The evening times., 1896-12-05
CHAT WITH FAIR ROSAMUND
Viola Allen Prefers to Have Her
interviewer Talk.
and She Grows Eloquent Over
Her Stage Women.

| view. Not Dtc'tuScbn diiiiihle dTtiSte is no
more than agreeable and cordial and de
| lghtful, but for sundry reasons that ar,
only appreciated when the effort is made
Yesterday Times pencil propeller, who's
| thumb is nearly always in the dramati,
| pudding, went in search of Miss Allen, il
| the hope that she would disclose those at
| tractive secrets always locked in the mem
ory chamber OF an actress experience. Al
| the hotel it was found that Miss Allen hat
gone To the theater, and the hour way only
| /, n time of day when Morpheus is sup
posed 10 be suffusing an artists cheeks
with htsmost attfactivecoloring. But there
was no be;iuty sleep for Miss Allen.
| AT the thcater She was. MIR. Favesham
paused in q duel with Mr. Backus To say
that she had been talking to him but a
| moment before, and MIR. Humphries kind
| ly paused n his explanation to Mr.. Comp
ton OF the best way to strangle Miss Con
quest long enough to institute search
She must have anticipated her caller and
hid.
But so Injustified a suggestion was at
once put away by her charming gracious
ness when she was found. No wonder no
one knew where She was BY the merest
accident she was discovered in a remote
corner OF the big bare stage, perched
high upon heap of dismantled canvas
palaces, her seat made comfortable by a
bunch of green shavings, which at night
masqueradeS for Verdant grass, her feet
propped on logs of clay wood.
With her little fists pressed into her
cheeks, her elbows on her knees and her
whole attention concentrated on he man u
script IA her lap Sue was obvious of the
searching party who stood before her and
she was not more surprised when She dis.
covered them than they at her deep Sc
clusion.
Her caller was seated on a throne from
which Hamlct's uncle frequently reigns
and lie disclosed his mission. OF COURSE
perfect flow of reminiscence and anec-
dote Eas expected. Instead of which
Miss Allen smiled sweetly, gave an ingen
uuus sigh and exclaimed:
.'Aninterview? Then you must do all the
talking,'
Fancy an interviewer doing any of the
talking. And that was the fruit of the
search. But Miss Allen did talk in the
same charndng, natural manner which
makes her performances the things of joy
which they are. There was however moth
Ing OF an Interview in what she said.
She talked about how beautifully the
other people played their parts; what a
glorious park is all of Washington: how
delightful the weather was, and what "a
shame she had 10 be in the theater in
stead of driving before the fresh inlig
rating wind. II was all very enjoyable,
but the interview did not materiaize.
Then Mr.. Humphries called her to a
scene. The company was rehearsing E.
E. Roses dramatization of Stanley Wey-
mans Under the Red Robe" which viii
be produced in New York in four weeks.
Miss Allen will play Renee de Couchfcret
Isn't it fascinaing?" said she, re-
Stunning her place among the shavngs.
I'm going to like the part very much
This is one of the most interesting things
In connection with my profession, in spite
OF the hard work. l love to see a character
develop, and TO find myself growing into it,
AFTER three seasons in Rosamund find
that am still discovering new points, SO
that myperformancenowi is totally different
from what 1T was when first played il.
The merest accidents develop points.
DO you remember my scene at the end
of the third act OF Liberty Hail. where
the stageis left TO meandthe bouquet W hich
but n moment before had thrown scorn-
fully at the feet of mylover? The business
of my part says that should turn slowly
and pick them up, and for several years |
have beenplayingi thatway. 0nlast Tues
day evening, however. as ] began To turn,
my foot caught in my dress and | had to
step directly backw ard.
Il unintentionaliy stepped on the flowers.
We sometimes have to cover an accident
and pretended to be surprised at the bou-
quet. Then ! picked it up tenderly, the
curtain came down, and the audience gave
me three calls. 1t was so much more
artistic To have my attention called to the
neglected and forgotten flow by an ac-
cident than deliberately to turn to them.
yet neither the author in writing it, nor
any of Us who have been working on the
play 30 long, caught the right effect, which
the accident has taught me.
Which part do like best? That is very
hard TO say. ltwould be easier to say which
the public likes best, and that seems to
be Kosamund. Rarely a week passes in
which play RoSanund that aletteror two
does not come, telling me of the dormant
memories the part awakenS, or the simi-
larity to some strain in theirlife. These are
very comforting to m e. for tits flattering to
my efforts to portray a real woman.
My appearance in that part seems to in
sPire more girls with a love for the stage
than any other, though Dulcie in The
Masqueraders' furnished me with the
most amusing incident. 1t was after a
Saturday matinee in Los Angeles. / had
returned to my hotel, and was helping my
maid pack my trunks. A timid knock was
heard a the door. and | called, Come in
The door opened and there stood a dream
of child, about ten years old, all in white,
with beautiful golden curls. She looked at
me for moment with woTshipful gaze
that was most flattering, then sighed as
deep as ever did Juliet, and finally found
her voice.
I've been TO see you play she said,
looking up into my face, and | want To
know where you learned 1t. I've decided
TO be AN actress, and | want TO go right
away to the same school you did Then
told her that she was not old enough: to be
a good girl and mind her mamma and some
day she might. This view of the ca Sc seem.
ed totally unsuspected, and l am afraid |
crushed her utterly.
Yes, great many girls come to me
or advice. / always receive them and
am always glad to see them, for they
are always very earnest and sincere.
few moments practical talk
them, and sometimes they cling
20 their roseate ideals.
Il am not one of those who think the
stage the wrong place for young women
There are social and moral strata in sta ge-
and as elsewhere. The men are as rule
more chivali GUS and the women more blame
ess. The sustainment of position and
social prestige is a personal matter, de-
PENDENT upon the training and character
If the individual"
Meantime Miss Allen had become very
lucnt and earnest, and had descended from
Ter high place on the scenery. She had
oreo ten her terms that her caller was
o do all the talking, and became quite
unconscious that she was talking of
herself and not of others.
A this point an album was brought in
for her autograph, and little note, which,
lpun reading 1t, she COnfldcd was from
me OF ner ambitious girls, who had, per-
laps, seen her Rosa amund and longed for a
lace in the picture. These Interruptions
md call upon her 10 rehearse another
Gene interrupted further parley.
Miss Allen is the same womanly char
icter in her own person that she makes
II all her personations. She is gifted, and |
would be ambitious il there were further
ionors TO covet than leading woman of |
he finest American stock company, which |
s, perhaps, today the finest in the world.