has TO be
managed.
Neither was it agreeable for a lady who
could walk into Queen Victoria drawing
room with the utmost aplomb TO climb a
dingy flight of stairs in East Twenty
fourth street and read on the wall near
Mr. Frohman's door the sign, "Applica-
tions For Engagements Positively Cannot
/ BE Received -
Yet Mrs Jack Bloodgood did all this,
and moro.
Persuaded the Manager.
gs,fr l,nI l.n
/ golden stairs 10 fame. passed the ominous
sign, but succeeded In making very ia
vorable impression upon MIR. Daniel troh-
man, who has had to turn so many cold
/ shoulders on young society girls with a
ponchunt for the stage
Mrs Bloodgood did not wish TO star.
She had not selected Juliet or Camille for
her first appearance, ror had she any pref
erence as TO leading man. To man
ager Of Mr. Frohman's experience few
moments talk with a would be actress
/ generally sufllces to discover whether the
/ woman is simply stage struck or is ambi-
/ tious and determined enough to stand the
drudgery of preliminary work, with only
possible chance OF success.
Mrs. Bloodgood had a recommendation
/ from Mr.. Sargent, the dramatic teacher,
/ but her own personality seems to have
] MclEncu more WIN MI ffonmuni Tor
after the first interview he sent more than
once for Mrs. Bloodgood and. after point
ing out all the difficulties in her way,
finally agreed to do his lest to launch her
uron the career she had chosen
She is now engaged as an extra" 20 do
any and all kinds OF work she may hc
called upon TO do in any of the Frohman
companies, situation she is perfectly
| willing to accept as an earnest Of what
she hopes TO accomplish.
As Dir. Ffohmen often says: SO many
wcmcn come 10 me who want TO begin on
/ top that l always warn them against a
fail. Il is indeed a novelty TO have a wom-
/ an Of beauty, refinement and intelligence
ask for place at the bottom. Those are
the ones that generally succeed
Mrs. Bloodgood has kept her counsel
well from her fashionable friends, but
/ since her secret leaked out among the So
ciety gossips tons of appreciation for her
pluck viii be hoaped upon her modest
ounce of presumption in seeking the stage
as a means Of independence