Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-16
TOLD BY MRS. DREW
INCIDENTS IN THE CAREER OF THE
GREAT ACTRESS.

Eccentricities of Some of tho Famous Ac-
tors with Whom She Was Associated.
The Thenter and It's Patrons Early In
the Century.
Here are some quotations of an ancc-
dotical character taken from interviews
with Mrs. Drew In 1896:
How did you contrive 20 obtain an edu-
cation, considering that you acted so much
as Il grlg"
Bless you, l never was cducated-that
is, / never obtained what is usually con
sidered u systematic education, for my
school has been human nature and my
books We're the people / met. l believe
was sent to school for one quarter in Lon
don, and remember being sent to a school
in Baltimore for awhile. The rest of my
education l picked up myself by reading
and listening to the conversation of clever
people. -
She was speaking of Macroady and Ed
win Booth.
How did you like acting with these
tragedansg' she was asked.
"Wcll, Macready was disagreeable and
difficult to work with. Forrest was not Il
particularly pleasant man, but easy
enough TO get along with. Junius Brutus
Booth didn't care who you were or any
thing about you, so that association with
him was not especially pleasant ror espe-
cially unpleasant His eccentricities at
times We're very trying and sometimes very
laughable Edwin Booth was dignifled
and delightfully."- courteous"
DO you recall any of the eccentricities
of the elder Boothy''
81 shall never forget one night when /
played Ophelia to his Hamlet He had
finished the scene in the fourth act and
the curtain was lowered. When the time
came to ring 1t up on the fifth act, which
Hamlet was to open, the Prince of Den
mark was not forthcoming Attendants
rushed hlther and thither in search of
him, but he was not to DO found. When
we had almost given up in despair, some
one discovered Hamlet perched away up
on top Of one of the wings of the scenery
among the rafters growing Justify. l
don't know, am sure, whether he iInag-
ined himself the growing cock which crew
when IL was time for the ghost to depart
or whether 1t was simply n practical joke,
At all events we got Hamlet Off his perch
and the play went on On another occa-
sion the play was "Orinoco" and the eld-
err Booth had to appear with darkened
skin Just before the last act he came be
| fore us with his bare feet and legs all
blackcncd and insisted upon going on
| that way. His mood did not strike me as
particularly encouraging, so / refused to
go ON, and the act had to be presented
| without me.
She was asked, "what do you think of
| modern playsi"
~ don't approve of up to date plays of
al int I hut
| like almost everything else, the drama is
steadily advancing, 1t has undoubtedly a
great future in this country"
Her personality was always interesting,
| Frcdrica Barrett thus described visit to
| her rooms In New York in November,
| 1895, Mrs. Drew being rs:
When went to call on Mrs. John Drew,
| had the impression that / was to sec an
| old lady, but this idea was quickly dis
| PEELED when ! met her. In years Mrs.
Drew may have outlivod many Of her own
| generation. She has contributed toward
second generation in the raising and
| training of her own children, and she is
now hopeful and watchful over the careers
/ Of a third generation-her grandchildren.
Mrs Drew has retained great part of
her youthfulness in activity and general
appearance, and this Is due no doubt to
! large tnuOWllleilt OF nulnlul HuiuuE anu W
hopeful disposition which makes her
manner ut once spontaneous and cheerful,
and due in n great measure too, let us
assume, to her intimate and loving asso-
citation with the younger members of the
family OF Drew.
OF her early days in America Mrs. Drew
loved to speak.
Louisville in 1929 she remembered as
! ian exquisite place, with elegant society,
noted for the beauty Of its women.
Conditions We're crude everywhere
! New York hotel-taycrn, ms 1t was then
called-sonding up pic that was ordered
| for lunch with tallOw candle reposlnS
sleekly on It's surface, the messenger not
being blessed with two pairs of hands ana
I having his ono pair o'erfull,
when the dining room doors were
/ opened, there was u mad rush. the stout
est securing the seats, while the unsuccess-
ful ones formed into line to wait their sec
ond chance, But this method OF conduct
is not unknown at the present day, when
we are pleased TO think the world very
much civilized says Mrs. Drew, recall
ing the actions of certain travellers OF thls
| year whom II has been her lot to see.
1.-The curtain went up at Z, and often
did not fall finally until half an hour be-
fore midnight; but nobody was IN hurry
then.
"Seats were reserved only until the end
of tho first not, and then anybody took
them who wanted them. Shame to the man
who sat in the front row OF the house II q
woman sat behind him for people ali