Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-16
KYRLE BELLEW
As CASTOR de eIarsac is Gentleman of France.

evenings and at a special matinee to
small audiences.
The great italian baritone, Campanari,
gave a delightful recital Wednesday eve
ming to a small but highly appreciative
audience.
king Dodo.' new comic opera. with
hosts OF pretty girls and sparkling music,
finished the week.
At tie Bjou, Reilly and Woods Big Show
crowded the house during the entire Week
During the past month the question of
national theater, which relapsed into
dornlancy when Andrew Carnegie denied
that he intended endowing one, has Deen
asitated with such fresh vigor as to in
spire supporters Of the project with confl-
dence in the successful termination OF
their efforts. Recent issues of two popu-
lar magazines contained articles on the
subject from the pens of Wilton Lackaye
and James *. Hackett. Almost sinful
tancously there comes the news of the re-
markable success of a young woman OF
g or. 2. whose five years on the stage
have given her such command over her
art that she is put forward and universal
~ accepted as star. Inc young
woman is Grace George, and her reap
! pearance suggests that, much as is said
| about the profession of acting, extend
| ed experience is not necessary to success
| in the playhouse
The concession of this statement does
not argue that an institution on the order
! Of the Coincide Franchise would not be of
! great benefit in America. 1t is not the
| purpose Of the writer to DISCUSS the pros
| and cons of tlleater backed by the Gov
| eminent of the United States. He simply
| desires to call attention to the fact that.
whether because they are born with a
| genius that renders technique needless. or
| because technique is not requisite to good
| acting men and women who have had lit
tie instruction of q histrionic nature
/ share the top runGs OF the ladder with
! those more fortunate.
Grace George is not the only, or even
| the best known of the stars whose
! climb upward required but short time.
| Bertha Galland, who is appearing in
'.Notre Dame" was not known as fig
ure in the theatrical world until she was
! seen two seasons ago with Mr. Hackett
| in ':Tne Pride of Jennico.' Her appren-
i ticeship was one to be counted in months.
| Since it cannot be denied that Miss Gal
| land is an accomplished actress, the bet
| ter of the two theories mentioned must be
/ chosen to account for the brevity of her
! career. Mrs. Leslie Carter sprang to a
| position among the foremost of native
| actresses after being seen in four plays
| Margaret Angln, whose performance in
| ''Mrs. Danes Defence" was enthusiast
cally comm encled, graduated from dra-
| matte school and had three years with
| Richard Mansfield and Henry Miller be-
| fore eng assigned to the place of leading
! woman of the Empire Theater Stock Com
| pany Ethel Barrymore and Blanche
| Bates are comparatively inexperienced
| Florence Kahn, celebrated for her read
! ing, made her professional debut in 1897
| Eieanor Robson. now being featured with
Ill ~v,, sNr 5-,,, or4r So.
short while with the Frawley Company in
San Francisco. and spent a season with
arizona" as preparation for being intro
duced to the public on equal terms with
Otis Skinner and Mrs. Sarah Cowell LIE
Moyne.
When taken up in connection with these
half-dozen women. the career of Grace
George does not seem SO preposterously
brief as it did in the beginning Miss
George made her debut when Charles
Frolman produced THE New Boy She
played the part which Odette Tyler Gre
ated in 1.-THE Girl I Left Behind Me- and
drew attention to herself by means of her
work in "Charley's Aunt Next she APP
peared as Gretchen in Auguste Van
Bienes present,nent of "The Wandering
Minstrel She supported Charles B.
Nelles and Charles Dickson in vaudeville
and had roles in mile. Fiji 1.-The Tur-
tie and ben Hur.'' Then William A.
Brady starred" her in s'Under Southern
Skies" and now she has achieved what
seems to be a genuine success in Pretty
Peggy"
Next Wednesday night at the Academy
Kyrle Bellew, one Of the most picturesque
figures on the English-speaking stage IN
our generation, makes his first appearance
in this city in nearly decade.
Mr.. BelIew comes presenting Stanley |
Weyman's world-read romance, "a Gem
tleman OF France as dramatized by Har-
riet Ford also the dramatist of Audrey"
Mr.. Rellew will be supported by that
beautiful and talented young actress. Miss
Gretchen Lyons. who has succeeded Miss |
Robson, now the star OF Audrey In this |
srole.. Miss Robson becomes 4 star next
Monday here in the title role Of Mary
Johnston's Wildly read novel. Audrey
Liebler s. Co.. Mr. Bellows manaEers,S|
have surrounded the famous English actor
WITH M oduot1an'. said 70 b nns az thu |