The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-01
A time OF WORK.
musical Comedy Players Have
Run for Their Money.
Chorus of "Get Into Your Duds''
and Out Again.
OLIVE VAIL TALKS.
Says Happiness and Misery Act
Do Not Agree.
Therefore, She Wouldn't Like
Being Dramatic Star.

When a persons in musical com
edy they earn their money, can tell
you" painted Olive Vail ungrammati-
cally but with unlimited fervor as she
dashed into the stuffy little dressing
room at the Grand this afternoon,
struggled out of one costume and with
the aid of her maid dashed into anoth-
er. There, Julie, put on my shoes
while I touch up my makeup. Hot!
Whew!" and the prima donna in MISS
Nobody From Starland made her sixth
hurry change.
Having heard something of the trials
of musical comedy favorites, one call
ed upon Miss Vail for the express pur-
pose of ascertainng beyond a reason
able doubt as to whether such and such
were true. 1t were! Musical comedy IS
fine for those in front who have moth
ing to do but clap hands and laugh
but for those who cause the laughs
and are responsible for the clapping II
is downright hard work and not so
far removed from drudgery.
You work hard on the stage and 1t
would be good to come to ones dress
ing room and take a few long breaths'
painted Miss Vail, but no such thing
for me or most people in musical COM
edy. It's a tune of NOTEWORTHY k
while you're on the stage with a chorus
of get into-your- minds and 'Set-out-o1-
your-duds' when you're off.
Nobody stays in musical comedy for
the sheer delight of it. No indeed!
Not but what we like it, we are all
just as interested as we can be but II
is because we like to make good and
have people IKE us, not because we've
struck a sofa snap, 1 should say not.
And there's money in it. too, you
know. Doing straight dramatic work
there's no money unless you're star
or featured. You've got to be known
and your name has got to be worth
something to a manager in order to get
anything like what you would make in
musical comedy"
would you care to do dramatic
work if you would be starred ?" came
the rather inane question.
Miss Vail, it tranSpired. would not
Il wouldn't be a star" she said,
amounting her lips generously with
rouge "rd love to have a good part
in some company with a splendid cast
and a good star if there was money IN
it. but that is all 1 would do. This
business of being starred isn't what it
looks to be-youre always on parade.
Then you are always under a strain
''If YOU have made a hit one night
by some little unconscious act-the
lifting of an eyebrow or something OF
the kind-you have always to remem-
Der that Then, no matter how you
really may be feeling, you must appear
to feel the same when you are starring
in play.
over a perfectly new baby that has
come to your brothers. home and you
want to squeal and talk baby talk
and make donkeys of your fingers, but
you don't do it. Have to go to the
stage in a Vampire makeup and do the
misery act to a three-hour misery OF
an audience. who have come to have
their feelings racked.
Somebody's dead or your gold
watch is stolen and you don't want
ANYTHING on earth half so much as to
get off in corner and cry, but what
You have to do is to make up into a
little frivolous white doll and flirt
around and talk nonsense. None OF
that for mine-I prefer musical COM
edy"
Thereupon she bolted out of her
dressig room in a jiffy and onto the
stage in the last act