The record-union., 1899-11-26

Minnie Maddern- Fiske is one Of the
very few women of the stage to whom
the theater is her earliest recollection.
Her mother was an actress, and sne
says the first definite impression she
can recall is of finding herself encased
in a trunk in a. theater in New Orleans,
watching her mother prepare for the
play. Mrs. Fiske also became pro-
fessional actress earlier than any OF
her sisters in the profession. When 8
years old she played the role of the
Duke of York in Richard III" She
travelled without interruption until ID
years Of age, playing a wide range OF
children's roles. She attributes the
success of her later years to the thor
oughness and extent of her early train
ing.
ZangwilPs Children of the Ghetto
is to be acted in London by the Ameri-
can Company on December 9th.
1t is said of Alice Nelson's new
opera. THE Singing Girl" that one OF
its merits is that it is clean through
out Rather odd, is it not. that 1t
should be necessary to announce plays
to be clean? Has the stage so degen-
Grated as to make clean plays excep-
tional?
The Tacoma Ledger says: Mrs
William Loring Spencer, announced as
a. cousin of the Vice President and the
widow of the late General Spencer OF
Alabama. is. as set forth in the New
York Herald" going on the vaudeville
Inn
where because the sketch which is to
have her for chief illuminator mas ho'
been finished. She does not need the
money, she says, but wants active oc-
cupation. If the lady has been accus
toned to a quiet life the vauoeViiie
stage, not to mention the VauoeVlie
audience. may prove a trif1e too acuVe'
and pernicious activity is as much u
be avoided on the stage as 1t is IN poh-
tics
Mr.. Mansfield's Cyrano had a MS
torical counterpart in Tycho Brahe,
Danish astronomer, who wore soloei
nose. He was astronomer. painter
poet. fighter, and what not James
of England when he was James vi. OF
Scotland, called him familiarly by MS
first name. made him presents ana
wrote verses about him. Honors were
heaped on him at home and abroad
yet he married a peasant girl, an ac'
which raised such a rumpus between
him and his family that the King was
Obliged to act as peacemaker. Like
Cvrano Brahe was ready to fight, with
or without provocation. He lost his
original nose in a duel and made the
substitute himself. 1t was of gold
skillfully covered with wax.
De Wolf Hopper has scored another
success in London, with his skit or
Gruudy's .'Degenerates," smartly writ
ten for him by w. H. Post. Mr.. Hop
per said: II merely took up Langtry
play because it Is great popular sue
cess. and was delighted with the way
the hunor caught on instantly NO one
enjoyed it more than Langtry herseA
She offered every assistance. ienoihs
me the manuscript and giving US every
chance to study the acting OF Degen'
crates Grundy told me he regarded
it as a fine advertisement. Ana so
is Our triumph on the first night Wa'
due mainly to Charles Hawtrey, Wh'
happened to be behind the scenes Whei
blake. who was doing a travesty OF
him. came to me with his nose bleed
ing. I was in despair. The wnoi'
seemed to be on the brink of ruin. Bu
Hawtrey said: Look here. Hopper, II
go on and travesty myself. l neve
saw such a dumbfounded house as whei
Hawtrey appeared. The people coulf
not believe 1t was he; neither coult
tbev imagine that any one could giv'
such an absolute. living, breathing I'M