Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-28

Siren Of Dinester." Miss studzinska was
the heroine Of the opera, and little Jose
phine Hoffman. dressed as a butterfly. had
the prominent dancing part In the ballet
II was my first visit to a theater and
the whole evening was a dream Of JOY and
e-nchantment TO me. My mother told me
years aftcrward that 1 was so absorbed
by the play that I became perfectly obliv-
ious to the surroundings. I was blind.
mute and deaf, and she could not get a
sign from me. I went to bed with a high
fever and for weeks afterward l tried TO
initiate the butterfly dance. and sang some
airs, accompanying them with gestures,
to the great derision Of my brothers, who
had spied me on the sly.
Hamlet" mad an overwhelming impress
sion on me, and 1 worshiped a. once the
great masterwork Of that mysterious spirit
ruling over human souls, the wonderful
wizard, reading human hearts and Gods
nature. the great inimltable Shakespeare.
He became my master then and there. and
remained so through mys theatrical career.
I never took better lessons in acting than
those Hamlet gives to the players; I never
enjoyed acting more than when ] played
those hayward, sweet, passionate, proud,
tender, jolly. cruel and sad heroines Of
Shakespeare's dramas.
I lived weeks afterward in continual en-
chantment. The translatlons OF Shakes
peare we're scarce. but Mr.. Modjeska sue
ceeded in getting Hamlet i'm Polish trans
lation, and also 1.-TWO Gentlemen Of Yer
ona," The Merchant Of Venice" and
"Timon Of Athens" which read greedny.
I had given up all aspirations I'm the di-
rection Of the stage. but my desire for
achieving a name for myself had never
left me. and ! thought for awhile 1 might
gain it as a writer. At the same time my
good mother wanted me TO pass a teachers
examination, believing in "self-support for
women. To me learning was the highest
pleasure. Endowed as 1 was with an eX-
ceptionally strong memory, It did not cost
me any effort. 1 enjoyed II. 1 also went
steadily to Mr.. Midekis music school for
three months. Ny only ambition and desire
then was some day to become a church
and concert singer; but the master insisted
on making OF me a prima donna and again
the vision of my t~reading the stage boards
stood before me by day and night. Alasl
the dear old man died in a few months,
and I never took another lesson.
But II was not only by hard work that
I gained my position on the stage. There
was something else-my identifying myself
with every part I played to such an extent
that I passed really through all the emo
tons of my heroines: 7 suffered with them,
cried real tears, which I often could not
stop even after the curtain was down.
Owing to this extreme constituencies, !
was exhausted after each emotional part,
and oftentimes had to rest motionless I'M
I'll my strength returned. During my whole
career 1 never succeeded in giving a per-
Torrance without feeling the agonies of
my heroines.
I went through a wonderful training dur
ing the three years Of my Cracow engage
ment The time free from studies was en-
ployed in reading and also In such prossic
occupations as sewing or ironing of mus
Inns and laces, and often when 1 had a lit
tie time to spare I helped in arranging
some finery for my slster-in-law, Vero-
nique Benda. who was also on the stage. I
do not recollect going to parties save to
those given twice a year by the manager,
Count ~Skorupka; one dancing party dur
ing the carnival, and another at Easter,
and then 1 danced. oh, how I danced!
With all my soul in It, for 1 never did any
thing by halves.