The Washington times., 1901-11-03

| As a child Miss Lane was often held OF
| the knee of the great actor, and through
| him she first learned Of the stage. II.
told her many stories of the theatre, pic
lures that fired her youthful Imagination
and as she grew older the desire to e.
uron the stage became determination.
When sixteen years of age she visited
New York. and, resolved to carry out hei
determination, sought an opportunity g
gain an entrance. She secured the prom
Use OF an engagement and communicated
her intention to her parents. They were
shocked, and tried to dissuade her put th'
young woman was resoIute.
At an appointed time Miss Lane called
upon the manager who had promised hel
work. His office was located In dingS
building. up several flights of stairs. a.
the rear. To get to the managers roo-
she was compelled a. pass through al
anterOom.
Here the embryonic Bernhardt received
her first shock. The room was occupied by
a dozen or more men. They were actor!
out of work. Upon the center of tn,
table stood huge pitcher Of something
or other. and the air was so thick Will
smoke as to make breathing almost i'm
possible. Nothing daunted. however Miss
Lane pushed on to the managers office
The Leading man of 2 road company was
with the august presence. Upon making
herself known, the manager and leading
man surveyed her critically from head t.
foot. as an intending purchaser would
obviously, Perhaps you will do
The manager told her to report at the
theatre, and although the glamour of
the footlights had faded some, she still
held firm to her purpose. She was given
a small soubrette role. and appeared first
in song and dance. When the company
had been on the road n short time, the
leading woman Of the organization was
taken Ill. Miss Lane was told to prepare
to take her place. She succeeded from
the start.
And l have been a leading woman
ever since" says the actress But don't
think from that my life has been one
endless path of beautiful roses. Many
a time l have wished myself back in my
little Connecticut home However. / ex-
pect to remain on the stage for several
years to come"
Miss Lane has Travelled extensively. and
Is one of the well-read women OF the
stage. She is a hard worker, and rarely
has an idle hour In addition to her
stage accomplishments, she Is also a
writer. and has contributed n number Of
juvenile stories TO popular magazines
She Is striking blonde of much beauty.
and judging from the work she did last
week in "A Contented Woman." many
future dramatic honors are in store for
her.
Dave Lewis, who is figuring as the chief
comedian of the Bijou Theatre stock COM
pany these days. is among the list OF stars
an adept in the line of playwrting. has
fitted himself with a vehicle without re-
course 10 the Harry B. Smith libretto fac
tory. and is even contemplating the COM
position of some of the musical numbers.
He has already selected a manager for
the production, and everything seems to
point to a successful venture.
Mr.. Lewis efforts in the L<lsical COM
edy field, and particularly with THE Belle
of New York and The Belle of Bo-
hemia" during the London careers OF both
of these pieces. and more recently with
The Ladies Paradise" which proved to
be anything but paradise for ali con-
cerned, have been so eminently coed that
persons who are familiar with his work
look for him to score a decided success
when he starts out at the head of his own
company.
The burlesque that was presented by the
Bijou stock company last week was OF Mr.
Lewis make, and while il recalled Il good
many of the different pieces in which he
has heretofore appeared, the bits Of husi-
ness and situations were so good that
they delighted the Rijou audiences. It is
also announced that the burlesque which
will occupy the attention of the Bijou or
ganization this week is also from the pen
of Mr.. Lewis.
When The Times theatrical interviewer
called at the hotel wherein resided HTda
Spong last week, little did he think that
a mere slip in the matter of pronouncing
the name of the estimable actress whom
Daniel Frohman is endeavoring to place
in the list of stars would cause vacan-
cy in the space in this page that had been
mentally reserved for a chat with Miss
Spong.
When the diffident interviewer sought
out Miss Spong's abiding place and Won
dered If she would be so gracious in her
Nethersole or even Nellie V. Nichols. of
the Bijou company, he VOTED not that
the first season of an actress career as
a star is a severe physical, as well as
mental. strain. and one not to be rudely
Xrayed by even curious newspaper
writer's.
1t was a decidedly trim English maid
that answered The Times mans tap-tap
on Miss Spong's door.
"Well?" she enquired, before the inter-
view seeker had chance to thrust a card
in her direction with the modest request
that it be conveyed to the statuesque
Miss Spong.
That simple "Wen?" had the effect of
driving everything out of the newspaper
mans head except the fact that the at
mosphere had taken a sudden tumble
and that perhaps after all the readers
of the dramatic columns of The Times
cared but little if Miss Spong was actually
in love with her art. whether she adored
=
One-night stands jar one exalted ideals
of the stage, If she preferred American
to English audiences. and all the other
queries that had been carefully thought
out and neatly laid away in appropriate
cells of the reportorial mind. to be
brought out and revealed to the actress
in their proper order
"WeIl?" again spoke the maid
Miss Sponge-er-is Miss Sponge at
homer"
Miss Sponge? And pray who might she
be? Miss Spong is in if you mean her.
replied the young woman in black, with
erngly. and for fear that she might add
Miss Spong docs not care to see agents
Of any kind today The Times man hur-
riedly handed her a card with the request
that it be taken TO the star of Mr.. troh-
mans stock company.
Even from the inner room could the
between mistress and maid
be overheard by the writer.
1t was the maids voice that first came
through the half open door:
He asked for Miss SPONGE
Sponge? Horrible! And does he say
writer? Impossible! He couldn't have
made such stupendous error. Doesn't
he know-hasn't he read of my successes?
Sponge. indeed, No; tell him m too
busy to see any interview people today"
Miss Spawng says you Will have to see
the manager Of the company If YOU want
any news about her. She's very busy to-
day, and really cannot see anyone Good
IdN. S!l oltilSt nun <htAu tAiS NN'A
shut with a bang.
So those who have been anxiously
awaiting this morning revelation of Miss
Spongs ideas upon art in general, and the
players in particular. must be disap-
pointed. II that Introductory Weir of
the maid had held out half a promise of
a cordial greeting from Miss Spong, the
admirers of this excellent actress would
be treated to some news regarding her
future intentions.
Tim Murphy proposes to make Chicago
a one-night stand by appearing at Nc
Vicker's Theatre this evening i'll Paul Viii
stach's play. "A Capitol Comedy"
This is the second time Mr.. Murphy