The Washington herald., 1906-11-11


more up-to-date than ever before, Virginia
Harmed has been charming New York
win her American-French Interpretation
OF Sardou's latest play. The Love Let
ter" Miss Harmed Is a delightful illustra-
ton Of the American girl. who has not
been Cfbsonized. She is Virginia Harmed
from the top coil of her reddish gold hair
TO the toes Of her perfectly shaped foot.
She does not owe her type to any one but
the Creator himself, and she takes no
pains TO alter her originality of express
sion both in form and disposition. She is
frank. sincere. and honest. There is no
sham. no hypocrisy about her. She says
what she means though the heavens falL.
This was never more clearly illustrated
than at the time when her husband, Z. H.
Sothern, endeavored TO teach the critics a
thing or two. There had been some COM
ment Of his performances of Hamlet and
Romeo resulting in a printed argument.
Miss Harmed was naturally indignant.
and threw down her ultimatum in the
shape Of an interview with me. in which
she said that critics were superf1uOus, and
that in a short space Of time even the
term would be obsolete. She expressed
herself so vigorously that ventured to
ask if she objected to the printing Of a
few OF her ideas on the subject. Say
anything I have said" she replied. Il
dou't say what don't mean, and 1 mean
every word Of this. The critics have al
ways been kind TO Miss Harmed, and neT
remarks were a direct challenge, but no
one could blame her. for every one under
stood her faith in "E. H." as she calls
1Ir. SOthern.
Miss Harmed has. in ''The Love Letter"
returned 10 comedy in which she is al
ways so charming. She is blessed or
cursed with versatility, and this enables
managers to shift her from one style Of
play TO another with remarkable ease.
II she were tC- choose her own play
feel sure that il would be a comedy for
since the days OF that delicious romantic
affair The Adventure of Lady Ursula, 3"
which some persons still insist upon de-
scribing as Adventures" when she pre-
tended TO smoke a pipe and drink with
her brothers friends, she has always
yearned for something in which she would
not be continually under the stress of
heavy acting.
1T IS delicious 10 hear an audience
laugh" said Miss Harmed, as we seated
ourselves in two friendly placed chairs in
a fashionable shoe shop. The fair star
had found fault with her maid for order
ing some slippers and shoes which failed
10 please. so she was attending 10 the
matter herself. Il want them very COM
Portable she said by way OF direction
long enough in the toes and plenty wide
across the foot" The while she demo-
craticaly slipped her slim feet in and out
Of all sorts Of shoes. she continued, THE
first time / heard my audience laugh this
. He-- Ill
! am unaccustOmed 10 it. Goodness
knows, Washington did not shock me. Of
all the conservative places, l c0ncede TO
il the palm. But never mind that is
neither here nor there. New York is as
frank as Washington is cautious in its
pleasure. a difference Of temperament.
suppose. Now for the play. The Shubert
Brothers We're undecided as 10 whether
should play comedy or something else
when the Sardou play was laid before
them. Naturally it was considered a dra-
matte plum, and every one wanted it.
hesitated for a while before l decided
was really anxious for my managers TO
take il. I was in Carlsbad at the time
for I spent the summer there. There
that's the story Of The Love Letter. Not
very romantic, is it, 1 was so fortunate
in securing Mr.. COurtenay for my leading
man, for ne was previously engaged TO
play in The Love Route in which he
created the leading male role. When we
so 10 St Louis we viii put on Camille
and Iris rs part of my repertoire. This
viii be new work 10 all Of my company
with the exception Of Mr. COuTtenay. who
played Armand Duval to my Camille
during my New York engagement in that
play.
I consider MT Courtenay the best
Armand I have ever seen. No matter
how excellently acted I have thought the
part OF Camille invariably there was
something disappointing about Armand.
If he played the role well his appearance
would be against him. Either he would
be too Old or too stout, or something
would disillusi0n me. I never could bear
TO hear Faust sung by a little. fat man.
no matter how glorious his voice. I in
sist that to be really pleasing the person
must look the part The trouble IS that
IN so many cases those who look 1t can't
act it. and vice versa. Armand should
be a young fellow with little worldly ex-
perienCe. He should have the fervOr, the
alteration Of youth. He must impress this
fact upon the audience. This is what Mr.
CouTteuay does He makes Armand as
young as he should be"
In what way does your conception OF
Camille differ from that Of other leading
actresses"
Chiefly in the last act, which is the
death scene. All the actresses I have
ever seen have her die with no unusual
dramatic touch I was puzzling my brain
for originality. This is naturally diff
cult when so many people have pre-
ceeded you, but one day while admiring
a beautiful painting of the Magdalene the
thought struck me to apply this idea to
the death scene Of Camille. I remembered
the stories 1 had heard of the lives of
such women who, II is said, generally
turn toward some comfort Of religion IL
the end and die Tepentant. Why not
offer the audience some consolation, for
Camille is not usually comforting. Her
unhappy end sends people away with the
blues. I then conceived the plan Of plac-
ing her at a p.ie dieu at the foot Of a
crucihx. Tt makes Il very effective, very
dramatic. and very consoling picture. for
surely there was more good than bad
in Door Camille. Her impulses were all
good after she met Armand"
I once heard an actress remark that
If her manager called upon her TO play
such q role as Camille she would leave
him, I said. giving as her reason the
fact that she wished only TO play good
women. What Of that?'
Ridiculous" answered Miss harmed.
t1eE art must bt tAtieLiitA4 lllltitcur anu
she must recognize her own limitations,
for a really great actress Is ready to
play anything OF power in expression,
am we ali know that the dramatic stories
do not come from the Maud Mullers, who
rake the hay. Sweet and simple, you
know, but nothing more. Now, II the
Judge hadn't doffed his hat and ridden
away, ah. then, that might have been d
different story. Rest assured, some one
would have dranaatized il long ago."
1T is curious what preference viii do
erfa1+f,~ OF nj I q4,x--a1f