Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-18

r HAD been playing for two three years in Ibsen,
and had obtained good deal of attention. was
doing ultramodern drama and seemed to meet with
the approval of that minority of theaergoers who rep
resented the literary and social elements those who
affect what is called the intellectual play. Judge of
surprise then when at the oodtide of delight having
made little reputation for myself received an offer
to go into vaudeville.
Naturally would think the vaudeville stage the
last place to call from playing the extremely mod
ern style of drama 1t entirely field to me,
both before and behind the curtain. At first could
not entertain the idea at all. But realized that the
kind of drama in which playing could be kept
up very long without assistance from something little
remunerative than it had proved to be; 50 de-
cided to accept this offer of twenty-eght weeks in
vaudeville, which would leave me fine bank account
and put in position to push my eanings in
the best class of modern plays.
Now there is great aristocracy in the dramatic
profession of which the outsider probably Dreams
Caste lines drawn hard and fast between legitimate
and vaudeville No one who IS not familiar with the
actors habit OF thought to these dividing lines
really imagine what it meant in the beginning for e-
ultimate actor to go into vaudeville 1t meant not only
entering entirely kind Of work. but also associa
ting with people who have an instructive dislike to the
regular actor the kind of dislike often felt toward
who is deemed to be grade above the Others The
legitimate actor felt, if almost insensibly the hostility
of everything about him. He also felt that he
lowering the standard of his work leaving associates
who understood and liked him, and possibly cutting
off all retreat back into the safe habor of the regular
theater.
Of course, this does hold good in the degree
now. Better understanding has come about through
vaudeville having by its splendid efforts raised
itself to position of power and influence Thus it has
attracted to itself people who at time would
have thought of being associated with it. Likewise it
has brought about splendid democracy in the profess
sion the caste lines of which at time drawn
rigidly as those of any European monarchy When
considers that Sarah Bernhard and Mrs Patrick Camp
bell and other successful have passed lightly into
vaudeville without turning hair SO to speak, and gone
back into the legitimate without losing atom of
prestige, the matter IS cenched.
There time when to say that actress had
gone into vaudeville almost as bad saying that
she had gone to the poorhouse.
When thoroughly legitimate actor makes little
incursion into vaudeville topner, everyone knows
that it is for very large of money and very short
time. The regular vaud vile calls this profess
technical definition of blrglary. The whole thing
well Illustrated by advance notice that APP
peared in a Chicago newspaper. 1t follows:
"'The topliners at the Chicago Opera House and
Olympic Theater will be Miss Mabel Blank, niece of ex-
President Dash and Miss Dorothy Astersk the daugh
ter OF her mother The performers who will really
terrain the audience are"
That is the whole story in nutshell. The people
who break into vaudeville do entertain the majority
of the audience at all. They simply Gift large sal
airy tor gratifying certain percentage of curious per-
who rush to them for wholly foreign
any proper entertainment they may afford.
/ WAS to have many strange experiences in vaude-
vile. Chief among these the apomb and airy
nonchalance with which the treasurer of the particular
theater OF the circuit which CHANGED to be playing
punctlhously entered my dressing Saturday
night, when my act finished, threw down large
sum OF money, representing three times the salary |
had ever received IN any legitimate engagement, waited
as II he had passed quarter change till had
1 rkaI Ic ta11ri ap1o