Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-03
DEBUT As
STAGE CHILD
BY May Irwin.

BY May Irwin.
I was born a baby-a tiny little bit
OF a thing only so long twelve inches)
don't be afraid to speak up, 1 have
STAYED that shape eve since.
l was not born singing, but I can
produce the best of witnesses-my mo-
their to prove that l sans duets. and
sang them correctly. with my sister Flo.
before I could talk.
Where. was I born? Oh, l honored
the town of Whitby in Ontario, Can.
ida. a little hamlet not famous even vet.
! liver there until l went on the stage.
From the time / was eight years old
until 1 left Whitby. l sang in the Epis-
copal church there. I was the only fe-
male soprano and the only child in the
choir. Singing came naturally to me.
My voice never had any cultivation. l
harmonized as naturally as l talked;
my voice was naturally placed, and I
produced $ones by the law breathing
taught me and not by any other rule.
All through my childhood I sang In
all the cantatas and such follw that Is
a part of going to school. I suppose it
was my success in those affairs that
suggested to my mother: IF ever these
gils have to do something for them
selves, as all girls in this age are lia.
ter"
The time came when2 it was neces-
sary. My father, who was a lumber
merchant, died suddenly and left US
penniless. Flo. my sister, and 1, had
sung all sorts of duets together, so
mother took us one day across the line
to Buffalo. That was the nearest place
in the state, the easiest to get to, and
the least expensive.
I was q tot indressses to my knees,
with fat legs gulging out over the tops
of my prunella CATERS. Well, you can
just fancy me. I was barely in my
teens, hearty, healthy and good natur-
ed.
Mother took us to a hotel. Then she
got a paper and looked over a list Of
the theaters. She selected the Adelphf,
then run by Dan Shelby, a real variety
theater. There was no such swell thing
as a music hall in those days, and MOTH
ing like a vaudeville show. 1t was all
plain variety business.
She took US down OF Shelby, told him
what she wanted, and asked him to
hear us. He just Laughed outright when
he looked at us. Flo was just as slight
as I vas broad, and We were both so
little. Rut he was willing enough.
The orchestra man was not there and
no one could be found about to play our
accompanoments. so sister Flo, who
the piano. and we did our little "act."
Mr.. Shelby engaged us on the spot,
and we made our debut at the princely
salary of $50 per week for the Two OF
us.
The first thing we ever sang in pub
lie was Sweet Genevieve." I remem-
Der it as if it were yesterday. I was as
as cool as you please-much cooler than
I am now. But Door Flo, who was al
ways delicate, tainted away after the
first number and I had to go on n
sing an enchore alone.
j. T. Grein has brought down a storm
upon his devoted head by some sweep
ing denunciations upon the British stage
and British actors in a recently publish
ed volume. He asserts that the British
theater is m full decline hat it is sub
ject to a shameful and degrading sys-
tenn of commercialisn, and that Brit
ish actors are devoid not only Of tall
he eclar again. is inferior in all re-
spects save hat of decorative art to that
of every other civilized country in Eu-
rope. There is just enough truth in this
statement to give it a sting, but it would
not be difficult, of course. to convict Mr..
Grein either of ignorance or willful ex-
aggerat.on. He would have been much
more impressive If he had condescended
ITO take note of the exceptions. But Mr..
Grein is an enthusiast, and therefore
prone to extreme views. There are per-
SON not wholly FOOLS who disagree with
some of his views about the ideal drama.
Blu it is a fact that the intellectual
force of the average actor is not over
WllCllll1t6, LI4C >NCW u SVAAAe
mercial Advertiser.
The New York u has a few pithy
words about "Coralie & Co.." the latest
French Importation in New York: "A
number of the farces that have been
sent us recently from France have been
flagrantly indecent. This one, which was
a success at the Palais Royale, in Paris,
was heralded as exceptionally salacious.
This it was not. in the English form.
However, it was dirty enough to disgust
many in last nights audience. Here is
an example of the hulnor. A man tells
the servant to be gentle when he BRUSH
es his clothes.
1.-THE seat of my trousers is tender,
like my heart he avs. Like this. the
whole play resembled a nasty joke that
the teller did not dare more than vul-
carly to suggest. Often a Partisan at
mosphere blunts what in commonplace
English is startling. There was nothing
. FIR nchy about the surroundings of Cos
ral.e & DresSmakerS.' Ameri.