The San Francisco call., 1910-11-20

I have kept me on the go ever since we
came"
Mrs. Faversham made her first ap
pearance on the stage with Emma
Calve. the great Carmen. she had
heard me-" said Miss Opp. reluctant
ly talking about herself. "in some
musical recitations friend intro
duced me to her and she liked the idea
of the musical accompaniments to reci-
tations so well that she gave me an
opportunity of appearing in a concert
at the Waldof-Astoria in which she
; took part"
with what success?" asked.
Il am not competent to say" she re-
piled, but after it was all over Nine.
Ca1ve advised me to go abroad to study
and introduced me to MING. Sarah Bern
hardt. 1 made my first strictly pro-
fessional stage. debut in small role
in Camille" in which Sarah Bernhardt
was Camille My role had as many as
three lines TO it, and my appearance
was made in the ballroom scene; but it
was beginning, and a good beginning
too, considering my inexperience. The
fact was that the friendship and con-
fdence of wonderful artist like Bern
hardt are enough to inspire any young
student of the stage 10 her best eff
forts. The debut, should say. was in
London.
Il then went to George Alexander
and began to understudy Julia Nelson
in such roles as Rosalind and the prin-
cess in Pinero's The Princess and
the Butterfly Meanwhile L did small
parts. Miss Nelson fell i'll 1t was
the same old story of an i'll wind blow
ing somebody good and L thus had a
chance to play Rosalind. I had been
improving my time. of course. and was
to myself, I hope.
"W. H. Vernon. one of the greatest
masters of theatrical craft in England.
had been my teacher and had coached
me in the role which I was so sud
denly to be given an opportunity to in
terpret- The experience changed my
theatrical career. Mr. Alexander ex-
pressed himself as delighted and made
out a new contract with me the very
next day, and L continued to play Rosa
lind until Miss Nelson returned to her
duties.
soon afterward. however, she was
taken i'll again, and 1 had an oppor-
tunity to play the princess in The
Princess and the Butterfly Daniel
Frohman, always on the lookout,
whether in the United States or Eng
land or France or Germany, for new
theatrical blood, happened to be sit
ting out in front and saw my perform
ance of the role of the princess. He
asked me to come to America and Gre
ate the role in this country. Pinero
interested himself in the matter and on
his urgings and Frohman's, Alexander
released me from my contracts so that
I might avail myself of the F'rohman
offer. And that is how I came to
America
Her original permission from Alex
ander to come TO New York was to
have lasted for only four weeks, but it
was extended to seven months, during
which time Miss Opp played, besides
1.-The Princess and the Butterfly" R. C.
Cartons Tree of Knowledge" At the
end of seven months Alexander, back
in London. grew impatient and the
actress returned to his company and
played leading woman roles for him
for five years.
"The last part 1 created for him."
she continued, was written for me.
1t was Katherine de VaucelIes in IF /
Were King That ended my English
experience she continued, 'for I came
back to America and here married
the Englishman in front Of US.
Marianne, in stephen Phillips Her
od' is. by the way. the favorite role
have played since being Mr.. Faver-
sham's leading woman
Miss Opp says that stage life alone
does not content her. She wants home
life as well. 49," she laughed, I'VE
have our country home in England,
where we go each summer for rest and
tranquil domesticity. With our two
little boys. we pass three or four
delightfully."- lazy months, but, In
manner profitable to our health and
spirits. We gather strength to go
through the rigors of another the
atrical year"
-AvERSHAM insists that he has
II parted from the principle of COM
promise He will give to the public
what he thinks 1t needs and will like,
not what it is alleged to demand.
Good, worthy plays will succeed in
every season. It only needs courage
to come forth with them The old star
system has worked as great a disad-
vantage to the players themselves as
to the public Every player of any
consequence at all is grabbed by an
enterprising manager, who tries at
once to fit a play to him. The result
| is that companies are lily balanced,
there is no ensemble of acting and
| there are not enough good plays to go
around good play is much scarcer
! than good player"