The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-23
MRS. SCHRADER CHATS
 OF AMELIA BINGHAM

a moss grown state of sunless inertia since the passing of Mary Anderson.
 Tt seems to me that had the casual theatre goer never attended one of MISS Bingham's performances the very pict- ures now posted would suggest a tone' a color for the composition, the picture of the woman herself. She is beautl, ful. she is artistic, she Is sincere ana ambitious. Once when world-weary with the constant struggle for survival of the fittest-an uplifting of the lily bud of success from the dull masses or the leaf of failure Miss Bingham turned to me with d sigh and said, Amelia Bingham spells Ambition. Why must I go on and on. ever striving, always hoping planning? l sometimes wish it were not so. It is then 1 long to sink into a quiet uneventful lie, but I realize that this can only be when am no more for one nature IS not Io be suppressed
 Miss Bingham is well able to give expression to her ambitious impulses for she is wealthy. Her home in New York is ! valuable piece of property and the interior Is furnished luXurious- ly. Some of the furnishings belonged to a famous King of France and were bought by Miss Bingham while abroad. Her boudoir seems like fairyland and every step reveals unexpected objects of beauty and interest.
 Although surrounded by such royal atmosphere, Amelia Bingham is as unspoiled as a child. She enjoys her home. her blooded horses, her
 gowns and her jewels, but it is her
 work after all that she most loves.
 Miss Bingham's encounter with the New York critics over the first per fOrmance of The Frisky Mrs. John
 son will go down in the theatrical history of the metropolis as an episode, of displaying unique courage on the part of an actress, for the average wo-
 man in this profession would prefer to | silently endure critiuIsm rather than | endanger her career by q clash with 1 the gentlemen of the press. Not so
 with Miss Bingham. She is as fear
 less concerning her opinions as Is the great Napoleon of the theatrical world, | the much beloved Little Corporal | David Belasco. Therefore when the l critics declared that The Frisky Mrs. 1 Johnson belied her title and. in their | judgment, had failed to frisk.' Miss
 Bingham boldly administered her fa- nous retort which has been called a
 spanking, in which shc decisivcly in | formed the writers that they would l have known more about the play had l they remained throughout the per 1 formance instead of leaving after the | the second act in order to turn in their copy early. Miss Bingham then add | ed that the system employed by edi- l tors in demanding criticisms which
 were half true and half guess work
 due to the call for early copy-was
 not fair to either performers or pro- 1 ducers and in the future she intended | giving dress rehearsal especially for l the critics so that they might do jus | tlce al their leisure to her productions. | The discussion was a lively one The
 critics were at first astounded a her temerity and then pleased by the very audacity of the reproof. They ac-
 knowledged themselves justly taken to | task. 'Phe Frisky Mrs. Johnson has | been very successful wherever Miss Bingham has played it and I was | pleased to know that she selected this charming comedy for her appearance in
 Montgomery. She will not produce | her new play until later In the season |.
 Another incident illustrative of Miss | Bingham's sincerity of purpose is | found in her friendship with ayoung
 girl member of an old and distin- | guished Southern family of present prominence. It happened in this way: The actress received several notes stating that the writer had selected | Miss Bingham as her ideal actress and l was anxious to meet her. The star Is