The Washington times., 1911-06-19
Believes Road Compani
Best Place for the
Beginner. !
MOTTO: NEVER MEETl
TROUBLES HALF WA
Made Her Own Start at Seventeen
With Greatest Actors of
That Time.

yes and no." she answered. Many
say that it Is, and many hold the op-
posite opinion. While the stock COM
pany is the melting pot wherein Il
brought out the caliber Of the young
player. 1 personally think it is more Of
an advantage 70 rthe actress Of, say,
three or four seasons, than for the be-
ginner, for this reason: stock training
cannot give the proper polish and finish
to the young actress. In stock she can
not gain the broad, general knowi-
edge that is necessary for success, on
account of the hurried training that Ii
given in these companies, with their
eight or ten performances a week
Beginners are apt to grow slovenly
and careless, because the stage director
does not have the time to give atten-I
tion to each individual part, to give the
why and wherefore of the lines as they
are being rehearsed. Therefore the
training Is apt to be superficial. The
young people are apt to do things be-
cause they are told, without being given
any specific reason why.
Best to Start
With Road Company.
Therefore. would suggest to mothers
who hope to place their daughters on
the stage, not to place them in stock
at the beginning, but to place them
with some good road company for y
season or two
-However," continued Mrs. Wheat
croft, stock company training is ex
cellent, inasmuCh as its limitation
are boundless. Today the charactet
may be that of the maid who dustsJ
the drawing room: next week she may
be the queen upon a throne. Fronf1
the commonplace of every day living
to the splendor of tragedy may be I
required of the girl from one week tor
the next. She may depict the depth
of crime on Saturday. and on Monday
be soaring to sublime heights. All
this gives a training that is invalu-
able to the girl.
company is one of its chief and de-
lightful advantages. Perfect harmony
among the members must exist, and
each PLAYER does his or her best.
whether that best consists Of coming
upon the stage and reciting three
lines. or in holding the center of the
stage for an entire scene. Petty Jeal-sl
ousies cannot long survive IN a stock
company, therefore they are not al
lowed TO develop"
Began Career
Many Years Ago.
Mrs. wheatcroft commenced at thf
top of the ladder. When a girl
seventeen. she appeared in the Hay
market Theater. London. with the
KendaIs, Chippendales, Roland Bux7&
ton. and others whose names are iden
titled with the best in the drama. Sh
played Juliet to Kendal's Romeo. Late1
er she toured the provinces in Wilkie
Collins woman in White, playing
the dual leading character. Later she
appeared in America in this play. For
van in the provinces, then managed
her own company. giving society
plays. 1t was at this time that she
met Mr.. Wheatcroft, and engaged him
as her leading man. for life. She play
ed with the first English speaking
company that ever visited the Ar
gentine Republic. then came to this
country. having been engaged by
Frohman.
One of her most pleasant professional
recollections is of the seasons she spen
with Joseph Jefferson's company. play
ing Gretchen in Rip Van Wrinkle"
was while in this company that MrsI
wheatcroft became acquainted wit
Julius Kahn. now Representative frog
California. who was at that time
yornc law student in San Franciso
and member of Joe Jefferson,s col
pany Later. with her husband. NJ
wheatcroft established the school
New York in which many actors AZ
actresses whose names stand high
the annals of the American drama were
trained. Margaret Anglin was one OF
tie students in this school in its early
days Rachel Crothers, author of The
Three Of Us and other novels: MarGa-
ret Mayo, author and playwright, and
many others are graduates from her
school.
But I couldn't stay awav from my
first love" exclaims Mrs Wheatcroft.
II had to come back to the stage, and
ROW that I am back. find myself wish
ing that had never left It,"