The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-05-08
Actress Doesn't Believe 1t Right
To Hold Back One's Best for Bio Euenf

ance, Which scared the girls almost
out of their wits. The white men of
the audience had gone up into the
niger roofs as they are called, and
punched and kicked every negro out
of the theatre.
But some of my experiences We're
very pleasant added Miss Durand,
with a smile. 1.-The negroes used to
like me, or rather 'Auntie Eve very
much. Night after night they would
come to see me, and I used to be
smothered in flowers sometimes. And
they used also to wait outside of the
stage door to see me come out.
'They must have been greatly sur
prised in the change in your appear
ance."
Indeed they were. You know, I'M
der these pads 1 am ven simmer than
you are. You'd hardly believe it,
would your"
I looked at her in wonder. They're
mighty effective pads" I ventured.
Makes Her own Pads.
well, l make them myself, so as to
get them correct. And there's another
point of study. l have to pad myself
across. the shoulders to give that
round shouldered look which comes
from bending oyer a tub. And the
sleeve pads have to suggest the outline
of strong, well-developed muscles. But
1 think / have succeeded pretty well,
don't your
Miss Durand certainly has succeeded.
She looks the plump, good -natured
nanny to perfection. Her small, slim
hands are encased in brown cotton
gloves to give them size, and she stuffs
the toes of her big slippers tosmake
them both long and spreading. She's
a wonder, l think.
A winsome little girl is Violet Mer-
sereau, IA years old, who plays Flora.
the dear little girl of the play, and the
favorite of Nanny" She has been
on the stage for three years and dur
ing most of that time has been with
1.-THE Clansman."
She is a modest little girl. When 1
complimented her on her clever work
h cried, You ought to see my sister.
She is W years younger thar |, and
has played in London before the King"
but tell me about yourself" said L.
"Ill hear about your sister another
time
There's nothing to tell" said she. II
love to act, and think it's fine to do
good work and win applause. But l
just can't bear to get up early in the
mornings, when we have one-night
stands. I'm dreadfuly cross, lots of
times.
wouldn't Bleach Hair.
"Mr. Belaseo wanted me to go with
him when he saw me work. she added
with pride, "but l had dark hair, and
he needed a light-haired little girl"
why didn't you offer to bleach your
hair?" asked 1 for fun.
20, goodness. 1 couldn't do that"
cried she in horror, as she brushed her
own pretty, curly brown hair, and stood
still while her mother tied a pink rib
ron. Besides. he wouldn't want me
that way. He only likes real girls"
Real girlsi"
81 mean girls who are natural, and
not all made up" she explained with a
wise look.
do you like being a little stage
girl2'
Pretty well. But I'm just crazy to
get on long dresses and play leading
parts. l can hardly wait. And they
say l have to play a little girl for years
and years" she mourned. ITS rather
hard, L think"
Violet wears a very pretty little dia-
mond ring 1t was given to her by a
little boy and his mother in Washing>
ton. Her mother told me that during
the first month she possessed it she had
to be roundly scolded after each per-
Torrance for being self-conscious. Her
one ambition was to hold her hand so
that the audience would never lose sight.
of the ring, and she succeeded admir-
ably, but rather to the loss of her in
depreciation of the part.
Not All GIamor.
SO you see that she is a very real
little girl, IN spite of her life on the
stage, which after all, is greatly mis-
understood by the public. Little stage
girls get just as man, spankings. re-
ceive just as many pleasures and study
just as many. and even more, lessons
than little ''home" girls.
Violet's little girl" is particularly
good. She reaches her climax in the
third act, when she cries so realisticai-
ly after her brother throws away the
candy which has been given to her by
black Gus. She receives many boxes
after each performance. in return for
the stage box she loses. And often,
very often, for such a little girl, she
receives flowers from her admirers.
Miss Durand tells a funny story about
an incident which occurred in Georgia.
when an old negro came to the theatre
to demonstrate with his wife for doing
Miss Durand's washing when he was
well able to support her.
"Yo, jest got to come home wifi me-