The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-14
A PROVIDENCE PRODUCT.
Neil Burgess Made His First Real
Success in This City.
Through Compulslon He Assumed His First
Female Part In This City.

IL is most remarkable chain OF cir
cumstances. singular turning of the
wheels OF Fate, that brings Nell Bur-
CESS to Providence today, 10 appear IN
the city i'm which he made his first dis
tinct success, and in the very play In
which IL was achieved. The story of
his career is a most interesting chap
ter in the theatrical history OF Provi-
dence, and yet one that reads more
like romance than a narration OF
facts.
Very few among the present genera
tion of theatregoers are aware that Nell
Burgess is product of Providence,
though TO those who remember the days
of the old Theatre Comique, manager
by John ID. Hopkins, now of Chicago
and one of the best known and most
prosperous managers In the country,
and the late Robert Morrow or the
Providence Opera House, the name OF
the famous female impersonator mas
long been familiar and recalls many IN
teresting episodes.
To put the whole story i'm a nutshell,
Burgess may be said TO have become
great purely by accident. an experience
by no means rare in stage chronicles.
but i'm no instance has chance more
conspicuously played it's part In sucn
"A result.
Neil Burgess was a member OF the
stock company at the Comique, Whicn
contributed to the turns I'm the "olio
of variety" acts and also played
farce or ''afterpiece" at the conclusion
of each performance, during which the
audience generally busted itself with
| it's departure rather than with what
was going on upon the stage, and it
must be said that he was considered a
| ion which he never disputed with any
| vigor. Indeed, Hopkins once said: "Ali
| Burgess is good for is to chase the peo-
| pie out"
one day. an elderly actress, who had
| enjoyed some measure of success in the
| Legitimate" suggested TO Burgess that
| he get up a first-rate farce to finish the
! performance, with a good part for her
| and another for himself and induce
! Hopkins To produce IL. The idea was
! adopted and with fair success.
| During the week the farce was ION" !"
the lady was taken sick and half an
| hour before the performance Hopkins
told Burgess he must take her place.
! Burgess objected strongly, but Hop
/ kins insisted that anybody could play
his part. while no one else was sutfi-
| ciently familiar with the female role.
! There was no help for IL, Burgess made
up as the old woman. went on and
audience going wild" over his per-
formance and remaining for the first
/ time, until the curtain fell. The old
| lady got well. returned and demanded
her part but Hopkins refused, insisting
| that Eurgess retain il. and offered to
| pay her salary the same as II she were
! at work Burgess. however. objected
| strenously though without avail.
d. This line Of work. nevertheless, be-
came more and more dstasteful 10
him: and finally. failing TO get his old
parts back again. he broke with Hop
kirs g. Morrow and left Providence for
Now York where he soon spent his
scartv savinps in q vain search for n
Job" Hungary and homeless. he sat
all one afternoon and all the ensuing
nigbt on bench I'm Union square.
where he watched the people go in and
come out of the Union SQUARE Theatre,
and wondered II ever ne should play in
| a theatre like that. Homeless and des-
perate. on the following day he sent
word 10 Hopkins aud begged To be
taken back: and money was sent 60
him to return to Providence, where ne
resumed his assumption of parts IN
which he impersonated New England
countrywomen. 4 sketch written for
him entitled "My Mother-in- Law
made so great n success that, after a
long run here. Hopkins sent Burgess
with il out ION the road and he traN-
eled the country over, playing the
sketch i'm variety theatres with un-
vsrving success.
While on this tour he fell in with
Petroleum V. Nasty. or rather with the
writer, ID. II. Locke. who was best
known by that nom-de-plume, who tolc
| him he was just the man he wanted tc
! create a female role i'm his play
widow Bedott." as he had been un'
able To find any actress who met tht
reouirements Burgess went TO Nasby''
home where he was royalty entertain
ed for days. no mention being made o.
the play Finally. the actor asked &c
see il. and Nasty confessed that h'
had no play. but intended writing on'
from his book.
did you ever write play?" asked
Burgess.
"No." replied Nasty; "but I'll ge
right at it. Come to the library here
I'm the morning.
Burgess shrugged his shoulders an'
departed: and the next morning foun'
him at the library door.
Here's the play said Nasby. Will