The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-11-09
MRS. SILBERT
Was Once Skirt Dancer in Old |
England.

! oiIoSII Ids Dt6u
successfully upon her career as 6
star, and though she nearly succum
bed to the first night reception,
which continued and continued until
her back was tired with bowling, she
managed to ge through. Her play,
"Granny''-lt would nave been call
ed :Grandma,' but that title is
copyrighted-has been approved and
he dear old lady sent on her way
with many pretty press notices for
her scrapbook-if she keeps one.
The story tells Of grandmother S
interference when her son determines
to marry second time, following
the death Of his first wife. Eventu-
ally, however, she discovers that the
usurper is most pleasant woman
and succeeds in reconciling the faith
err with his son. who had taken his
grandn, others part.
Ever hear Mrs. Gilbert tell of her
early years on the stage9 1t is most
interesting. eff any one had told
ne sixty years ago that I should be
IN actress would have laughed at
them,' she begins. II was a dancer
hen in England. So was my hus.
band. Not the kind of dancing you
know nowadays, but those little bal
let's. We came to America in 1S49-
not to go on the stage. Oh, dear, no!
My husband had some land way out
west. and we were going to do l
don't know what But the upshot of
1t all was that the money gave out
somebody got it. | don't just know
how and We had to gko to dancing
again. That was in Milwaukee. OF
course, it was bound to happen. !
danced and danced for a number Of
years
'Thcn said to myself, Zone
can t dance forever, but one can
keep on ac.ing forever and SO l
worked my way into acting. 1t was
pretty up hill road for time
There was a prejudice against me
because | was a foreiener-you see
feeling that l was taking work
away from some American, and all
that-but it wore away, and that
idea is dead and gone. Good rid
dance to it! Then my husband fell
down an open trap and injured him
self so that he could not dance any
more. He became proVpter then
stage director.
II have been very fortunate in
! my managers and stage associates. I
played with John Owens for long
time. Oh. such good actor. He
taught me more about comedy than
any one | ever played with Owens,
Daily and Frohman! These are the
names that will stick in my men,
DRY. Charles Frohman has been Won
darfully kind to me. He is delight
fully pleasant and thoughtful mana
Ger. I have never heard an unpleas.
ant word from him Or known him
to cause and unpleasant scene, and
that S something | cannot say of
any other manager | ever knew.
That's true. Then, too, he is very
clever at the details Of stage work.
He knows what a effective bit of
business is, and he knows how to use
it.
"But the work is too hard I am
afraid it will break down his nerves
unless he lets up a little. 1t broke
down DAILY. He was forever taking
powders, and then his nerves gave
way AS soon as l see Frohman
taking powders [ am going to call
him one side and give him a good
talking to-
"How many parts have you play
ed. Mrs. Gilbert
''Oh. dear me, have no idea; so
many ! could not keep track of
them. I have never kept record of
anything in my life
Five hundred do YOU Think"
Eyes. indeed. Many more than
that. In some plays / have acted
a number of different parts. In Mae
beth l have played every female
role. and some # the male ones too.
Lady Macbeth is not a hard part at
all. 1t is really a short part, al
though it seems like very long one
to the audience. | had played one OF
Al .+Cl,x, 4. Il.