The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-16

him in my life. and I never rehearsed ex-
stage.
resses, if I an an example. and also how
managers are made, by the success that
followed here and In London
Mr.. I-ederer, like many managers. is
very vain OF mis- ability as stage direct
or, and he invariably had his theatre
filed with friends at rehearsal. that they
might see how he made actresses Doubt
less they enjoyed it, but an actress is
very sensitive woman, X she is anything.
and to be exhibited at private rehearsals
is one of the annoyances of the theatre.
1 had my own conception of the Belle
and have grown to love the part Of the
Salvation lassie. have fought for her
consistent survival, which my manager
endeavored TO destroy in the second act.
You're too quiet; we must have more
life, more dancing, Miss May" shouted
Mr. Lederer at me from the front.
But why?
The main interest Of the piece would be
| destroyed if the demure Characterization
of the Salvation girl was lost.
What was the result?
I fought for my own conception, I pre-
sented it, did not wear the dreadful COS
tune required, and-we all succeeded.
That is how managers are made,
through the ability of actors and actress
es to use professional Judgment in their
work And yet Mr.. Lederer says ''he
| drilled, drilled, drilled. and drummed.
drummed, drummed for Edna May II
this is an accurate description OF the way
actresses are made. heaven help the stage
say I
| 1t is generally supposed that managers
take all the risk in a new production.
This may be so; can only say that my
experience with Mr.. Lederer, so far as
I was personally concerned, left the risk
considerably with me.
| Managers who have the supreme gen.
| ius to make actresses out of anybody
promiscuously also have the genius for
making advantageous business agree
ments.
| 1 never had a contract with Mr.. Led
erer other than verbal until after I had
reached London. If I had failed in the
part in New York should have had no
redress So. in fact, I had my share in
the risk of the Belle OF New York"
During the nine months engagement In
! this country with Mr.. Lederer I never
had contract, nor raise of salary
| When we reached London. signed a
contract for two years at double my sal
airy with Mr.. Lederer, which ended on
April IA, next
1 think that was quiet as Henient and
! trustful in my demeanor as Mr.. Lederer
would expect from any actress whom he
himself had made.
| Managers are responsible for as many
absurdities as men and women on the
stage, but when an actress has made a
personal success with the public 1t seems
rather late for the manager to inform
the public that he taught the actress how
to act
| Actresses are not taken from the cradle,
as Mr.. Lederer implies. and managers can
not teach actresses when to lower their
eyehds and when to raise them.
Something was said by Mr. Lederer
about the brevity of my conversational
powers.
The resources of conversation are u.s.
ually within the limits a woman desires
them to be. My managers says: Talk
with her all day and you will find her
conversation limited to Yes and Nor"
| Perhaps my manager is correct about
| this. I do find conversation with some
people rather hard.
What have written is intended to rep
resent my small knowledge bearing upon
the question:, How Managers are
Made"
They are made quite frequently by good
plays and good players-and many a bad
play has been saved for the management
by good acting.
Managers are more often made than
! born, thanks to an actor or an actress