The morning news., 1899-12-03

of Miss Barrows' professional career. for
although after leaving Radclif she -
the course at the Boston Normal Sohoy1
OF Gymnastics. with the purpose of ma,
ing the teaching of gymnastics her -
fession. her services were in sueb -
quent demand at the various colleges tbs.
she gave up her original intention o,,
gradually drifted into a professional train
er and coach for Greek and Latin -
once launched into her career. Mis- ~
rows found that all her previous trai,tli.
seemed to have been with this on. -
IN view Even the athletics and the hon
spent in studying the violin were irdis9
pensable.
Dancing Before a King.
Be it said that with all the rest Me
Barrows had studied gymnastics in both
Germany and Sweden and has ALWAYS in,
proved every possi opportunity for oaf
ting hold of national dances In So.e75s..
she had the honor of dancing before W.
King and she learned the Scotch dances
from an old Highland dancer whose office
it had been to dance for the Queen Car-
man, Italian and French peasant danr.n-
she learned from the peasants themselvas
and modern Greek dancing in Greece Nor
has she neglected our own old-fashione5
country dances.
Diversified Work.
The whole aim of these productions q.
to resurrect Homer and Virgil from tbair
text book graves, and make then, liv,
again. Such portions of the great eniss
as possess the most inherent charm ana
greatest dramatic possibilities have beor
lhoughduHy selected and are presented in
their original setting and language forr,
ing character play in six acts. Tba
scenery and costumes were chosen win
respect to their archaeological correctness
Some of the stage furnishings she bro,labt
with her from Greece, and MANY of fb.
costumes were fashioned by her own ofe,.
er fingers. The latter are of almost infn-
ite variety-the soft, harmonious olingir..
draperies of the women made from finn,
gauzes. thin flannel or oriental silk con,
trasting most effectively with the rnors
brilliant satins and heavier woolens of tba
men. 10
Teaching the delivery of the lines IS brt
a small part of her duties. Miss Rarrou.e
must needs instruct young athletes to ho,,
and Wrest.e after the old Greek manner
quite different from that of to-day-to hl1rI
the discus; 10 dance the old Greek dancss.
to throw the ball while balancing. leanine'
turning and wheeling; to chant the wierj
sweet music of the Delphic hymns win
which the play opens, etc This means
the most arduous work day and night for
at least six weeks.
Miss Barrows' Method.
My method is something as folIor-. ,,
said Miss Barrows when sent for bv
college, first meet the classical faculty
and they present me to the various classe,
of students TO whom give little sketch
of the play, explaining its demands ana
showing pictures of the final performance
l then talk the men over with the facuItv
and learn something of their college rec
ords. OF course, athletes, dancers sing.
ers and the ''populace" do not need "a
know Greek. The students are then IN.
vited TO meet me socially. After this for
day or two I observe them carefullv
in the lecture room and on the campus
and watch them at their athletics. am
then able to select two or three possible
actors for each role. These men I ask TO
compete for the parts. and after a dav
or two I am able to decide which Of them
is best fitted for the several rcles. OF
course they do not begin to commit their
lines until the parts are finally cast Then
| call the entire cast together for read
ing rehearsal, and go over the whole plav.
After that / do not call them together
again until the last week The work in
the meantime is entirely individual
work with each man until he is nearly
perfect in his part Then 1 begin putting
them together in small groups, so that all
the work is going on practically ell the
time. Once I am in a college. my time is
all theirs. 1 begin at O'Clock in the
morning. and frequently during the hast
week am busy right through until mid
night The work is of such absorbing in
terest that it carries me through The
cruder your man, the more you want to
work to see what can be brought out Of
him. I do not take a prominent part in
the performance myself, but am always
on the stage leading dance or chorus, or
directing some part of the play 1t gives
the men more confidence, and I am rarely
recognized"
Miss Barrows is now at the Social Set
tlement Hull House, Chicago, preparing
to produce during the week beginning Dec.
4, alternate performances of THE Return
of Odysseus'' and THE Flight of Aeneas'
by the native Greeks and Italians Of that
polyglot quarter AS her efforts are al
ways crowned with brilliant success, this
is expected to be the sensation of the
winter, besides being a liberal education
the life of the times it depicts From
Hull House Miss Barrows viii go TO the
Kansas University Della T. Davis.
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