Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-18

The personality Of an actor or actress
may be said to go side by side with the
art Of acting. And yet to a truly great
artist and to the men and women who
frequent the theatre, it is the art that
must absorb the personality, and still it
is the individuality that moves and thrills
us, as it does in our every day life. And
in writing of the stage, the personalities
OF its representatives appears to me quite
as much as the artistic side of their lines.
| have found that theatrical people are
most delightfully."- human, and that the
glamour which the stage thrCws around
them is not an impossible gulf. And
now to take up the personal side. 1t was
at the stage door, few days ago, that L
knocked for dear life. i had her promise
that she would meet me at the stage door
When l was admitted she was standing
just inside the corridor She was still at
tired in her court dress of rich black bro
cade that opened over front of white
satin sown with pansies, and on her head
she wore bit of rare old lace.
She led the way to her dressing room.
what lovely Lady Denny you
make" said.
She gave a swift glance in the tall mir
ror.
Lady Denny" she said to the face that
smiled into her own, Lady Denny, your
own grandmother would not know YOU"
She gave a gentle touch to the grey
puffs and smoothed a fold here and there
in her gown. She had quite the air of a
great lady.
"A thousand pounds year." she
seemed to say to Lady Anne Bolyen-she
who was kings favorite.
Presently we began to grow confiden-
tial.
us the audience large?" asked Lady
Anne Boleyn. You know l never see the
lie n
received favorably?"
80, yes" / assured her that the cardi-
nal was in great favor.
1T is strange to me- she went on,
chat the moment an actor leaves the
stage he throws off the part he has been
ways seemed to me a phase of art"
How long have you been on the
stage?" I asked.
"Ah," she said, 81 do not tell that to
any one. / want to appear as If / had
been on for years and years"
She did tell me in little whisper, and
| it was not a stage whisper either.
you ought to see Lady Denny as Kath-
crime" she said.
looked at this gentle lady beside me.
80, I can play the shrew." she said. "It
gives me an opportunity to bring force
and expression into play"
This led her to speak of her art. at is
everything to me-" she said. 1T absorbs
me completely, and 1 am determined to
succeed 1 am going to work so hard.
have such great hopes
began to feel at home with these court
ladies, and the richly hung dressing room
was as interesting to me as a tapestry
chamber
'"Ths," said Lady Denny, sis my we'd
| ding gown in Katherine
1t was shimmering satin that hung in
| great folds of white brocade. The bodice
| had about the low-cut neck a fall of ex-
| quisite lace. The front was mass of
| pearls and the sleeves were long and con-
| fined just above the elbow with bands of
| pearls. Another gown was of the most
| delicate shade of yellow brocaded satin,
and with these costumes were all the
| dainty accessories that were needed to
complete the toilet of a young beauty of
| that period.
We were deep in these charming mys-
teries when the call boys voice was heard
in the corridor. Third act," he shrieked.
| There was a rush for the wings. Lady
Denny paused for moment on the stair
way. She had lifted her fowing skirt
| just enough to reveal the dainty feet that
| had danced at the cardinals. She looked
| like some rare portrait The light fell on
| her face and brought out its youth and