Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-05

COOS, that any one should think that all
the suffering and the tragedies and heart
irending experiences come to the large
women, the tall, statuesque kind.
81 believe we all get our share of the de-
velopment which comes with suffering,
no matter what our physical stature may
be. Oftentimes men and women are kinder
and more gentle and thoughtful for the
little woman, but fate isn't. Fate makes
no such distinction, and on the stage,
which. after all, depicts the workings of
circumstance, destiny, what you will, it
may happen that a very small woman may
carry a tragic part through successfully il
she is only sure of hereslf and has the
simple, sincere way of looking at her work
9TH moment that she becomes self-con-
scious believes that she is in any way
handicapped by her lack of inches or waist
measure that moment she fails to be con-
vincing and to get, to use the stock ex-
preston, over the footlights Maude
Adams to my mind was just as successful
In L'Aiglon' as Bernhardt was, but con-
slider the difference in their appearance
you naturally think of Bernhardt as you
do of Olga Nethersole, for example, as COM
ing on the stage with great sweeping ges-
lures, throwing her arms out from the
| 5iiOuihSiS III loiS expansive curves, Dig,
tremendous i'm the expression of herself.
IL Maude Adams did that she would be
absurd; the limited range of her gestures.
the quiet stage manner, the delicate re-
straint, are fully as effective, and her per-
\ sonai following is proof of that"
Maude Adams is only one of the contem-
porary actresses whose work the smallest
star speaks of admiringly. Although she
has no intimate friends in the profession,
keeping her stage and domestic life now,
as she has always DONE far apart, she is a
mine OF Information in regard to methods
and manners. To her all theatrical women
are brave, and men fair Not all. either,
for she says frankly that she can't endure
big men.
They're so babyish, you know she saws
from the superior height OF her five feet
some and her ninety-six pounds "Abso.
lutely babyish. They've got to be flattered
and they throw away their money like
geese, and they have all sorts of Isittenist
ideas. l can't endure small men. either +,
she confesses, men with little bones ir
their wrists and queer little strutty way,
Of walking. and high silk hats TO make
people think they're taller than they really
are"
For no apparent reason at this point of
the interview Mrs. Thompson begins tc
! speak of her husband and tells how, in.
stead of having Polly of the Circus
especially written so that he could furnish
medium for his wife and his inventive
genius at the same time it was really
Polly that brought them together and after
ten days courtship-for Mr.. Thompson
was awfully busy at that time-made Il
seem the only thing possible for them tC
do to get married right away, so when tn,
subject OF Polly came up again they woulC
be conveniently placed to talk It over
Miss Magaret Mayo having writer
Polly and, thinking Of Mabel TaIfaferr,
as a possible heroine, read the play TO her
and afterward she and Mr.. Thompson dis
eussed its possibilities and probabilities
Later on. after the material fixings wer,
out Of the road. they settled down to IN,
Idea of the circus lady in good earnest
and from their united efforts the play wa,
evolved.
When the play was first put on a doubl,
represented the star in the bareback ridinl
scene and consequent fan. Here is wher,
one OF the difficulties Of being so small
that one cannot easily find a counterpart
came in. After a few nights the comments
made In the orchestra and gallery we're $,
audible that the scene was changed TO ,