The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1903-01-20
Minnie. Madden FiSke.
A Great Actress ~ A Brainy Woman.

I pie used to- change the bill every night.
and they acted better than we do now
The leading lady wore the same dress in
act after act. and all dressed In the sim
plest way
Then do you think We ought to go
back TO the simplicity Of the old tineT'
| asked.
mo. [ believe IN the elaborate ard
splendid and perfect stage mounting that
Wagner introduced.If Shakespeare were
alive now, he would advocate IT. stu,
we have no women on the stage today
who play great pa rts such as Brunhilde,
iphigenia and AntiEone. JannnschcK and
Ristori are almost the last women who
played great parts. Modteska has had
abe finest repertory of any woman in the
past twenty years.
full organ note voice Janauschek and Ris-
tori had. 1 do not know whether II 10
the voice or the method that has changed,
but the voice with the organ note in 1t
Ia never heard on the stage today. The
last one heard upon the stage was Nine.
ia ma uschek'5.
It is plain Mrs Fiske is OF opinion that
we ought to have the facile acting, the
great woman parts. the voices with the
organ tone In them and the ma gnihcentiy
electrically illuminated scenic spectacles.
too, in the modern theater, ana perhaps
we may have by and by.
asked hor II she thought tine stage
offered AZ good i ael1 to young women
as to young men for earning living and
occurring advdD ev-tLrt. Shn thiaSs II
does. also that woms1 receive az good
oay as men for the Ike grade II WORK.
Here. then. IL one wage earning field IN
which women are not Disseminated
against. F'urthernidrt, 1t NAV interest
ami itious CIR with dramatic Aspirations
to know that this distinguished woman
scouts with fine scoTn the idea that TO
snaseed IN theatrl al life a young woman
m1IGt sacrifice her 'elf respect.
Who Is there OF uH ;hat does not believe
in luck? Mrs. Fiske does. She says;
"I have noticed often that II II not al
ways the most deserving actresses who
are most successful. Many women un-
known in the profession have worked
harder and are really more gifted and
capable than some with far wider repu-
talon. the theatrical woman who reach
es a high place must work hard, but
some work very hard I'll their lives and
do not get the place. don't know what's
the reason unless It's luck. And almost
invariably. too, the women Of the stage
have others than themselves to support.
Just SO. But in that last respect the
women Of the stage are not singular,
The same Is true ~ almost every other
wage earning woman.
Mrs. Fiskes own -heater. the Man.
haitian, in New York city. whose inte-
rlor arrangements were planned by her
husband, Harrison Grey Btske, aims at
embodytng the Wagnerian idea Of artistic
perfection In scenic effect and stage set
ting. II Is beautiful and luxuriously ap-
pointed. with reception room and foyer
that appeal TO the aesthetic sense. 1t
contains also library OF historic and
dramatic works that are used as authori-
ties in the preparation OF plays produced
in the theater. Painstaking artistic cor
rectness Is the word with Mr.. and Mrs,
Btske. Many of the volumes in the library
are old and rafe.
Mrs. Fiske. whose theatrical career be-
gan when she was 3 years old, does not
think stage women work harder than