The Washington times., 1901-10-27
Tho American Stnge.


Morris. In this case. however. it is the
literal truth. The majority Of the readers
of this book will net lay it down until
they have read the last page and wished
there was more of IT: and even then they
will be likely to turn back and re-read
two or three chapters before breaking
from its thrall. 1t is as fascinating as a
novel, and great deal more dramatic,
pathetic, and humorous than most novels.
There are few volumes of "reminiscences
at all like it.
It may have been shrewd bit of diplo-
macy, or unconscious wisdom, which led
the author to stop her narrative AT the
beginning of her fame. 1t is occupied al
most wholly with her early life, the
struggles she made to attain an assured
position, the scauty rewards and mani
fold hardships endured by the actress of
1S65-'75. To tell of her triumphs in New
York, when she -sIas- regarded by many
as the greatest emotional actress on the
American stage, might have seemed a
little like record of personal glory. But
just as the hard work and many disap-
pointments of some ten or fifteen years
give place to money and fame, the author
stops and leaves the reader to imagine
-he rest.
In the first place the book will be an
education to people who think that life
on the stage is easy and pleasant. In the
earlier chapters 1t is plainly shown that
the young actress of the Middle West, not
so very long ago. was obliged TO live on
wages which would not have contented a
cook, and that her work was hard and
incessant- When scarcely thirteen Clara
Morris went on the stage in what was
then known as a family theatre, in which
the company WAS a permanent one, sup
porting any star who happened to come
along Her first appearance in the thea
tire as an applicant for place in the
ballet is thus described by the manager:
81 was much put out by a business
matter and was hastily crossing the
corridor when Blanche called me, and
! saw that she had another girl in
tow; girl whose appearance in
theatre was so droll must have
laughed had / not been more than a
little cross. Her dress was quite short
she wore pale blue apron buttoned
up the back. long braids tied at the
ends with ribbon, and a brown straw
hat. while she clutched desperately
at the handle of the biggest umbrella
! ever saw. Her eyes We're distinctly
blue and were plainly big with fright.
Blanche gave her name and said she
wanted TO go on in the ballet. and
instantly answered she would not
women, not children and started to
return to my office. Blanche was vol
ub'e. but the girl herself never spoke
o. q single word. / glanced toward her
and stopped The hands that cIutched
the umbrella trembled-She raised her
eyes and looked at me. / had noticed
their blueness a moment before-n0w
they were almost black, so swiftly had
the pupils dilated, and slowly the
tears rose in them. All the father in
me shrank under the child s bitter dis
appointment: all the actor in me
thrilled at the power of expression in
the girl's face, and 1 hastily added:
oh, well! You may come back in q
day or two, ard if anyone appears
meantime who is short enough to
march with you I'll take you on and
after l got to my Office l remembered
the girl had not spoken single word.
but had won an engaSement-for
knew / should engage her-with pair :,
of tear-filled eyes.
Some of the incidents which occurred
in the early days of the American drama
were a mixture or comedy and tragedy.
The fact that the company in a provin-
clal theatre was expected to support
every star who came along, no matter
what sort of a play he had, led to some
curious things. When Bandmann, the |
German tragedian, came to Columbus, it |
chanced that the heavy woman" in the 1
local theatre was laid up with broken |
bones. and the only available person for |
the Queen Mother was Clara Morris-at |
the age Of sixteen. This is what hap
pened:
Mr.. Bandmann. a very big man, TO
my frightened eyes looked gigantic.
He was dark-skinned he had crinkly,
flowing hair, his eyes were OF the curl
Gus red-brOwn color of ripe chestnut.
He was large Of voice ana large OF
gesture. There was a greeting, a few
rehearsal
on; and soon, OH so soon, there came
the call for the Queen. 1 came for
ward. He glanced down at me, half
smiled, waved his arm, and said, Not
you, not the Player Queen, but Ger
trude.'
Il iaintly answered: I'm sorry, sir,
but / have to play Gertrude.
oh, no; you won't! he cried; not
with me! He was furious; he stamp
ed his feet, he turned to the manager:
What's all this Internal nonsenseE
want a woman for this parti What
kind Of witches broth are you serving
me with, AL old woman for my Ophelia
and an apple-cheeked girl for. my
motherl She can't speak these linesl
She. dumping face!
MFR. Elisler said quietly: There is
sickness in my company. The heavy
will not look the part. of course, but
you need have no fear about the
lines: she never loses a word
Curse the wordsi Ii is that that
little girl shall not read with the
sense one line, no. not one line, OF
the Shakespeare His English was
fast going in his rage.
Mr.. Eilsler answered, She VIII
read the part as well as you ever
heard II in your life, Mr.. Bandmann.'
And Mr.. Bandmann gave a jeering
laugh, and snapped his fingers loudly.
1T was most insulting, and 1 felt
overwhelmed with humiliation. Mr..
Ellsler said, angrily: Very well, as
have no one else to offer you, we
will close the theatre for the night
But Mr.. Bandmann did not want to
close-not he. So, after swearing in
German for a time, he resumed re-
hearsal, and when my time came to
speak i could scarcely lift my droop-
ing head or conquer the lump In my
throat, but, somehow, L got out the
entreating words:
Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color of.
And let thine eye look like friend on Den
mark.
HE lifted his head suddenly-I went
on:
Do not. for ever, with thy veiled lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust.
HE exclaimed surprisedly, So
sor as ] continued my speech. Now,
in this country. 'So-so1 is a term ap-
piled to restless cows at milking time,
and the devil Of ridicule. never long
at rest in my mind, suddenly walk
ened, so that when L had to say:
Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet:
j pray thee, stay with ss; go not to Witten-
berg.
"And Mr.. Bandmann smilingly cried
So so" ] swiftly added the word
'Bossy,' and every soul on the stage
broke into laughter. He saw he was
laughed at, and II took whole
nation 10 enable him to grasp the
1est-but when he got a good hold of