The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-05

In the death CT Mrs. John Drew,
the American stage has lost great &C
tress. Her career extended over a pc
Rod of seventy-one years, beginning IN
1926 in Liverpool, Eng, where she made
her debut as Agil in "Timour the Tar
tar" She was then child of six.
A year later her mother, known to
the stage as Mrs. Kinloch, brought her
to America, and she began her career
as Little Louisa Lane, the child actress,
appearing first as the Duke of York to
Junius Brutus Booths Richard Ill
at the Walnut Street theater, in Phila-
delphia. In 1888 she Joined the stock
company at the old Bowery theater, in
New York city, and for five years she
took part in constant round of legiti-
mate pieces and laid the foundation for
the fame she afterward gained. After
the old Bowery course she returned to
Philadelphia to re-enter the Walnut
Street Theater company and to marry
Henry Hunt. AT the Walnut Street she
was the leading juvenile lady, and in
1889 she was the Julie de Mortimer
when Edwin Forrest gave "Riehelfeu"
it's first production in America.
Mrs. Drew, then Mrs. Hunt, returned
to New York in 1912 and scored a great
success at the old Park theater, maxi
ing her debut in play entitled
Blanche Heriot, or the Chertsey Cur
few" She separated from Mr.. Hunt in
1S47 and soon afterward married Mr..
Mossop, the Irish comedian, who died
very shortly afterward. In 1850, while
MI IN q AlhanV
of which C. W. Couldock was the lead
ing man, she met John Drew and they
were married at the close of the season.
In 1862 Mrs. Drew herself became the
lessee of the Arch Street theater, and
continued to manage the house for the
next thirty-one years.
When Mr. Jefferson and William
Florence formed an alliance to play
"The Rivals" Mrs. Drew was selected
to be the Mrs. Malaprop, and a few
years ago, when the famous "all-star"
cast was formed to present "The Ri
vals' for c. w Couldock's benefit, she
reappeared in her old role. She after
ward went on a tour with that compa-
nv. and that was her last regular en-
gagement.
Mrs Drew played many parts in
many plays. Among the notable char
acters which she assumed were Lady
Macbeth, Lady Teazle, Beatrice, IN
much Ado About Nothing" Constance,
in '"The Love Chase" and Julie de Nor
timer, in "Richelieu." But 1T was in
the role of Mrs. Malaprop that Mrs.
Drew achieved her latter-day fame. No
more appreciative tribute to her genius
can be uttered than that expressed by
William Winter in the New York Trib-
une, who, in reviewing her career,
says:
1t is as Mrs. Malaprop that Mrs.
Drew IS best known to the present
generation of theatergoers, and it is
in that character, no doubt, that she
will be best remembered, as long as
she is remembered at all. No other
actress has played it with Joseph JEFF
ferson in many years, and no other
production of the play as important as
his has been given in several years.
Mrs. Drew played the part when JEFF
ferson and William j. Florence were
together as stars, and she continued to
play it after F'lorence's death Sc con-
stantly, indeed, had Mrs. Drew been
occupied of late years with this one
part that she had, no doubt, many
warm admirers who never saw her in
any other. But it was a privilege to
see and to study even this one. Those
who saw it could understand, as many
of them, unfortunately, may never be
able to understand in any other way,
the full meaning of old comedy. 1t
was one of the most finished and de-
lightful stage performances of the
time Mrs Drew realized and express
ed the character of Mrs. Malaprop
with stately dignity of old time man
ner, a serene placidy of self-satisfied
ignorance, grace of action and a
calm precision of comically entangled
speech, that amounted as nearly to
perfection as any stage performance
can. She also devised and suggested