The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-11
DRAMATIC NEWS AND COMMENT

DRAMA ~ NE W.
Ethel Barrymore made her first sp-
pearance on the stage when she was
| fourteen years old and faced her first
| audience with all of the cold and stud
| led assurance Of an old timer In eX-
| tenuation OF this she explains today
| that she WAS too young to know any
| better.
As a student in the School of the Sis
ters of No,re Dame, in Philadelphia,
| Miss Barrymore gave promise of being
n gifted planlste She really liked the
piano so much that she dreamed
| of going abroad TO study. but this
| took money and she did not have it.
The conviction having been forced upon
| her that she would have to abandon
| her musical ambitions, she astonished
| her grandmother. Mrs. John Drew, by
| announcing that she meant TO follow in
| the footsteps of all of the other mem
bers Of her family and go on the stage,
She acquainted her uncle, John Drew.
with her intention, and asked his aid
and help. At the time Mr.. Drew WAS
| being seen in ''The Bauble shop His
| leading woman was Maude Adams.
Arthur Byron was the Juvenile man and
| j. f.. Dodson was the ''old - man. There
was only one part in the play, that of
Lady Kate Fennel, which was in the
hands of Elise DeWolfe.
Miss DeWolfe was suddenly taken i'll
and young Miss Barrymore was hurried
| ly sent for by Mr.. Drew to play her
part. The members of the company had
| been appearing in the play for so long
time that il was thought that they
| were nervous proof The advent of the
young girl in the cast, however, TN
ncrved them. They pitied her, feeling
| that she was suffering from severe ncr-
! vous strain, Miss Barrymore knew the
part of Lady Fennel backward, She
| was happy in the knowledge that AT
| last she was to face an audience. While
| the members of the company were feel.
ing sorry for her she was shrieking
with laughter in the dressing room try.
ing on the beautiful dress that Miss De.
! Wolfe wore in the play. This dress
was figured with butterflies and those
| which should have been across her
shoulders were around her waist Her
call coming, she brushed past the as
tonished Mr. Drew with n laugh,
played her scene and made her exit
with smile.
| If Miss Barrymore did not know
stage fright then. there came time
when she was attacked with it In its
most virulent form. Mr.. Frohman had
1
ure member Of a company presenting
| the comedy "His EXcellency. the Gov
ernor.' The play did so well and Miss
| Barrymore received so much praise in it
that Mr.. Frohman felt that in the young
woman was the timber from which sue
cessful stars were hewu. He therefore
commissioned Clyde Fitch to write a
| play for the young actress, which he
| did in "Captaiu links, - The play had
| ~, ho W,lp
Street theater, in Philadelphia. AS the
actress was entering the theater on the
| opening night, the glare Of the electric
| lights showed her what she had not real
ized up to that time, that she was the
star of the play.
| - Somehow ! found my way to the
| dressing room, says Miss Barrymore,
"and then followed an acute attack Of
stage fright, There | was a poor play
| CT in a new drama by an emiuently sue
! cessful playwright. True. If the piece
was bad good acting could not save IT,;
| if il was good poor acting would ruin
| il. The success or failure of the play
depended largely on my ability as lead
ing performer. When ] stepped before
the footlights my voice refused to re-
spond 10 my will A great lump gath
| cred in my throat. / trembled \
burst Of applause only seemed to fright
en- me still more. | thought of the
dozen or more men present with appar-
emily harmless pens who in two hours
or so would he scratching away my
reputation or establishing my fame ms
! an actress.
saw black headlines proclaiming my
dire and utter failure. ] waited up for
the papers. and what relief they were
TO me, I thought that the success was
| too good 70 last. I did not even want
the impression TO go forth that | had
| succeeded ] did not dare call myself
a star ! Just wanted TO be regarded as
poor player or leading lady, that was
nll.
/ Lawrence d 'Orsay. who VIII be
starred by John Ccrt in revival Of
the Augustus Thomas comedy. The
Earl Of Pawtucket. has gone 10 Eng.
land on his annual visit. He will re-
turn in August for rehearsals.
Frank Losee has been engaged by
the Authors Producing company for
the role of James Darwin. the prose