The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-28
RECOLLECTI0NS OF {. |. DAVENPORT
Interesting Incidents in the Stage Career
of the Great American Actress,
Clara Morris.
BY CLARA MORRIS IN MccLURE's MAGAZINE.

.,onious everyday, good-natured'
~. - hs,rted girls, pleasant to be with,
49, N Mr.. Ellsler they must have been
and radiant lot, utterly I'M
.,nsh1a in this world, or else he
,,nsv they had awful powers for evil
- dared not provoke their "hoodoo.'
.o,,er the reason, the fact remain
Ia was afraid to advance me one
,,..,o s+en in name-even to utility wo-
-. while in fact l was advanced to
",.,,i,, other peoples parts nearly half
.ba time. and the reason for this con-
.,,red holding back was fear of Of
<..diro the other ballet girls"-truly
,ovel position for a manager. one
lie AZ once there must have been
-on,etbing unusually precious about
srcb ballet, and that he feared to
,rsak the set. Anyway, before 1 got
out-c}ear out-something happened.
number of stars had spoken to me
ehout nv folly in remaining in the bal
80 and when l told them Mr.. Ellsler
os afraid to advance me for fear of
oaanding the other girls, they answer
al yariously, and many ADVISED me 10
Sraax the set myself, saying If l left
" would soon be after me and glad
- engage me for first walking-la-
dies - But my crushed childhood had
&c effect shall always lack self-as-
sertion-and l stayed on.
There was no regular heavy woman
.ho+ season and the old woman was
little tiny rag of a creature, not big
Ger than a doll. Mr.. e. L. Davenport
vas 10 open in "Othello." Mrs. Eff1e
Fllsler was to play the young Desde-
mona. and l was to go on for Emilia.
Mr. Davenport was man or most
reckless speech. He was an old frleno
of the Ellslers, calling them by their
6rst names. and meeting them with
hearty greetings and many Jests. so
when at rehearsal, in the middle of
story 10 Mrs. Ellsler, the call came for
Othello. Desdemona and Iago she ex-
claimed. Excuse me, Ned, they are
calling us"
Rut he held her sleeve and answered:
Mot vou-its me-" and glancing hur-
riedlv about. his eye met mine, and he
added pleasantly, you, my DEAR
they're calling Desdemona.
stood still, and my smile was slow
and wide. Mrs. Ellsler's black
ewes snapped-but this man
a friend. She tossed her head, and
netulantly pushed him from her to-
wards the stage. He went on, and at
the end of his speech:
This only is the witchcraft 1 have
used:
Here comes the lady, let her witness
it
he turned to face Mrs. Ellsler entering
with Iaco and her attendants. Look
ing utterly bewildered. he exclaimed:
why. for Gods sake, Eftie, you're not
going on for Desdemona, are you?"
Perhaps his dissatisfaction may be
better understood if l mention that a
young man % years old, who took
tickets at the dress circle door, called
Mrs. Ellsler mother, also that middle
aged prosperity expressed itself in
startling number of inches about the
waist of her short little body. Though
her feet and hands were extremely
small they could not counterfeit the
effect of that betraying shapelessness
Of figure. On the California coast one
hears horrible tales of the awful te-
nacity of the abalone shell, but 1t is
weakness compared to the tenacity of
grasp shown by managers wives for
the Ophelias, Juliets, and Desdemonas
Of the drama. Mrs. Ellsler in answer
10 that rude question, laughed affect
edly, and said: We'll, 1 believe the
leading woman generally does play
pesdemona."
But cried Davenport, where's
who's Emilia?''
Mr. Ellsler took him by the arm and
led him a little to one side; several
sharp eXclamations escaped the stars
w Of Ice !, IL
yes John-I know any one may have
10 twist about a bit now and then in
cast, but damn me If 1 can see why
you don't cast Effie for Emilia and
thls girl for Desdemona; then they
would at least look something like the
parts as it is now, they are both ridic-
ulous
=, IL was an awful speech, and the truth
tndt was in 1t made it cut deep. There
were those on the stage who momen-
Idrlly expected the building to fall, so
great was their awe of Mrs. Ellsler.
one always expected to see her stop on
the street corner to beat her breast
ana thank God that she was not as
o o women. The odd part of the I'M
peasant affair was that every one was
his wife. N''''i'
Wen, night came. I trailed about
tIter Desdemona, picked up the fatal
10 handkerchief, spoke a line here and
mere as Shakespeare wills one should,
ana bided my time, as all Emilias
must Now had noticed that many
Emlllas, when they gave the alarm,
cried out their Murder! Murder!"
ssainst all the noise of the tolling bells,
ana came back upon the stage spent
uha without voice or breath to finish
.Ielr big scene, and people thought
mem weak in consequence. A long
hanging bar of steel is generally used
ior me alarm, and blows struck upon
~ SEND forth a vibrating clangor that
eoHpletely fills a theater. I had made
al agreement with the prompter that
% was not to strike the bar until I
,.eu up my hand to him. Then he
"aS 20 strike one blow each time
taiSed my hand, and when 1 threw up
.T IN hands he was to raise Cain" I'M
VI ! was on the stage again. So in the
. .ast act, with throat trained with
"ueh shouting, / cried:
care not for thy sword: I'll make
~, thee known.
'nough l lost twenty lives.-Help!
help, hol help!"
Then ran on shouting:
me Moor has killed my mistressi"
,taklng breath. I gave the long-sus-
''''eq' ever-rising, blood-curdling cry:
Murderi Murderi Murderi"