The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-22
Rise to Fame of Women ORA
matte Stars.
Evident That They Are Totally
Eclipsing the Men.
MISS ALIENS WORK.
How She Tried For Years Until
Recognized.
Things Of Interest About Actors
and Plays.


That something Of a change has come
In the condition of things theatrical
would seem to be evidenced BY the
rapid rise to the dignity of starhood
OF a dozen or more actresses Of COM
paratively slight experience during the
past several seasons, says the Philadei-
phia Times.
Until within a half dozen years ago
only managerial booming of the mos
extraordinary and expensive kind, as ~
the case OF the late Margaret MathsI
or personal notoriety, as in the case %
Mrs Isangtry or that OF Mrs FottsI
would serve to make star OF an mex
perienced woman.
There was Viola Allen, who worked
hard for years and years before she
succeeded in getting into the lmpoI ,
ance indicated by display types anu
''three-sheets." True, folk with long
memories can recall that. all OF SIX
teen years ago. Miss Allen was a stAr
Tor a short time in an unsuccessful play
called Talked About" IN all pfoDa-
bility she was as good an actress then
as now But her failure at that tllhs
was all that could have been expected
from such a ventur@she was unknown
to thcater-goers generally, and had NOT
served an apprenticeship sufficiently
long to warrant her in trying 10 estaD-
lish herself as an attraction
Annie Russell, too. Her acting n re-
cent years has not been more arristlc
or more charming, surely, than tnaI
offered by her in the days OF "Eilalne
and ''Esmerelda-" But she nad "
struggle, and struggle hard, to become
a star. How many times did she Try IN
vain2 sue" and THE Mysterious MT
Bugle." and The Salt of the Earth,
and sCatharine were Annie Rus
sell vehicles. and all were popular Iali-
ures; and il was not until less than Two
years ago that the tide turned with
Miss Hobbs.
And Virginia Harmed. Not so good
an actress in any respect, perhaps as
either Miss Allen or Miss Russell. but
she managed to keep herself Well IN the
public eye for years, and acted IN 4
manner that gave seeming Satisfaction
to theater-gOers so long as she did not
try to star. Now. after more than "A
decade of service as a leading woman,
she becomes an attraction"
Contrasted with the experiences OF
these three are the sudden successes of
half q dozen others Bertha Galland,
less than two years ago. came unknown
to Philadelphia, scored a hit as MI
Hackett'S chief feminine assistant. and
IS TO be one of the new stars of next
season. So far. her urban experience
has been confined TO a single role
Blanche Bates. a few years ago, came
unknown from the Pacific coast. played
small robes with the lateAugustin DAILY
was entrusted with an important char
acter, played It so we'll as to make Ada
Rehan Jealous, and was hailed as ready
for an Individual poster. Last winter,
New York city theater-goers accepted
her enthusiastically as a full-fedged
star.
Hilda Spong. brought from England
less than three years ago, to play 4
role she had acted successfully over
there. forged her way to the head of
the company for which she had been
imported as a minor member. and is TO
be known as the star of that company
for the future
Mary Mannering. less than five years
ago, came from abroad. where she had
been a provincial actress. to member
ship in the same company, remained
with it for three years, and was one of
the last seasons most successful stars.
And now those who have watched the
progress of the Misses Galland. Bates,
Spong and Mannering are wondering
how soon Clara Bloodgood viii be ele-
waited A few years ago, she stepped
from the drawing room to the stage in
an inconspicuOus role but in a cOnspic-
uous manner, due to her social connec-
tons Nobody expected anything from
her in the histrionic line Last winter
however, she scored a strong. persona!
success in a minor role in The CHM b.
ers." and since then has been a person
of some consequence in current stage
news Another hit like that of the past
season, and she would seem to be ripe
for starhood.
As the situation in the dramatic field
stands today the woman star" is rap
idly eclipsing the man.
When a few seasons ago. the dra-
matization Of popular novels was begun
on the wholesale plan. the handsome
matinee idol of athletic proportions and
soaring ambitions suddenly found him
self elevated from the, by no means
strongly defined. position of leading
man to the peerage of dramatic star
domsto don the picturesque attire of the
hero of romantic fiction and swash-
buckle through four acts of love and
adventure.
The romantic" actor became cock-o-
the-Walk on the stage and the lead
ing lady who but short season before
had been wont to carry all the honors
was relegated TO the background or
transformed at best into a pretty fea-
ture OF the setting in which the newly
risen male star was nightly refurbished
with the full and undivided glare Of the
calcium. Ia one season alone more than
than half a dozen leading men were
thus placed on the high pedestal Of his
frionic fame
Now things theatrical have changed
a bit Now liz is the neglected leading
lady" who is doing all the starring and
wearing all the hne clothes The magic
circle Of sparkling lime light that shone
with such unwavering effulEence on
the male stars Of a few seasons. ago. has
now been refOcused with greater splen-
dor on host of women Tt is the ..ro-
mantle" actress now who is all-power-
ful as the big attraction 81 the hour.
while some Of the neV-made stars who
then scared SO spectacularly are simply
leading men" again.