The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-08-24

decide whether or not 10 accept an offer
which has been made TO me TO give
monologue I'm vaudeville. / don't mind
confidIng to you that am more than half
inclined 10 be enthusiastic over the pros
poets OF playing In vaudeville. Just think
OF how easy-after one gets a good act
and gets a start-it Is and what salaries
are paid to vaudeville performers. with
very little expense--only railroad fares
and costumes at the beginning. Really
it's a big temptation. How did IL come
about? Well. about three years ago
well known actor with whom / had been
associated. died and a prominent manager
got up a benefit for him. j volunteered
my services and gave a little monologue
which I put together hurriedly for the
occasion. IL went rather well. and during
the next few weeks I was amazed at re-
ceiving four very fine offers TO go into
vaudeville. giving my monologue. OF
course. I declined. for ] was not then
thoroughly appreciative OF the advantages
vaudeville offers. Last season these offers
were repeated with an advance In the
salary, and | came near giving In, but at
the last moment decided not 10 do so.
This season have declined several very
good stock company offers. because
want n rest. and at the same time money.
so when the vaudeville offer was again
made me a few weeks ago. i began TO
think seriously OF II. II ! determine 10
accept the offer. ! shall fix up my mono
logue with a few improvements / have
thought Of and shall probably play 10
weeks first on the Keith circuit"
Tell me something about your mono
logue," urged. now very interested, for
saw that she was truly serious.
"Oh. can't tell you very much about
1t off-hand except that IL comprises
few contrasting character studies, and
also includes a couple OF songs. one
1na rtaNs aIl II. taL
changes OF costume"
I had always heard that Miss Reiner
was brilliant pianist and has thorough
musical training, but i was surprised 10
learn that she was also clever with her
pen. Truly most versatile woman us
this your first attempt at writing?"
asked.
A shrek OF laughter filled the room and
for few minutes Miss Reimer gave her
self up 10 the mirth which took posses
sion OF her. while I waited for the ex-
planation OF her hilarity
Mercy. no. In the little town OF An
gelica. n. Y. am famous as a literateur.
When / was a little girl. /. with my
cousins, always visited my grandmother
I'm the summer, and we were constantly
acting charades. with the front parlor as
the stage and the back parlor as tie audi
torium. and the portieres as curtains.
Grandmas birthday always came in tho
vacation time, and instead OF our giving
grandma presents. she gave us them. usu-
ally money. which we invariably spent on
the circus. IL was my proud boast that
/ did not miss circus until l grew up,
although grandma and differed as 20 the
exact time when i grew up You see. my
theatrical tastes were strong, even then,
and everything In that line. from a circus
10 grand opera has always appealed to
me, so vaudeville is, perhaps. a natural
E,,. rfr lVAf fha ofA
As an expression OF our gratitude TO
grandma for having a birthday. we used
TO get up some special kind OF entertain
ment for that particular day. and was
always the theatrical dictator. and 80
wrote-of course. We were too good 10
play the trash ordinary dramstists
turned out--the plays we used.
"One ! remembered was all about the
fairies and another was a war play, but
grandma didn't like the war play because
we made so much noise. In another. we
all represented birds. If there Is anyone
who was alive at that time ia believe he
stole my idea and have him sued for
piracy. Gt was something less than half
a century ago. No, l won't tell you how
much less. and you mustn't coax me) No
matter what I wrote, there was usually
an Irish servant in it, and needless 10 say.
/ insisted upon being the Irish soubrette.
Wasn't my taste perverted then? But
don't put that against me. / was very
young A couple OF cousins who used 10
be fellow play actors In those days,
have since become brilliant magazine wri
ters, notably Margarete Hamilton Welsh.
who is remembered for her clever contri
buttons 10 Harper's Bazaar, the New York
Post and Sun, and who died about
month ago, but the only literary effort
I've since achieved has been my mono
logue. Whether that Is good or bad /
can't tell vet Vaudeville is such queer
field. You have only about IL minutes TO
do an entire act and depend entirely upon
yourself so you can't afford to say or do
one dull thing IL must sparkle from the
minute you appear until the last word.
II Is brand new experience. but | feel
really excited over Il. I've had several
opportunities to sell my laughing song.
but / always kept 1t thinking some day |
might need II, and II Ats I'm here capitally.
Must you really go? Well. ! can't think
OF anything interesting TO tell you. I'm
sorry, because I'm afraid I'm a trying
subject TO interview. You might say, II
you care to. that one OF the greatest in
ducements held out for me to go into vau-
deville, IL go. Is the fact that i will be
able to return to Providence, II only for
one week When will IL be? I can't ex-
actly say. In the meantime, don't forget
me, and II you get a chance peek in at
us next week"
Mentally running over my engagements
for next week and resolving 10 plan TO
be present at the closing nights perform
ance I wandered back 10 the office. just
as, tho chief IVES calling for the copy OF