The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-01

I Alonzo Plummer, the village Pooh Bah, and
has been educated in Paris, where her vocal
fame has spread over the artistic world.
Her American nativity is not known out
side of her immediate family. She Is en-
| gagged by a Yankee impresario for ii big
, operate production, under the impression
4 that she is q Paris stage divinity, who will
e~lectrify American audiences.
She plays her part in French dialect, i'm
itating the imported artist, until near the
| close, when she has enough of the silly hon.
or, casts the mask aside and declares Amer
lea is good enough for her.
sss
Stories concerning Mary Anderson are al
ways of interest to American play follow
ers. Atkins Lawrence. who was a member
of her company for some time, grew remln-
iscent recently.
II was Mary Anderson's second leading
! man. he said, succeeding John Norton,
who taught her, and / remained with her
for three years-from the time she was 10
until she was %. In certain respects she
was the greatest Juliet. She couldn't play
the balcony scene with the sweetness Of
Nelson. but in those scenes where tragic
strength was required she was superb. She
was a genius. Other actors and actresses
study out their effects. but hers came to
her in a strange way.
she couldn't explain why she did GER
tain things that produced such wonderful
results. Often have asked, and she al
ways said the same thing-she didn't know
why.
I'm those days she was as simple as a
child. full Of fun-a regular tomboy. in fact.
If the train stopped she was always chal-
longing some one to run a race or to jump
with her. And, with all her genius, she was
a great Joker, even on the stage.
IT was getting a little stout in those days,
even though ] was a young fellow, and, as
Claude Melnotte, 1 had a vest that 1 had
supplied with three powerful buckles in the
back. These / would draw as tightly as
possible to make myself slim. One night
/ had Just finished my description of my
palace. and knelt down to say:
=" Likest thou the picture. Pauline?" when
suddenly all three OF the buckles gave way
with a snap that set the people in the or
chestra tittering.
Whats the matter, Atkins?' she said in
a stage whisper.
my vest buckles have broken 1 an
swered.
That's all right; I was afraid it was
your suspenders.'"
David Belasco spent ir staging 'Du
Barry" and Belasco himself will not tell.
But he likes nothing better than to take a
friend back on the stage of his theater in
New York, sit down on a trunk and bring
out the properties for him to admire.
Mr.. Belasco's attitude during the process
Is one strictly impersonal. He is not show
ing the interesting articles because they
belong to Mr.. Belasco. but because there
are pretty and rare things which Mr.. Be-
lasco himsel admires. of which he is fond.
which he thinks his friends ought to ad-
mire, and which he hopes they will enjoy
seeing. Thus he takes the fragile cup. from
which Mrs. Carter drinks during the bed
room reception. and. balancing it daintily
between thumb and finger. he says:
THAT cup was used by the original Du
Barry. Yes. I picked it up in Paris. It's a
wonderful thing to me to know that a wom-
an who lived and ruled a King 100 years
ago drank from that cup. pressed it to her
lips, perhaps at that very spot. I some
timesh hold that cup in my land and dream
over it for hours. Beautiful. isn't it?'
Few persons who might meet Charles
Hawtrey in private life would imagine that
he was an actor. There is nothing of/the
typical actor In his appearance, and still
less in his manner.
With the average acquaintance he would
much rather talk about any other subject
than the stage. and when that Is insisted
on he IL extremely modest about his own
achievements
In looks he Is the well-groomed English
man. VIII --~vr: HE clothes wits, ease and