The evening world., 1911-12-16
Wants a Play That Will "Make Hair Curl
All Her Spare
Time in Reading Plays
She Has "~Insp6sd,"
and Regrets the "In.
spiration" Because
They Are So Bad-Au.
thors' Mistokes.

fhors' Mistakes.
BY CHARLES
III HAVE no vanity"
Coming from Q woman,
and . generally admired
actress into the bargain. this Wa
enough to knock . man OF his chair.
Luckily ! wasn't sitting on one. But
- ure ~ Nine. ALA Nas4mova wss
sitting there. without q ghost Of .
smile on her lips. that's what she
aid.
OF course" I began, In Q frantic
effort to collect my scattered wits.
you are . most extraordinary
woman, but
oh" she confessed. brsaidng In With
. laugh. I'm very vain when I'm all
dressed up. But II nothing to me
to be . star" she continued with oon-
vinoing sincerity. II DON'T think : this
stardom can anything after all. or
course. come from . sohod that
knows nothing Of stars. and ! am
against the star system absolutely. n
Charles rrohman we're TO come to me
and ssy he was golng to organise .
stock company composed OF the best
actors at his command and asked me to
Join II. I'd DO 90 gladly. That would
mean such . lot to me! ia ike TO play
In a company whore sv~ry one OF this
actors challenged me. This would bring
out the best that's In me. IT 10 not the
notices In the newspapers. nor the BIAS
Ing letters over the door Of . theatre,
nor the notes from matinee girls that
bring satisfaction. it's what I myself
feel. When I signed my nrrt contract
In this country l didn't know what .
star waA. and ! didn't care. I care Just
rs little now"
What American actress. with The pos
sibls exception Of Mrs. Fiske. would talk
like that? Think. too. Of the ambitious
young women. strong In their self.con.
ceit. VINO are '"rever saying. I'm be .
star one OF these days" or. you'll see
my name on Broadway before long, or.
"Aii that 'ed Is the right sort Of play
70 make me . famous star"
GOOD PLAY NEEDS NO sTAR,
she DECLARES.
Nine. Nazimova spoke rather YEARLY
Of her search for plays. casting q hope
less glance at several manuscripts on
the table beside her.
1T seems 20 me-" she said. that q
good play needs no star. American
plays dealing with money or politics
succeed without stars. because they are
Of Vital interest to tho public. The sub
3ect 10 Of frst Importance. read
every blessed play that Is sent to me
in the hope OF coming upon an idea.
but"-and she shrugged her shoulders.
The authors invariably say that their
plays were inspired by me. In dis.
gusted to think l should be the In
sp.ration of 90 many bad plays" she
added. lauGhingly. Il don't think I'm
the right sort OF person to inspire Amer
lean writer's. They seem to think I can
play only weird. queer parts. I'm oon.
ceited enough to think I could play q
simple. w~srm-hsartsd girl. But I shall
never play an American woman. for
with my accent hat would - ridicu-
lous."
do American women interest your
inquired.
do 1 know thsmf" she asked. drop.
ping her arms ove the sides Of her
chair. "This 10 my seventh yea in
America. yet I know nothing Of the
people and the country. Ny work has
kept me 80 busy that I have had no time
to meet anybody. 1t seems a. though
every . HI been taken UP
in reading plays. When Mr.. rrohman
wrote me from Europe last summer
ubOut suiung ms with a play l an
swersd: DONE try to suit me: III suit
myself to the play After The Marion
cites should like 4 strong play
something to make the hair curl. But
| am glad to be In comedy for q change.
To devote yourself to one line OF work
constantly ~ X stretching a piece of
rubber until II finally bursts. You ret
used to certain expressions and intona-
tons that are bound to result in man
ner!sms. But after a change you come
back to the old work with new force
and stronger feeling. Every actor should
know when to make the change, pro-
him an opportunity.
IssEN AND oNE-NI0HT STANDS
NEARLY FINISH HER.
Until now. except for Countess Co
auette' and those obscure years in Rus
sia when ] played q little of everything.
my work has been along serious lines.
And always ! was obliged to fall back
upon Ibsen. You hear a lot about Civ
Ing all OF yourself in acting a trying
role. FaIry tales. At the same time
an ibsen play Is never N easy matter.
The lines don't carry you along. An
Iosen play Is always a night. To
land H. the actor has n hard struyxi.