The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-24
RISE OF ALA NAzIMoVA
Julia Ward HOwe's Life story and
DIR. Mary Walkers EccentricIties.
Belva Lockwood, Twice Candidate
for Presideney-COsima Wagner a
Capable Financier.
BY DEXTER MARSHALL.

WHO is working out her career in this
country. young. counted beautiful. and
with histrionic talents that are rapidly
winning for her place among the most
successful stage women of the day.
Julia Ward Howe, the worlds most &C
tive new woman" for almost two gene
rations.
Marie CorelH. audacious novelist and
essayist, and. possibly. the best-adver-
tised woman in the world.
Belya Ann Lockwood, the only woman
who ever ran for the Presidency.
Cosima Wagner. widow Of the genius
who created the music OF the future"
DR.. Mary Z. Walker. who wears mems
clothes and is ridiculed for it all the
world over, yet whose half-forgotten
services in the civil war should be con-
sidered whenever she IS being weighed
In the balance.
Ala NazimOva is a wonder. nothing
less; not so much because of her much
written-about beauty. as because in five
months from the time. as she says, when
the English language sounded to her like
nothing but series OF yam, yam.
yams," she was able TO learn il well
enough to play Ibsen characters In Eng
lish so well that she attracted audiences
for months. though others had been able
TO do so for "A few performances only.
NazimOva'S Peculiar Beauty.
The lines Of her face do not merit the
adjective beautiful" but they are sup
plemented by a remarkable complexion.
almost dead white. and with a suggestion
z-at 1eIf
netic eyes, a mass of blue-black hair a
wonderful gift Of facial expression. I'M
usual grace Of carriage, and a dazzling
smile.
To these add an uncommon degree OF
personal, intellectual, and emotional force
and q perseverance that would move
mountains, and you have the reasons
which have enabled her 70 make so great
name for herself so quickly
ALA Nazimova is now playing the sec
ond Ibsen season in New York. She is
about twenty-elght, Her father was a
retail druggist in a little Black Sea town.
She had dramatic aspirations when a
child. and at sixteen entered the dramat-
&c school in Moscow. The 81 a month she
paid for her room and the cost Of her
meals-her dinners cost 121z cents each
were a strain on her fathers finances.
When she was eighteen he died and left
her a little money. She spent every
copeck of it studying stage management,
having already won "a medal in the dra-
matte school When the money was gone
her abilities were so well recognized that
several engagements were open 10 her
Although born in the south Of Russia.
the first engagement she accepted was
away UP north. near the White Sea. She
got a hundred rubles a month. about $50.
That was a big salary for a beginner.
The next season she got 400 rubles a
month. By the time she had been play
ing seven or eight years they offered her
1900 rubles year-half as many dollars
on a five years contract il she would
stay in Moscow. but she wouldn't.
shows Treatment of Jews.
Paul Orlenoff wanted her 10 play in
1.-The Jews" an "abysmaI" drama which
portrays with pitiless fidelity most of the
things which befall the Hebrews in the
empire of the Car. OF course the i'm
perial censor wouldn't hear of its being
performed in Russia. and she decided to
leave her native land with Orlenoff and
his company and play it elsewhere, not
because she was devoted TO revolutionary
ideas. but for arts sake" They played
in Berlin and London, and then. about
two years ago, came to the United States
and began in Russian on cheap music
hall stage on New YOrk's East Side.
Not a very promising opening, appar-
emily. but good enough for Nazimova.
The audiences were small. yet because of
the good words that had been written of
her from the other side OF the water.
little parties from uptown saw the per
formances almost nightly and were well
pleased, especially with Nazimova's finish
and consummate skill.
That was in the winter of 1866. Little
by little news that work Of an unusual
character was being done on the little
East Side music hall boards filtered
through the town, and finally Charles
Frohman loaned the Herald Square The
alter 10 the organization for special per
Torrance. That was the beginning of a
new world career for Nazlmova, II she
chose TO take II. for she pleased the audit
ence beyond its most. sanguine expecta-
tons. In the spring of 1906, when Orlenoff
decided TO return TO Europe, she decided
TO remain in America, study English, and
take the career that was offered.
Learns English Quickly.
She began to study the yam, yam" Ian
gGage on January o. She knew five
words only then-"seasickness," which
she had learned on shipboard, being one
OF them. In November she faced an audi
ence for the first time in English. the part
being Hodda Gabler. which she performed
not merely creditably. but with a sort of
whirlwind Of success that carried the
audience quite away.
The play was given in the Princess
Theater. and only four matinee perform
ances had been planned. but she gave
such a novel and convincing interpreta-
ton of the role that the matinees con-
tinued two months, The Dolls House
alternating with "Hedda Gabler."
Ala Nazimova works hard all the time.
When she was playing her first season OF
matinees she used to begin rehearsing at
10 O'Clock in the morning. and remain NJ
the theater until time for the matinee.
After II was over she used to 20 to her
hotel and receive members OF the com
pany. whom she coached. Music is her
greatest diversion, and she plays the vio-
lin fairly well for an amateur" as she
says. She goes TO the opera or a concert
whenever she has time, but that doesn't
happen often now. as she is giving eight
performances a week.
She doesn't care much about clothes off
the stage, most Of her gowns for house
and street wear being black or deep blue,
both of which Ill become her. She doesn't
wear jewels and she doesn't spend much
on personal adornment OF any kind, but
IL Dfv fnC her
costumes shall be Of the best and per
feeflv adapfad 20 4t,a MOTT