Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24

!. ...,... GA@@S
Portable and coy little star dressing room
of the Academy of Music the other evening.
You people here in Washington probably
wonder what 1 am doing in popular
priced theater after so many years with
what We choose to call the best companies
in the business. Well, candidly. it is be-
cause l can make more money thereby.
Under existing circumstances salaries of
most actors are not what the public be-
lives them to be. It's mighty slow work
on uphill road, this working for salary
and not every season finds you much ahead
financially. So l determined to sacrifice as
much as was necessary of art and make
some money. The result has been all
expected. If you have seen our perform
arce you will grant that our scenic equip
ment and company are far in advance or
that offered at most high-class theaters
There is public demand for better class
OF attractions in the popular houses. l
want you to see this fight 1 have with Dun
can Preston. We think it is pretty good
and there is not night but that we each
come out of it with black and blue spots.
What about next season? Well. do not yet
know. l shall likely continue as a popular
priced star and wait for opportunity TO
reach the higher ranks. In the meantime
am content to build up every part Of this
play and aid in the common cause. 1
am deeply gratifed at the interest Wash
ington-my home city by adoption-has dis
played in my dramatic progress, and hope
to deserve the good future mapped out for
me by my many local friends
Few women have had the struggle to
reach stardom that has been the lot of Mil
bred Holland. 81 often wonder If, after ALL
1t was worth while" exclaimed the talented
little lady, after the performance last even
har terrih1I hard work
scheming, the planning and the disappoint-
ments hardly compensated for by the
returns attained. You may know little
of my recent history but you do not know
OF the hard days in dramatic school, with
its trials and tribufations 1 never dared
then tell of my ambition and even now am
almost fearful of reyealng the fact that
am one of the despised dramatic school
graduates. My first engagement was to do
leading business with Paul Kauvar, and
the season was a most arduous one. Then,
after little other kirlnishng, Mr.. White.
my manager, secured Two Little Migrants
and sent me out in It, Really, our success
was remarkable. All the time we We're look
ing for a new play, and We think we have
found the successful one in Aria Crude
it is at present. but IT will build out. My
Ambitions would make you laugh so I'll
not confide them to you. Would l advise
one with ability to go on the stage? All il
IL, no. Since my Introduction into the pro-
fession l have many times been actually
hungry and without means to satisfy the
demands of a weakened constitution. And
yet people say Mildred Holland has been
lucky! And / seldom contradict them, for
no one knows the price of dramatic success
save those who have won it even in par
.tial degree" Miss Holland has chosen seri-
Gus roles for her work, and succeeded IN
them in spite of the fact that Augustin
DAILY once expressed the opinion that she
would play comedy to advantage.
alafa bar
raphy follows:
81 was born-I had to submit to that
there is no royal road to life, any more
than there is to learning. I was born a
baby a tiny little bit Of a thing, only so
long" measuring off twelve inches. land so
wide" measuring off half yard, "and-
don't be afraid to speak up as the nearer
tried to control smile, Il have stayed that
shape ever since. / was not born singing
but 1 can produce the best of Witnesses
my mother-to prove that l sang duets
and sang them correctly. with my sister
Flo before l could talk. Where was born?
Oh. l honored the town of Whitby. in On
tario Canada a little hamlet, not famous
even yet. Whitby is about thirty miles from
Ontario, and l lived there until l went on
the stage. From the time was eight years
old until ! left Whitby 1 sang in the choir
Of the Episcopal Church there. l was the
only female soprano and the only child in
the choir. Singing came naturally to me-
My voice never had any cultivation. l har-
monized as naturally as l talked, my voice
was naturally placed, and / produced tones
by the law breathing taught me- not by any
other rule. All through my childhood
sang in all the cantatas and such folly as
is the part of going to school, l suppose 1t
was my success in those affairs that sug-
gested to my mother If ever these girls
have to do something for themselves, as
all girls in this age are liable to, 1 can put
hon, I'M ta hon ha
it was necessary. Flo and / had sung all
sorts of duets together. so mother took lis
one day across the line to Buffalo. That
was the nearest place in the states the
was a tot in dresses to my knees with fat
legs bullying out over the tops of prunelIa
gaiters-you remember prunella CATERS?
Well, you just fancy me. 1 was several
years on the side of my teens hearty
healthy and good-natured. Mother took us
to hotel. Then she got paper and looked
over the list of the theaters She selected
the Adelphi then run by Dan Shelby, a
real variety theater. There was no such
swell thing as a music hall in those days
ana nothing like vaudeville show. 1t was
all plain variety business. She took us
down to 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 1 was broad, and we we've
both so little. But he was willing enough
| The orchestra man was not there. and no
one could be found about to play our ar
Stohpa al SO Sister Flo, who played
beautifully, was perci,ed UP at the piano,
ana we did our little act Mr. Shelby en-
gagged us on the spot. and we made our
debut at the princely salary of $50 week
Tor Tor the two Of us. This was in December.
1879. and the first thing we ever sing in
public was Sweet Genevieve' remen-
per 1t as II it were yesterdays was as cool
as you please. much cooler than 1 ever am
now. But poor Flo. who was always deli
cate tainted away after the first humber
ana l mad to go on and sing an encore