The times., 1899-06-18

I City.
/ There is stage atmosphere of freedom
and ingenuousness about little Gretchen
Lyons. which makes her a most approach
able young woman Practically born OH
/ the stage. she cannot recall the first day
/ she basked in the cherry light of the cal
/ cium. Il often wonder how il feels 70
have relatives who are clergymen or ply
/ sicians or lawyers or nice people" said
| she in the course of a conversation with a
/ Times man the other afternoon. You see.
( all of my family for FIVE generations back
/ have made their living on the stage. In
/ one OF my early parts | represented a
freezing child and the act ended by my
/ supposed father finding me and wrapping
/ me up in his coat. Well, it always got a
curtain call, but stuck-up little thing that
! | was, | would never bow in response to
! the applause and my father" would put
! his hand on my head and bob it into a
/ very awkward bow. One evening, the
! scene didn't go well and got no call. That
broke my heart and l ran to my dressing
room and fell into my mothers lap cry
/ ing, They didn't applaud me this even
I ing. That was the first time | realized
/ that l was not really it The sensation
has been experienced numerous times since
| then, l might remark
What advantage does one have by being
( born in Il stage atmospheric" asked The
| Times reviewer
That is I little difficult for me to an
| swer, not knowing any other condit on
However, | think many things are gained.
/ For instance, | never have been the least
/ frightened. l learn lines readily. with
( three readings. Oh. yes; one great ad-
( vantage is in knowing how to dress. The
/ first essential for perfect performance in
my mind is to have good gowns and tasty
ones. Here is where | have the advantage
over the graduate of an acting school For
instance, when getting ready for a play
/ ask the stage manager what calcium he
will use in a certain scene, and dress my
! self accordingly. If a rose-colored Igiht is
demanded, my dress will be a light green
in harmony, don't you see? Most people
wouldn't think of this study of light and
shade, but to me it is of great import
ance."
While having a varied experience in
England, Miss Lyons American career ex.
tends over only five years. She was CO.
starred with Joseph Holland in THE Mys-
terous Mr.. Bugle," and many of the crit
les said she was even the superior of An
ME Russell. Previous to her engagement
with the present organization, she was en-
gagged in stock work in Frisco, and being
an able study was quite success.
1t is never out of place to give a kindly
word of advice TO amateurs and this
month, so prolific in non professional en-
| tertainments, should have it's bit OF
thoughtful counsel for the coming actors
and actresses. The chief instruction
needed appears to be in the selection of
plays Such efforts as The Rivals" "Da-
yid Garrick." LAS You Like It. and 'Ro-
meo and Juliet have tried the abilities OF
the greatest artists the world has ever
known and will continue to do so. In Sc
lecting a play for your next appearance,
take something lighter. simpler. with less
scenic shifting and more modern color
Alabama is tco difficult for the average
amateur company, but the young people
are quite experienced, and with the excel
lent advice of the professional stage direc-
tors, it served as a very decent medium to
display the capabilities OF a good company
But even the Carroll Institute Club
once tackled David GarricE" with as
much confidence as tn High School Asso-
citation did THE Rivals" Each should
learn by this experience and strive for
easier things, THE heights by great men
reached and kept" etc.
| The favorite topic of conversation along
tba depleted local Rialto the past week
was the stand taken against the syndicate
by Manager Painter. Ii is good deal OF
a task, this defying a gigantic trust such
as the combine has proven to be, and lot
few have fallen in the undertaking. On
the other hand. the Dramatic Mirror
has not only stood. but thrived. on the
| fight, and today stands as the perfect ex-
ponent of all that interests the profession
and of all interested in the profession
Without exception, the coming season will
witness war to the knife in local affairs
| theatrical Washington has too MANY the
atres for all TO thrive Baltimore has half
as many, and even then the theatrical busi-
ness is corpse there. Whether Washing
| ton can and will support two popular
priced houses will be seen, and not believed
until then. A few of the really good stars.
like Mrs. Fiske. will fill the Lafayette as
of old with the leaders of society, but dur
| ing the rest of the weeks the popular -pric-
| ed attractions must satisfy.