The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-12

begin to ramp around a stage, just as soon
az you begin to overdo, you cease TO be
an artist. Many time in writing mono
logue a good situation, n striking climax
occurs TO me; but | viii not Use IT, for
realize | would he sacrificing the truth to
u sensation.
Il read parts Of my monologues ooca-
sionally to my friends to see what they
think OF them before they are given IN
public, rarely the whole monoogue. You
see, can tell just as well from these ex-
tracts whether / have struck the nail on
the head.
Women don't ever seem to get offended,
because no woman ever sees herself in
my types: she always secs some one else
Often l have had Il woman. the absolute
example Of some one i nave described,
say to me:
-'Oh, was so much amused at your
picture of Mrs. SO and So
The large audiences that go TO Miss
Herford's matinees are composed mostly
OF women.
Have you ever done any men in your
monologues2'
Il would like to and a ely smile steals
from lips TO eyes but am little afraid;
it il very subtle thing FOR woman to
portray man, don't you think? And,
besides, / love women. / love to describe
them and above all other thing s,I adore their
sense OF humor. / know IL is said that they
haven't any, but I don't believe it. would
never have been so successful II 1t had not
been for tho fact that they appreciate their
own shortcomings. Haven't you often
beard women say, I'd have cried my eyes
out II hadn't seen tho ridiculous side Of
itrT
DO you think the English sense OF humor
as great as ours q was asked,
1 have found it So have spent about
half my life in England, and a great deal
Of my monoogue work has been done over
there. | have found the English women
fully as appreciative of the types l have
portrayed in The Evening Party. The
Train skotch' and others as Americans are
Of The Shop Girl and the rest.
Il do great deal OF going about to private
houses in London-more than do here-
simply beca use it is moro of fad there.
On my last trip funny thing happened
A woman came TO engage me for some
after dinner monologues | told her my
price just as she was going away she said;
Would you like tho piano placed in any
particular positionT
mo said You know | don't use the
piano at all?'
You don't use the piano" she said
and charge that amount"
i thought that pretty funny. but few
nights later / was at an evening reception
where | had given two more of my mono
logues than l had agreed upon with my
hostess. One Of the guests, a young Eng
lishman. kept urging me to do another
did not feel called upon to explain to him
that had already done more than my
contract ca Ned for. but did say:
oh, but you know, they are very firing.
Not az all said he I'm not tired
bit
10 ever find audiences who are not
apprecinLivs? was giving my mono
logues in little town in Massachusetts
once and didn't hear laugh Naturally
| got rather worried and couldn't under
stand il at ALL until / Jaw that they were
stufTing their handkerchief in their mouths.
They took the monologues seriously and
thought, apparently, ! would be offended
If they laughed, but after sHw the handkcr-
chiefs / was all right again. Now when
| don't hear an immediate response look
over the footlights for the handkerchief5.