The Washington times., 1901-12-08

erai notable presentations OF this kind
the young dramatist became ambitious
and announced that the next bill would
be an elaborate production Of Harriet
| Beecher Stoves Uncle Toms Cabin.
1T was very funny" said Miss Walker
\ to a representative of The Times. but
! all the children wcse afraid to black up
! for fear they would be punished. so had
to play Uncle Tom. Topsy and all tho
, darky parts. / bIackened up with SCOT,
and my parents were several days reStor-
| ing my hands and face to their natural
color. We used 10 drive to and from the
| opera house in my pony cart. a two
| wheel anair. but the company managed to
pile In. The theatrical atmosphere must
have been very apparent. and the pony
ambitious to Become the principal come
dian Of the troupe. for on these occa
sions he never failed to lie down suddenly
and dump all the actors in the middle Of
the road.
MY people were very much opposed
to my adopting the stage. and l was
kept at a boarding school for long
time in the hope that would abandon
the idea. But when they saw that l was
determined they gave In, and am now
in MY third year.
Il made my debut with Walker White
side. my cousin. and last season | ap-
poared with Howard Kyle in Nathan
Hale playing a short season with the
stock company in Milwaukee, was any
ious to get here through the same motive
which prompts so many others-that Is.
to be under the direction Of Mr. Bellows.
and to have the benefit Of his Instruction
| Although stock work Is hard. and one IA
forced to literally bury ones self. / feel
that need the experience. and have time
TO give to 1t.
"'The results-sood results-of certain
I amount of such schooling are incaleulable.
should never be content to remain per-
| manCntly In st55E. because too much Of
il is worse than too little. hope n havs
a play Of my own before very long One
is now being written for me by
| dramatist whom have known all my life,
and the character Is being drawn to %
me. 1t will be Just such a part as that
Of Rowry which : played in Pudd' 'nhead
Wilson, breezy. mischievous. and low
able role. think. realize that I'm not
| adapted to real serious work. mean
emotional roles-and I dislike the idea OF
undertaking them.
II own race horse. Yes; and he's
going to be heard from next year. have
an English trainer for MIN. and some OF
these days-well. YOU can see that the
| theatre isn't the only thing that occupies
my mind
The work of Suzanne Sheldon in the
role Of Hugette du Hamel was one Of the
distinctly conspicuous features OF e. II.
sothern's production OF "If Were King"
at the National Theatre last week.
Miss Sheldon Is an American actress
who has won much success on the Eng
lish stage and was specially engaged for
hef present role Her acting Is INTEL
ligent, fOrceful and thoroughly artistic.
and her success has been such that the
author has engaged ker to enact the part
when the play Is given in London with
George Alexander In the role now being
played by Mr.. Sothern
Miss Sheldon met a Times interviewer
very cordially one afternoon last week,
and in reply to a request for chat said:
u am afraid I shall be ve- dull fn-
all I've ever done is to work Yes, am
an American. but must c9r- that
know very little Of my own country.
having spent nearly all my life abroad.
lived in Germany for a long time, and
1t was there that I first conceived the
idea of going on the stage, though I did
not carry II ogt then.
Il came to America. but my father
would not consent to my adopting the
dramatic profession unless I would prom-
ise to begin at the very bottom and work
my way UP. So | went to London, know
ing no one there. and asked permission OF
Sir Henry Irving to walk on in his
ductions, which he allowed me to do. and
for three months 1 was an extra woman
in his company. / learned every part
In, Efarr 4.
] used to 90 down to the theatre myself
and rehearse them in his armor.
Then Sir Henry began preparations
for Madame Sans Gene and set about
learning the parts in that play The
woman who had been cast for the role
OF the Queen Of Na~'es became Ill and Sir
Henry said to NE, perhaps little Doubt
fully:
LOT course. you know this part?'
II promptly answered that did and hs
said:
All right. go on aud rehearse It.
Il went on and played the part with
out mistake. That was the BEGINNING
Of my career, and for how much am in
debted to Sir Henry ! can never say. My
admiration for him Is more than bound
less. II such thing is possible. People
who have never been associated with him
cannot understand what q really wonder
full man he IS Nothing is ever too much
trouble. he is never so occupied with his
own Affairs that thos- of other people are
not worthy OF consideration. and no one
is Of too little Importance to receive his
attention at almost any time.
After leaving Sir Henry's company /
became leading woman with the Adelph
Theatre Company. and then experienced
no difficulty in securing engagements.
had been away-from America four years
when / returned in October to Join Mr..
Sothern. 1 shall return TO England in
February to play my present part when
George Alexander produces II | were
King in London.
Next spring l shall play the title rols
in 1lIgda' with the German Theatre In
London. The play will. OF course be
given in German. This is my first visit
20 Washington, and it has been n pleas
ant surprise to me. have always i'm
agined the Capital OF the United States
to be bCstling busy, noisy city and |
find il a delightfully."- comfortable sort OF
place, with Just enough life to make il
seem like Il grOwn-up town. think II is
charming. and. although l have seen about
everything of interest abroad. there GER
ainly is nothing anywhere to equal that
magnificent Congressional Library in
grandeur.
Now. 1 said that I could tell you moth
ing startling. and 1 have kept my word.
one thing which l must tell you. how
ever. is that this is the first time I have
ever been interviewed. Why Wen.
chiefly because j think when one becomes
great or does something out OF the ocdi-
nary 1t is then time to talk about ones
self But hope to reach that stage some
Iov and when L do | sincerely trff5r that