The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-03-10
WOMES IN NEWS ROI rs.
4 Practice That Existed Long Before Bern
hardt Brought Out "L'AiEion."

Sarah Bernhardt's decision TO act masculine
roles because che Il too old for youthful
heroines and Is unwilling TO impersonats
mothers. has doubtless had It's efeot In turning
the thoughts Of other actresses in the same
direction. She Is at least responsible for all
the women who ara to appear In "L'Aiglon."
for Edmond Rostand would never havo
written that play without Nine. Bernhardts
desire TO set masculine roles a. his inspiration.
Women have long cast enYious eyes at tho
characters that made IL possible for men to
win honors seemingly with great facility,
Among these part, we're always Romeo ana
Hlmiei. Women had played HImld long
before Nine. Bernhardts performance OF tho
Prince had made Adele Sandrock IN Germany,
Janet steer in London aud BERTHA kalisch
In the Iiddlsh theatre on the Bowery attempt
this Shak espearean hero.
For some time before the French actress
recently began this new phase OF her career
there had been little public Interest ia wOmen's
practice houofed by years VI use had ersuU-
ally declined In interest until the woman
commonly considered The most famous stage
figure Of her time and certainly tho most
conspicuous appeared in Alfred de MIsset's
-LOrenKlcOio.
When women frst began TO act Shakes
pearc's characters on the English stage they
frequently Get about tho task In Il spirit -
hIrlasque and made no serious attempt %
portray the figures that the drdIantist drew.
tn" serious attempts 10 act these roles cane
later. Tho effects Of this dosire may bo
Judged from tho fact that one authority ha1
recently said that easily as many as hrtv
women Hamlet, have been known on tho
English-speak king stage But nobody remcm-
beers more than three ~Shvlocks
Kitty Give 10 sad 10 have been the first
woman Shg!ock, although it IS. not certain
that. even allowing for the way In which tho
character vas conceived IN those days. hor
performance wos. intended " ee %seriou.
She played the Iole with a marked Jewish
accent. and this innovation seems 10 have
been regarded as mor- remarkable than her
INU ~ ~ 1 IN M ne anIh 4. aVnAf
one Shyiock was an American, namely
Charlotte CHAMPION. who played tho Iolo
frequently y TINS country nearly a a cen
in her repertoire and some Of them seemed
quite a. ,unsuited to her sex a. hhyiock.
She was born IN 1910 and appeared first
in Cincinnati at the age OF Is, 4 year later
she caru" East and acted at the Arch street
Iheatr", IL PLlladelphia, taking six roles In
An Actress OF All Work" was It's title, and
that seoms 20 have described Mrs. Champion
appropriately enough.
ported to have said after seeing her that shc
would have astQnIshed the world II She had
been a, foot taller. Among the other male
IIy Romeo and Hotpr,
The thtrd sSmsn Shgi2ch known to stage
20 b" the lessee Of the Prince OF Wales theatre
In BtrminshanI, Eng In 1880. with no play 10
Merchant Of Venice and played tho jew.
Charlotte Cusninan was accounted a great
Romeo hero and Ia England and She lis said
have been the only Carfiul! WOisey.
Twenty-Five other feminine Rp1Usps are
recalled by 'tage h.storiau-. Among them
We're Mr.. Freedman. who. played tho lover
In 1910 At Plymouth 10 the JWhst II her daugh-
ter, who was only !. at the time This do
nestle phasc Of the Romeo continued, for
Charlotte Cu,h'p0H acted the part frequently
y. her sister, Juh,i. aud two sisters named
Ellen and Lmr.a f"ist attempted tho same
cNI"rimcLt at Richmond IN surrey in 1853.
E~lue B"riug"r acted the part e. her sisters
Nu|lFt IN luttNn flFsfs y tstlN 20 Mtl.Nfl
Jones acted Il ia Albany IN 1851 to the Juad
of her dglsHter, AvoyIa,.
NsstTa!i aud Mrs John Drew were some Of
Ia noted PLAYERS Of TINS part in former years.
NIs Drew also played ;M1rC ,Arfouy Mrs.
a.o Sitn Nlrr Henry Lewis. j. tho oily OthsHo
recalled. II Mrs Whitley. who acted il once
recently in London at It speciui matinee. be
But there hays been many Iqoos among
the actresses Marie Prescott was the last
Ja0o In her time. R,hccca DcerIug. another
American actress Who aprctrcd chieAy ~
80 did Emile Burke. who added IA touch OF
realism ~ the shape OF a ,mustacEe. She
also htd the honor OF being the only feminine
There were only two women FalsfaOs even
when the state %, puUl.G taste made such a
i.r-t part Of Henry ~" on July u. 1856. at
The Haymarket and tho r"rformauc" fl.Ied
completely, since the actress only gldli'ca-
ton Tor tho part was her uncounmon. size
In 1893 came Mrs. Glover. who had ability
as well rs fat. But the Let ended there.
Inc first woman to play n. hard m. was
q Mrs le'evre. who took the role in i1Ss.
Mira Henry Lewis tried u" pert IN Phllndcl-
phia, IN l~a7. but had Lo successor here until
Charlotte CHAMPION.
Anna DiCkin-on and Adele Bolgarie acted
Hcrle. here within the last quarter Of q con
turv. Anna tlrnin and Julia MdrlOwe have
appeared as P~iIcr H1L and Ada Rchau was
to have tGkon the part IN AucuStln Days
proluot.ou of Henry ".
Julia Msr,pVe has also appeared ~ Chrt-
t'riDr. Msry Anderson confined her NJ
r"arluCe In male roles To- iyt, Illcu Tree
took up that role within a short limo otter
Ialf0urds play was frst PRODUCED