The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-22
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
Mrs. John Drew's Delightful Auto
biography.

This is delightful book in its way. but
in strict sense 1t is not an autobiography
since 1t contains very little information
concerning the private life and personal ex-
periences of the author, apart from the
stage. Practically her whole life, how
ever, was spent in theatrical work. and the
book is pretty full record of that, though
one cannot help thinking it might have
been greatly amplified and made to have
less the appearance of a compilation of
dates and facts from a diary. Nevertheless
Ii contains so much information of an out
of-the-ordinary kind and so many brief
illusions to and "reminiscences of notable
actors and actresses, and is written in such
frank and pleasing style that the reader
does not stop to think of how much more
the author might have told. In a brief in
PRODUCTION Mr.. John Drew, son of the au-
thor, says the book was not written for
publication but "for the immediate delec-
tation and edification of the children and
grandchildren of the gifted woman who
penned it, Mrs. Drew came of family
of stage people, her father, Thomas Fred
erick Lane, being an English provincial
actor of some fame, and her mother a
ballad singer. Little Miss Lane was born
in London in 1920, and while still an infant
in arms began a stage career which was to
cover seventy years. "At twelve months
DID," she writes, my mother tooA me on
the stage as a crying baby; but cry L
would not, but at sight of the audience and
the lights gave free vent to my delight and
crowed aloud with joy. From that moment
to this, the same sight has filled me with
the most acute pleasure" She began to
play as soon as she could walk, taking in
fantile parts. At eight years she appeared
in farce in which she represented five
characters. At nine she played in 1.-The
Heir at Law" with old Joseph Jefferson,
grandfather of the present popular actor of
that name. When she was seven years old
her parents came to the United States and
went direct to Philadelphia, where the
seven-year-oid little girl began her Ameri-
can career in the old Walnut-street Thea
ter. Her first appearance there was as the
Duke of York to the elder Booths Richard
III. A clipping from Philadelphia news
paper of Jan. g. 1929, praises her perform
ance and speaks of her as this astonishing
little creature" She was then nine years
DID, From Philadelphia they went to Bal
timore. where she took a chid's part In
plays in which Edwin Forrest was starring.
AT that time" she says, "he was, / sup
pose, about twenty-five or twenty-three
years old. and the handsomest man ever
saw" From Baltimore she went with her
parents to New York, where she played in
TIE OlO bOWeTy 1ncdter, tnen 10 the larger
towns in New York State. to Washington
and other Southern cities. In 1850 she mar
ried John Drew the elder, of whom she
says: He was one of the best actors ever
saw in a long list of the most varied de-
scription. Had he lived to be fcrty-five he
would have been great actor. But too
early success was his ruin; 1t left him
nothing to do Why should he study when
he was assured on all sides Except my
OWN that he was as near perfection as was
possible for man to be? So he finished his
brief and brilliant career at thirty-four
years of age, about the age when men gen.
orally study most steadily and aspire most
ambitiously."
In 1861 Mrs Drew became manager of the
Arch-street Theater, Philadelphia, and con-
tinued as such twenty-one years, acting
there and elsewhere most of the time. In
1880 she engaged with Mr.. Joseph jefferson
to travel with him, and act Mrs Malaprop
in 1.-The Rivals" and continued to do so
till 1889. She was the best Mrs. Malaprop
moved to New York and began looking
around for something to do at Seventy-two
years of age" She says: II was still in
possession of splendid health, good spirits,
and the love of my two remaining chill
dren." She played few seasons longer.
visiting several Western cities, but her
career was practically closed. Some of the
authors recollections have quaint inter-
est. Thus when in Philadelphia her salary
was advanced to $40 per week. the highest
sne had received up to that time, she says:
How did we do it? OF course, we did not
dress as we do now, and 1 am inclined to
think acted all the better" Again at Pitts
burg, I'VE produced London Assurance
with degree of excellence unheard of in
that vicinity-a fountain of real water. and
entirely new carpet and furniture, mirrors
and new costumes" On one of her early
Western tours she says: 81 went to Chi
cago to open the first theater built there by
Mr.. John Rice, who afterward became one
o. the valued citizens of that rising city,"
These and other facts, related in the
briefest possible manner, are interspersed
with many interesting "reminiscences of
famous actors and actresses, portraits of
many of whom are given. An appendix by
Douglas Taylor contains many interesting
facts concerning the early American stage
and actors. The book is published by
Charles Scribners Sons.