The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
SOCIETY ON THE STAGE.
NEW FORK WOMEN VINO HAVE BE
COME PROFESSIONAL dCTRESSEs.

COME PROFESSIONAL ACTRE ESSEN.
Anna Cora Moyatt the First and Probably
tho Mostsuceessful-IntereAt A-"usedby
New York Womrn Who Go on the Stage
Very Few Society Men become Actors.
The news that young Mrs. Jack good 10
about to become an actress calls attention to the
other women whom Now York society has put
on the stage. Many women on the American
stage to-day have come from families conspicu-
Gus in social history. Marie Wainwright, who
IL related to tho well-known family of that
name; Bettina Gerard, who was Betty Ordway,
daughter Of Gen. ordway. and Ethel sprague.
. daughter OF Mrs. Kate Chase spraeue, are
some of tho women who have come to the pro-
fessional stage from families well known In this
country. Many women from the South who are
related to the oldest families there are now on
the stage, and the same thing Is true Of the
other parts of tho country.
1.-THE difference In tho situation when o
woman from New York society becomes an
actress said manager the othor day, " Is that
New York In social matters is the best known
American city. 1t is true that in their own
towns those girls who have gone on tho stage
are certain to arouse some interest; but 1t 10
not nearly SO strong as that which o woman
from New York can arouse all over the coun-
try. The people conspicuous In New York
society are known to a surprising extent
throughout the United States. The newspa-
pers print tho news about them, and In this
way people living long distances away get
70 know families and individuals very
well by name. In New York. too, there 10
90 much more wealth. society is so much
more OF an institution. and the conditions are so
much mofe-brilliant than they are in any other
city that to come from such q act throws a
glamour over q woman which the society Of the
other cities does not confer. SO the women
who come to the stage as New York society
women are those that are looked upon as
representing what really is society's contribution
20 the stage, although there are many girls
from aristocratio families and Of good positions
in other States also in the profession: But for
woman has the best OF it."
Anna, Cora Mowatt, who was a Miss Ogden
Wealthy Il lawyer IN New Yo @E. was MST the ar sae New
York woman to take the step. and proved. pos
followed her. In ls45 she wrote a comedy
called Fashion, and before that time had
the Ir,'t eom safnSnss H OF s trsnsiat aSa' i hna r yssioss
foreign languages. Her play, acted at the old
n tho Th ssms y YEAS q shs great made success Ssr dt saa
Is IN o. %a0'f fsc;ns.11 PLAYING hrs. f MUMss. M VI the q
one of her youthful achievements-she is said
TO have been only - years old at the time-was
for amateur performance. Mrs. Mowatt was
very successful, not only in her own country,
L. 6avenport. Julia' in "The Hunchback."
juliet, and Pauline were her favorite characters.
a she Afl MSwaas ia spp wr9ss An This wS pss Called ie walsn
mande. q Child Of the People" After she had
been on the stage for nine years. she made her
performance given at Niblo's Garden. The
receipts for that single evening we're more than
SO, 000, which shows the regard in which the
public held her. She made her last appearance
as Pdulins the part in which she had made her
T. Richie. q man of wealth. and removed to
England. where shS died in 1870; Mrs. ,Mowatt
matte career by public readings, when her hus-
band was first unsuccessful in business. Her
time New York merchant and her second nus
band, Mr.. Richie. was @ VirEinian. Some Of
mos es sssinsiSe sets sFf In t Sem Ye eGfns sDciesy. in the
Mrs. James Brown Potter has been q profess
sional actress now for SO long that people do
New Orleans. married here into one Of the most
amateur. and then stepped over to the profess
eional stage. She Is acting now in Australia.
and she said on her last visit here that she
found it very much changed. and looked in vain
street for the familiar faces that were known in
eociety at the time she vas active in 1t. Mrs
and until that time had been tho most conspic-
u9Is among the aW %Matur bod r
acted with her. and after Mrs. Potter's seces-
sion took her place among the amateurs, was
another OF the women who left society and be-
came a professional actress with great credit TO
herself. Alter making a false start she recov-
cred herself and has since made. practically her
own q certain line of parts. especially those
requiring distinction OF manner and polish.
Last winter one of the oldest New York fami-
lies, one closely connected with New York his
tory. gave the stage a representative and.
curiously enough. an English Inelodrama was
Knickerbocker family. This was Miss Margaret
Dunscomte Hone. Il Observation-Disclosures OF
Philip Hone and the only member of that fam
lily who has ever gone on the stage, although
one OF its members married the daughter of an
actress. Miss Hone. after two marriages and
her debut in The Sporting Duchess" Then
she acted for a while In another play, and her
third marriage brought her theatrical career to
An end.
Many of young Mrs. Sidney Harris's friends
have believed that she would adopt q theatrical
such intention. and minated that she would
not even resume her Evolutionary ~recitais.
Although from time TO time women from New
York society have made their appearance on
the stage. few. II any, men have done so. Young
Kseest w hiyi n. m,9e G q My 6 Bl1ssysfdl t fPF a few Sn,
after q short experience he retired and left no
male representative of New York society on the
stage. Robert 1aber. who married Julia Mar
lowe. is one of the old "St. AIMS Church
who played formerly in the basement under tine
church. have come to the stage Mrs. Potter and
Mr.. Taber. He has many friends in New York,
and Is a man of position hero.
COULDN'T LOSE HIS EFT, Ell?
The Corpuieut P~nsseneer'a Reason for