Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-20

pleted her costume.
I confess / was almost afraid of her,
and 1t Is safe to say that every other
'extra woman" shared my feeling.
Traeedienne Appears
Madame knew how to dress supers,
even if she did not look like a ladys
maid She hustled us in and out of
our dresses in a remarkably short time,
and she never forgot to demand that
everything be put back in its proper
place.
My companion and 1 were sent out
without any makeup Just think of
It, being an actress without any OF
that bewitching black stuff under your
eyes. Think of missing the only
chance in your life to have pretty red
cheeks. We would not have it. We
decided it unanimously and then 1t
was that our good angel came to us
with the makeup box.
BY this time the curtain had gone
up and we waited breathlessly and
with wide-open eyes fastened on the
door of Bernhardt's dressing room.
At last it opened and she came. We
saw the sorceress long before the
audience did. 1t was the sorceress
that came from the dressing room in
that clinging robe of white. Two at
tendants preceded her carrying the
flowers.
Hears Marvellous Voice
Her beautiful arms were bare. and
the soft clinging folds of her white
dress fell about her feet. She paused
a moment at the entrance and the
next thing l heard was a voice-a
never-to r-to-be-forgotten voice-one that
reached out and took possession of me,
bound me in it's spell. | could see no
face, nor did | want to for the mo-
ment 1t was enough to give ones
self UP to the pleasures of the ear.
Clear and bell-like every word rose
above those of the other members of
the company. Each of the other six
girls and each of the thirty men had
all attention centered on that voice.
found a good vantage point in the
wings. where | could see the great
actress but alas, l could not occupy
II long.
A gay Lothario, who of course had
no sense of the fitness of things, kept
crowdng nearer to me until he finally
had his arm around me. l fled and
left him in undisputed possession of
my vantage point.
No One Has Stage Fright
Oh, those supers! They are such
awful f1irts. l found a place on
table, where | decided to rest for a
minute, but at the same time another
of these flirtingly inclined discov-
cred 1t.
Say, you look awfully cute-can
sit on the table beside you?''
At the same time peasant was try
ing to squeeze my friends hand.
Il guess you have made mistake"
she said, and he agreed with her.
"I guess l have" and with that he
apologized. They were all very young.
Come over here, l have daisy
place for YOU" one of the monks sug-
gested. but l looked suspiciously at
that somber garb, thought of my eX-
perlences and declined the invitation.
In the third act we had our chance
20 prove what really great actresses
we are. When 1t came time to go
on there was a great furry.
Say dearie. do | look all right?"
the little page asked, with a furtlve
glance at her red tights.
The Deepest impression
Honest to goodness you do, you
look just great" one of her companions
kindly said. and then she was happy.
We went in with our heads high and
feeling very much as II we were walk
ing on air. None of us had stage
fright.
The men gazed with envious eyes at
the handsome 'Frenchmen and the
pretty French girls. Those French
men were good to look upon. Two or
three of them were really beautiful.
We bowed profoundly, had time toI
steal a glance at the audience and
then went off in a corner to pretend
that we We're talking. 1t reminded
me of my first season at dancing
school. Talk, boys, talk; entertain the
girls" the dancing teacher used to