The times., 1901-05-19

we feel she is capable rather of guiding
Bassanio instead of committing her gen
tie spirit to be directed with what re-
markable strength she kept up her father.
injunctions. she knows which is the right
casket, but not a hint does she drop. Hel
eyes long ago sent out 'speechess mes
sages' to young Bassanio. That, in the
event of his failure, she may ut least have
had the short delight of his society, !
would detain you here, she says, some
month or two before you Velture Tor me-
| How she must have struggled against the
| warmth of feeling that could not but al
| times tempt her to transsress her father s
VIII. The most beautiful and contra die
tory qualities are thus united in Portia S
nature. She is a remarkable comti ia
J tiOn of strong determination and Woma My
tenderness. Quick in Judgment ski led
I in the knowledge of men, she appears to
take her remarkable position as judge
quite naturally. The dramaIist's AIT, by
letting us into the superior nature of
Portla, skillfully works mp L this sltua-
ton. 1t seems to follow as Il result OF her
recognition. soon after BassaniOs s depart
ure, of the inevitable hold that the Jew
has upon Antonio. She determines to
leave nothing undone by adopting the sur
est course of saving him by risht and Jaw
itself"
Glen Echo will be thrown open to the
public next Sunday, at which time Mama
ger Thomas has arranged to have his
preliminary opening. There will be a band
I concert on the lawn during the afternoon
and evening and the outside amusements
will be open for the benefit of those who
go to the park. The theatre will not.
/ however, be opened until Monday evening,
May q, when one of ihe strongest bills
/ ever engaged for a summer resort will,
/ II is claimed, be presented Mr.. Thomas,
] the new lessee and manager, states en-
phatically that he will conduct Glen Echo
/ as an up-to-date family resort, where
none but the most refined vaudeville turns
I viii be seen.
Il can guarantee perfect order" said
Mr.. Thomas, and the car service will be
all that Is necessary 10 make the trip a
pleasant one, with the Rssuranc that the
return to town can be made comfortably
at any time. 1t viii be my aim to pre-
sent many novelties In the theatre each
week and none of the performers that
/ have engaged has SO far been seen in
the local theatres. | shall have outside
attractions that Will excel anything ever
/ before attempted at Ia summer place of
amusement near Washington, and will in
every way TOOK affeF theslcO1lfort and
pleasure of my patrons 4 wilt be on the
grounds every day and give my personal
attention TO all the details Of the manage
ment, so thai think GIea- Echo will at
once become known as the summer home
of refined vaudeville"
But few persons who attended the per-
formances of 1.-The Geisha' at the Column
bia Theatre last week recognized in lit
tie Elgie Bowen, who assumed the role
of MimOsa San, a vaudeville singer
who appeared at the Academy of Music
last September on the occasion of the
first week of the rather brief Hashim
regime. And yet it was the same Miss
Bowen-only- season more experienced,
her voice in better shape. and with her
undoubted dramatic talents more devel-
oped. 1t is a big jump from an obscure
place on a vaudeville bill to the almost
dizzy heights of comparative stellar prom
inenCe. Miss Bowen has made it, how
ever, but not without plenty of hard
work, no end of trials and vicissitudcs
and she has the qualification of knowing
she has accomplished the task success
fully and that she has contributed to the
native stage another prima donna who
bids fair to outstrip many of her con-
tempOraries at no very distant day. For,
1t should be borne in mind, this very
agreeable singer is only eighteen years OF
age. and is this summer experiencing the
feminine delights of the first long skirt.
Miss Bowen and her mother. who is her
constant companion and adViser-Social
as well as professional-were busily go
ing over the details of THE Circus Girl
at their hotel the other afternoon when
Times interviewer sought them out for a
chat. Miss Bowen was seeing into how
many different tangles she could get a
long piece of string-this, she explained
To the newspaper representative, was part
of the business of her principal song
in this week production at the Column
,
singer toyed nervously with the cord
while she heroically threw herself upon
the mercies Of the interviewer and told
the rather brief story of her career-for,
as she admitted, when one has only been
on the stage a single season, one cannot
have had so many experiences.
This is the manner in which Miss Bowen
chatted:
"Of course, the very first thing / sup
pose you want to know is where am l
from. Well. then, ! am from New York"
o.. no fro J..
perman. for the New York claim had been
accomplished by a crimson flush and
created suspicion that some terrible Sc
cret was being carefully guarded behind
the assertion.
Well, If you must really know, 1 am
from Chicago"
A sigh indicated a cleared conscience
as this awful secret was divulged and
the Bowen hands were not thereafter so
nervously employed with the piece of
string. Here Miss fBowen's mother broke
into the conversations
you must understand that Elgie was
not really born in Chicago. That would |
have been too terrible. AS n matter of
fact, she was born on the ocean. Her |
father and l were on our way to this |
from Paris, where we had been
spending some time Only we lived in !
Chicago during her glrihood days, and it |
was there she was educated.
Then the O Mimosa San of "The |
Geisha" continued her story:
From my earliest recollection / have |
had fondness for the stage and its en- |
Why. mother tells me that |
when / was eight months old sung Wait |
Till the Clouds Roll By. ! did-you |
nj tcdnt smile-didnt ! mother?"
And the parental affirmative coming |
promptly and decisively, all doubts as |
to the infantile accomplishments were |
put at rest.
Then the actress continued: Il first |
an inclination for dancing and |
appeared in several important productions !
in Chicago as a dancer and made a big |
success. 1t was whel / was fourteen |
years old that / first realized / had a /
voice that might be worth something if |
developed, and | at once placed myself |
under the best instructors in Chicago
Last year | came on to New York de-
termined to see what l could do, and the |
first opportunity that presented itself |
was a vaudeville offer which / ac-
cepted principally to try my abilities |
Soon after ! played with the Hashims in
this city ] secured a position as one of
the bridesmaids in San Toy and was
given the Song to the Moon Then / |
came on TO Washington this week to sing
Inc principal part in The Gesha,' and / |
guess that's all, except that | am under |
a three years contract with Manager |
Duff, who will next year put out a new
musical piece which has never been heard |
IN this country. ! will have the soprano
role, and from what ! have heard of the
music. / believe it will offer me many |
excellent opportunities.
Miss Bowen will remain with the Duff
company during the remainder of its en-
sagement at the Columbia, and will later