The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-08

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important parts In Shore Acres" wor
a very large share of the admiration
bestowed apo play and players. MIR
Herne has in his time written many
plays and he has always provided
places in them for children. Il was the
first playwright 10 give a baby a part. -
said MIR. Herne while he was i'm Butte.
MANY plays have been written in
which there are babies. but in Hearts
OF Oak the baby had a part. We had
a great many babies i'm the nine sea-
ons Hearts Of Oak was played. Gen
orally they were boy babies. because
the boys are stronger and more plac-
able. better natured and smarter.
Il know that some people think my
fondness for children in my plays is "A
weak spot and perhaps il is: but you
must remember my plays are all OF "A
domestic nature, and how would il be
possible to write a domestic play with
out children? I have a houseful at
home. and the people who patronize
my plays all loV children. | know this
because I appeal To them. Take Shore
Acres for instance. Why, ] firmly
believe that il owes its success To the
children in il. You would at once agree
with me IL you could see how deeply
the audience Is interested night after
night in the scenes Will the children.
1T requires a great deal Of patience
and Kindness to show the children what
you want them to DE-. and | am proud
TO say that i have never failed in at
tanning the desired result. First. l
make friends with them, and as soon
as ! see they are not afraid of me. my
work is half over. Children learn by
imitation and andaa NOT IN aEf their
parts for them, and in two or three
days they are able to do justice to the
roles assigned to them. ! prefer chill
dren who have an ear for music, as
they are less likely To give "A parrot
reading of the lines. The action re-
quired Of them is the most difficult
part of my work. as their brains are
not made to comprehend the why and
wherefore. You would be surprised.
though, to see how quickly some chill |
dren seem to understand these things. |
Take hat little tot. Gladys Crolius.
who Is playing Mandy Gates. She has
quite a long part. which requires dra-
matte ability, yet Gladys. who has Just |
celebrated her eth birthday. gives "A
performance as perfect as any in Shore
Acres She is, IL il true. exception
ally bright and will. I think. become a
noted artist. Another remarkably
clever child is Edith Taliaferro. who
has played Mary Berry ever since she
was 4 years old. Edith could sing. or
rather hum, tunes before she could
talk.
Children learn To memorize quickly.
but care should be taken To give the
proper infections. / always insist that
the mothers. unless they have been or
are actresses. must not attempt to help
them memorize their parts. In this
way the little ones learn To read nat
urally and thus avoid the monotonous
.sing-s tone that is ever more tire
some in children than what Ii Is i'm
their elders. Ny own children. except
ing my 2-year-old boy. have all had
more or less experience on the stage.
playing various small parts I'm the plays
] produced i'm this country during the
past Is years.
Another actress who played with me
AS a child is Miss Maud Adams. who
has made such a great success i'm New
York city as the heroine i'm The Little il,
This was quite a long time
ago. but IL was i'm San Francisco and.at
the Baldwin theater. l think IL was her
first appearance as an actress. and I,
gave a remarkably clever perform +.
8nce. ,
Whenever IL Is possible I arrange ia &.
ave the mothers i'm the same COM D..
pany with the children. and there are Il.
certain rules that they have to abide d.
by. Whenever matinees are given. .
rarely more than once a week. the chill
1ren have TO go to bed an hour or two (.
between the afternoon and night per "
ormances They also have to study 4.
FOR two OF three hours a day. take long q
and eat nourishing foods. All =.
his is done regularly every day. and =.
N consequence the little folks are al =.
ways in the very best of health and
spirits.
There are six children employed in
Shore Acres, and there will be fully
as many in my new play. The Rev. E.
Griffith Davenport, upon which l am :.
now at work"
There Is no certainty that Fanny =
will ever again be seen on =
the stage. Her illness which forced
her TO disband her company recently
N Chicago is said To have been far y
more serious than the public was al l.
to know. She can well afford to a
-etire. as she is wealthy. Speaking as n
clothed with knowledge, a Cincin- 81
iau theatrical writer saws: She has 4,
,een a star since 1879. and IL is doubt W
ul NJ she has ever known an unproft- u
BILE season through the 10 years that w
She has for years been the al
most popular actress that visited many HI
the cities outside OF New York, and e'
he has represented more than any IN
'ther woman the American artist as 81
opposed To the foreigner. II was only al
hree years that she acted in Bos- az
on against Duse and Bernhardt. and ",
n the matter Of receipts she went al
head Of the French actress. even If .
ne ala not distance Duse. who is more ~
I'm Boston than in any other Ie
ny IN the country. Sarah Bernhardt
as never forgiven Miss Davenport for re-
aving made a fortune i'm this country Il
at of Sardou plays which Bernhardt no
ad acted first in France. When she be
as last IN this unit the French lie
ctress said; And this Mlle.-Mle.- 70
aNenport-is she still "A starr Nine. IN
ernhard expressed great surprisa les
hen she heard that Miss Davenport wa
as still a star. although the grounds m'
'r her establishment were not quite 70
ear Miss Davenport Is five or six ul'
ears younger than Sarah Bernhardt. an
her car.ar 81 To
,rpinos x,f,b - ro.,st. ~ her III