The Washington herald., 1908-03-01
STAGE BEGINNINGS
"REMINISCENCES OF EMOTIONAL ACTRESS.

The following IS the famous English actress de-
scriTti0n u the IN which she Was induced
TO take up the profession 0f the stage and. she
is 70 appear at hte New National Theater in this
than ordinary interest. They published here Tor
the first timel
by OLGA NETHERSOLE.
recall as though it were yesterday my
earliest conception Of the stage idea. Ny
brothers and sisters %ere to give a
Christmas party TO their young friends.
1. being the youngest. twas not included
in the discussion that transpired as 20
what should DC the nature Of the enter
tsinment. Il was voted that the drawing
room should be converted into a theater
and that a real play should be performed.
The book Of an old farce was procured
and the children proceeded TO appropriate
20 themselves and their friends who as
sisted them what they supposed were the
best parts in the piece.
One of the parts was that OF servant
maid a drudge of the kitchen No one
we nted TO appear in that degraded role,
AMI pretty soon it was realized that there
would be much difficulty in filling it from
amCng the young ladies. This was Gin
derella's opportunity As a great favor
was permitted to assume the role Of the
despised servant girl with my elders,
who, ignorant, Of course. OF the first thing
about a play. did not know they We're
casting NE for the fattest part in the
piece didn't realize it then. either;
WAS only too pleased 20 be allowed 70
Join actively In the fun. and proceeded
to study my part with avidity, and I tried
to make myself thoroughly master Of all
the personal idiosyscrasies Of a servant
in our own family.
The night arrived. and the play was
given amid rapturous applause of our
two dozen guests Everybody. OF course.
made individual hits. but I was the only
one whose acting got laughs, and I got
lots Of them The others did. too. am
free 70 confess. but they Gere mostly at
them. rather than with them. From that
memorable occasion date the dawn OF
my histrionic ambition. The theater be-
gan TO take on another aspect for me.
Where It had formerly seemed a place
for amusement. It now became a place of
inspiration.
There was nothing OF narrowness in my
upbringing. and my parents always in
. cluded attendance at the theater as part
OF their children's liberal education. !
was thus able secretly 20 foster the new
interest that had dawned on that men,
orable Christmas night so fun Of my
own destiny. II must not he supposed.
however, that there was an immediate
rush 70 satisfy the ambition, that only
grew gradually, and was not born until
long after my original experience. In
. those DAYS I began 10 take a more lively
interest In the stage 1 studied much cf
its literature. and I became intimately
acquainted with the names and faces OF
the then prominent actors and actresses
on the boards Of London by means OF
their photographs in the shop windows
The story has often been told OF how !
began my career as an actress as a
humble member Of q great amateur dra-
matte club in London. 20 which organiza-
tion. by the way. belonged Charles Klein
and his brother Herman. at the time Of
which I write These were DAYS Of much
anxiety. carefully concealed from such as
were opposed 70 my desire or who might
be possessed Of the power TO gainsRy IT,
AIy mind was consumed with dreadful
forebodings. I realized that II old take
the fateful plunge my boats would be
burned, because felt that if once left
4 I could never return to the compara-
lively calm scholastic life 7 was then
/ leading. II was momentous time for
me That thought Overshadowed every
other consideration What my family
would think Of il did not enter into my
head at that time confess 1 had done
what is now often done 70 me. I had
written for advice. and even engage
ments. 10 prominent London managers.
With that inherent grace and courtesy
that was so distinguishing a feature in
him, the late Sir Henry Irving wrote me
an autograph letter fun OF advice and
instruction in case became an actress.
and the late Mr.. John L. Toole laconicalIy
wrote me the advice that Punch wrote TO
those about 10 marry-~DOn't
The story Of my professional life there
after belongs 10 another epoch. much OF
which has already been recorded. The
breads and anxieties that have so often
possessed me since became an actress
were as nothing in comparison with my
mental perturbation and trepidation al
the time I took the plunge
I think that if I had been hopeless
failure al the start Of my career. and had
been compelled 10 crawl into the ranks
Of the unit. my heart would have broken.
and know that my spirit would have
done so I often wonder whether this
did not engender In me a spirit Of deS-
peration. which acted as a double incen-
tive l could not afford TO fail. The fact
law pre-eminenttv in my mind bax-oD,f
and above all other considerations.
Just as when I first appeared publicly
as an amateur my tongue seemed 10