The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-05-02
Copyright by J. B. Bowles.)

She Joined juvenile "Pinafore" company
and soon attracted attention by her clever
acting and her rich. clear voice. Other
engagements followed: then she retired
from the stage and studied dramatic ar
tor three years. Reappearing as Par
ihenia in "Ingomar" at tho Bijou theatc;
n New York. she won instant recognition
IS splendid actress. Still. she struggled
Tor several years longer with disappont
ments of various kinds before She wa.
accorded the high place on the stage
which her merit gave to her. In such
roles as Juliet. Viola. Rosalind. Barbar;
Frictchic. Colinette and Mary TGloc she
has Won the warnest admiration of the
rublic.)
think few people can realize how
fierce has BEEN the strife in regard tc
women on the stage and how difficult
it has been for them to convince tbs
world at large of the Importance OF
their hard-won position and their
b neficent Influence upon dramatic art
l am speaking now Of the past. Hap,
PLY at the present stage of dramatic
development woman's standard is a:
high and her position as assured as
mans.
1t was not always so. Looking back
TO the age Of oppression and intoler.
ance when in LOGO woman first APP
peared in dramatic representations,
We find her entrance marked an era
in dramatic advancement. The first
record of woman's appearance upon
the stage is December 6, 1860. The
play was Shakespeare's "Othello." and
the Eesdemona was played by a wom
an. There has been considerable doubt
as to whom this honor belongs. Some
have given it to Anne Marshall. The
more general supposition is that Mar
garet Hughes deserves this right to
immortality. We have Pepys' author
ity for it that women appeared in Kill
ligrew's company in London on Janu-
airy 3, 1861, in Beaumont and Fletch-
,r's "Beggar's Bush"
Their early appearances were re-
reived with great disfavor. DR.. Doran
tells us that the writer's of the time
denounced the first actresses as "un.
womanish and graceless" meaning
that they were ungainly and unfemi-
nine. but that play-acting in itself
was below their dignity. "Glad l am
to say" remarked Thomas Brand,
speaking Of these actresses. that they
were Kissed, hooted and pippin-pelted
from the stage, SO that do not think
they will soon be ready to try the same
again." He adds that well-disposed
people were righteously indignant at
these women, whom Pyrnne, a rigor.
GUS puritan Of the time. called mon
sters."
Notwithstanding the marked dis
favor with which they were first re-
seived, reasonable and serious-minded
persons could not fail to see the pro-
priety Of Juliet and Desdemona being
acted by girls rather than boys. 1t
would appear that Immediately upon
this important progressive step the
artistic need for woman's appearance
must have been generally felt
We read that soon afterward &C.
tresses were in great demand It was
found that they not only increased the
Of the theaters in which
they performed, but that their coop.
Grafton was indispensable to the prop
er presen....lon of any play They
made possible fullness and a beauty
of Interpretation which had not been
dreamed of before.
Take for a single example the WON
en- of Shakespeare. They stand as
vivid types of truth and beauty. They
are so alive WITH the warmth of fem.
ininity that their expression by other
than women is in itself monstrous
sacrilege. A play performed by men
can hardly be imagined to-day and
the wonder is that such an absurdity
ever existed.
The realization of the necessity of
woman's cooperation with man in dra-
matte achievement grew rapidly, fol-
mems minds were at this time too high
ly susceptible to advancement to re.
main in ignorance of this need. So
it was not long before actresses were
lCCoSuiLCu duu highly IcopcCIeQ. IQlS
was so true in the case of Mrs. Better
ton that when in 1874 "Calista" was
performed at court the actress was
chosen as instructress to the princesses
Mary and Anne, and much of the sub.
eequent graceful elocution and dig.
nifty of bearing of these ladies was &C.
credited to- Mrs. Betterton.. PERHAPS
no finer compliment was ever PAID
to Il woman in any walk of life thar
she received. for we mad of her thai
in company with her distinguished
husband she made her home the abid
ing place of charity. hospitality ant
dignity
What vast work has been accom-
plished by women in the drama sine,
then. and what lasting monument O.
ar she has reared for herself in til,
annals of the stage! To those who's,
souls are filled with sacred reverence,
for creative genius what wealth of de
light in looking back upon the daz
cling record of the theater when tn,
80 ~,