The Washington herald., 1908-01-19

roses that surrounded her. and the racep-
ton they gave her was truly tumultuous
/ Though She had won fame I'm Verona
/ the rest Of Italy refused 20 recognize her
and after she left Verona the struggle
/ with Vagab0ndage continued She went
! 10 Dalmatia, where she was as successful
/ lh The minor theater as she had been m
/ verona. Her first good fortune came
/ when she met CeSara ROssi, father Of The
great tragediau, He saw great possibili-
/ Ties IN her trained her for q brief period
ana together they toured IN South Amer
I ica, their second tour through Brazil and
1 the Argentine Republic netting half 2
million francs.
Not until she had attained her twenty
fourth year was Duse's tragic genius
heralded throughout Italy.
For some time she had been understudy
10 Pezzana. the great tragic actress. az
the famous FlOreuuue Theater. in Naples.
PezZana being taken III suddenly. Duse
went on in her place and. 10 use a much
worn expression, awoke next morning TO
find herself famous. She had substituted
simple and grave recitation for the de-
clamdtory speech then held TO be the
thing for classic drama; she had made
her audience feel that the characters were
real people and she henCeforth held first
place in the hearts Of the Neapolitans.
Instant Success of Our Mary,
Born two years before Duse, who came
into the world in railway coach. Mary
Anderson made her debut as Juliet two
years before Duse essayed the roll for
the first time. But while Duse's rendition
Of the character brought her local fame
only, Mary Anderson's Juliet speedily at
Tacted the attention of theatrical man
ayers all over the country. a few davs
less than two years after her debut she
came 10 New York after playing all over
the South, and the metropolis received
her enthusiastically. From then on till
her retirement from the stage. in 1856,
when she sailed for her adopted home
in England she was the most talked of
actress on the English-speaking stage.
our Marys' instant success is partly
explained By the fact that as child she
dreamed constantly Of the stage. much of
her youth being spent in solitary reverie
OF the stage When taken TO see a play,
she would enact it all over again at home
She saw Edwin Booth several times, and
his influence over her was so pronounced
that she learned in secret the parts of
Hamlet, Richelieu, and Richard.
CORhded Her Ambition.
The year before her debut she met
Charlotte CUshman in Cincinnati. To her
Mary coniided her ambition, and was
given the rather unusual advice to begin
at the top. The spring Of the following
year Mary took ten lessons in acting.
This was her sole preparation for her
eff F,s.rr4 l.
years. Then she sought an engagement.
This she finally secured from the late
Barney Macauley in the chief theater of
the city of Louisville. Her debut was
made on the night of November .. 1875:
it had been announced for some days that
a young lady of Louisville would make
her first appearance in Juliet Tall and
1.-THE. with a beautiful and radiant face
and wonderful display Of natural talent,
she was enthusiastically received by the
audience
In January of the following year she
received her first regular engagement. |
playing EVadne. Blanca Julia. and juliet |
SO original and striking were her inter- |
Dretations and her beauty so heralded |
hat managers from all over the country |
began to take an interest in her. and she |
was soon starring all over the South 4
With phenomenal success. Then she went |
20 New York where she won immediate |
popularity in The Lady of Lyons" |
Abroad she likewise secured instant rec /
ignition. Indeed, every one OF the eleven /
'ears that Mary Anderson passed on the /
stage was triumph-truly unique rec
'rd IN the history of the stage.
Years of Playing Before Fame.
Mrs. Fiske was three years old when
he made her stage debut as the Duke of
York in Richard Ill" This was In Lit