The evening world., 1911-02-28
Ellen Terry
On Her Biythdau
Makes a Speech
Surprises Managers and
Audience by Appearing
at Benefit for Society
for Protection of Stage
ChiIdren-Dromatic
and operate Artists
Aplenty Help to Raise
$4,000.
Sr'L vEsTER RAWLING.

~ LIEN TERRY furnished a de-
l!ghtful surprise to the managers
as well az to the great audicr~ e
at the performance at the Metropolitan
Opera House yesterday afternoon for the
benefit of the National Alliance for the
Protection OF Stage Children by making
a speech. She had not been expected to
appear. but her interest in the cause
was so great that she delayed her de-
parture for Europe. dropped In, and
volunteered. Passing from the offices
at the back OF the stage into the house
while the entertainment was under way,
the writer found her, with "A woman
companion. sprawled out upon the steps
OF the deserted lobby writing out what
in a TOW minutes she would say. The In
oident was so odd and the simplicity OF
1t was so marked that it seems worthy
or record. incidentally, 1t may be men,
TONED That 1t was Miss Terry's birthday
and that ner little speech was pertinent
and read with much OF the art and the
charm OF voice and enunciation that
have made her famous. She was APP
plauded most heartily.
The performance lasted five hours and
might have been kept up much longer
X II hadn't been that the stage and the
house were needed for the evening
presentation of "Ote,lo." Most OF the
prominent actors and singers In town
had proifered their services, and II the
audience missed many of them it was
only because there was no time left for
"a display OF their talents. OF the army
OF volunteers, Caruso alone sent an
apology for his absence. The great
tenor Is not Yet recovered from the IN
disposition which has kept him out of
the casts Of the Metropolitan Opera
Company for some two or three weeks.
The receipts were somewhere near
$500
After Augustus Thomas had outlined
the objects for which the Alliance is
striving and introduced Judge Ben
Lindsay of Denver to continue the en-
position. Edith Taliaferro appeared rs
the principal character OF The Old
woman Who Lived In a Shoe" while
from out the shoe poured a hundred
or more little tots who have appca el
In stage performances. Blanche Bates
read william Winters poem. "Foroid
Them Mott
One o, the hits of the entertainment:
was made by The .'lorodora SeXty:te,
VI wa 7 SldAh, Isilll
Taliaferro, Christie Macdonald. Emmy
Whelen. Elsie Janis, Louise GunninG
tall in hobble skirts. John McCloskey,
Orville Horrold. Lawrence Rea. c. Nor
ton Horne. Joseph Cawthorn and Rome.
Warwick. Weber and Fields gave thei'
old pOolroom skit. which proved al
laughter-provok!ng as ever. VIII 4
Collier and his company presented a
scene from I'm BE Hanged II | Do
Willis y. Sweetnam did a characteristic
monologue, Ethel Barrymore and mel
company appeared in The Twelve
Pound Look and Charles J.. Ross
Helen Ware, Alice Fisher. LaUranc,
D'Orsay, Lawrence Wheat and Jane,
Lackaye did a satire on The Third
Degree"
Nora Bayes auctioned on a prosr lmm,
for which she and Jack Norworth
started the bidding at 500. Various
higher sums were offered until Maze
Hite said 500. Then Nathan Strauss
stepped In and got 1t for $500.
Geraldine Farrar. to her own acton
paniment. sang Annie Laurie" ant
Johanna Gadski THE Erlking' TO thu
accompaniment OF Alexander Lamb art
Both were enthusiastically applau.lec
and forced TO give encores