New-York tribune., 1911-10-15
BILLIE BURKE EXPLA|E|
Unlike Peter Pan. She Wants IA
Grow Up.

a Miss Billie Burke who would b. ~,
only willing but anxious 20 so back >,
PLAYING secondary, even minor parts IN
good repert0ry company. In order % a.
breadth and experience. Yet this is ~
present great desire Of the little g'ri v,-S
the curis who s winning hearts nighsya.
the Lyccum Theatre IN her VII ~
character OF CoIette. the runaway
'eYou know" she said In her d-ess,rv
room yesterday evening Just before m.
performance. "1 cant always bc Young
some day 7 shall 1c unable % play th...
cute littio parts that people have come p,
expect from me. And then where shsH
bc2 Not only that ] want tO 60 deepe-
into human nature than 7 have so Ear had
any chance Of doins. 7 am ambitious
"I am anxious o. play young Vornsr 4,
parts. even YOUNG married wonea. vha
are emouonally developed and have sons
serious things on their minds Youtee I
want 20 grow up, she laughed. I hsY.
been a child long enough
How are YOU gong about growing ur-t
sine was asked.
=
fully "I am goinc % study First an
20 take voice culture here In New Yct
this winter. Not tHat ] am going In q,
musical comedy or grand opera, noth.s.
alarming. But I want t0 improve be-
spea king voice aud enunciatol. Ther
am planning 10 set , good company =
sethar and rehearse here 90 some plav =
!
not present any Of them 20 the putHc. ".
may. Of course. and want 10. but that
rot the real reason ot our doing t. Z 4
tor study and practice. There is no wst
of studying dramatic art except throsgs
constant practice
What are the mastery things % BE-
asked her iutervieweg.
ut IS not decided. But very likely 70.
meo and Juliet will be one OF them"
"Wiu you. perhaps t-y a performanc, 4
Juliet here?'
II am afraid 10 confess that should
like 70. But supposing that everything
goes We'll with the plans T am making. Z
can get the people and 4 rehearsals realiy
work up 20 finish. 30 il Just possible ,ssH
might might give a special matln4s
OF Romeo and Jul>at and take the pa-t
OF Juliet myself ] should 50 Ike %
while I am young, while 7 can seer. as
young as she was and can feel the Vay
she felt.
AT any rate, 7 want to give something
else this winter in addition 10 Tho Bun
away
You know what 7 wish 7 could do,
wish 7 could 20 20 London and join son.
fine stock company there. say. with lIaF.
trey. and play all kinds OF parts, as tisf
do there and IN Paris-One week the s1'
and the next week the maid J could isaa
more about acting that way In a mon:
than ! can here in two years the wy !
have TO do now. Touring On the road I
the United states. the way we ~ o.
one play for months at tm, simp'
fosters mannerisms that ono cannot 50
away from.
'T think il VIII bc sood fo- me- 10 3T
in Paris in the sprinS. Z am to PLAY ihe-
IN French ar the Gvmnlse % Grams y
the author of Love Watches T'h
might also play IN German. and-you ri
laugh ar me- but I am just in -he nos
70 want 20 do everything there IS Thai 3
only a streak 7 Will pin myself doVn .
just one thing this winter and that Is ms
rehearsing and voice study that "a.
already spoken Of
Have YOU consistently chosen tless u ,
tie French plays like suzanne The RTi'
away Love Watches etc, 10 order %
show Americans a certain side Of Ff-Sc'
playwriting?'
"Oh. no. I merely have given them o.
cause they were suited 90 me better th4i
anything else that could De found Tor H-
What I should vastly prefer TO have VOC.
be an American play with a typica! Alia
lean girl part in II. 7 think I could do "a
better than the French plays. bu, n0'u
has been written so far that had any e.A
acter in it for me We have been io'a-
to draw on the French.
I'VE are not limited in our appeal
the French stage 20 the kind Of PLAYS
have chosen for me, of course. There ;
deep things and imaginative ones. az e'PI
one knows But 7 think ] a.Wal "a-1
touch OF light comedy .D what pay .
that Is hard 20 hnl. Even IN Jule~
7 play it, i shall develop d trace o. eon8'
that here and there the lines reFe~.
Hghtness. "A bit OF whimsical feeling ~
relieves the heavy tragedy with WINCH
character l. usually interpreted.
"I don't know n audiences would e-1'
that There rs nothing 90 do but ty !.
SEQ. That is the sporting sn.rit that s'.
,ne has Who goes on the sag
one would ever got anywhere VIZ
10 Certainly no one would eVa
through a first night without ~ lAs.
nothing 30 dreadful as a nrst n-5-
wonder II any one in the audience
-s.Iizas how desperate the actors
Sometimes have no desire hlt 70
INFO a dark corner and die there -.
any one could stop me. lt is q Pe.'s -
mad fright and a positive certainty
YOU are not going 90 boz aole nl . -
physically or morally 20 emerge - ~
protection ~ the wings and say -,
berenr words under thar f-tghttn u8.s
~ ewes an elis-ening ont there ~ u"
auditorium. ...,s s
yet once that feeling passes 49,
soon does. an actor is mo- loaser a.. - =
the audience. bur depends on it WI. VI.
most grateful attention. 10 IS tna HD'- -
which is the real coach o- l-i' ~
its unspoken criticism that mou'-' ~
the play and tAe actor. B.t oy or. 3
exuress their spontaneous iae''ns5 .,.cs
,be-a tho play IS changed ana '-0 -
accent the silent suggestions or .l -
Sometimes q play is quite diils.,..,ss
The characters cutie dinerentiy in's,r ~
AZ the end OF the plays run from -, "a -
ner of doing at the besiHnins A '.s,,ss
4. because the suggestions OF 'n' - ssF
have been followed. Persons p" -, q
once may think that they are se
loving themselves. bat that IS not - y
are teaching as well with Their s.I,c .,rsc
sure criticisms. Tho criticism Is 'r, -
Of artistic value TO the PLAYER ~, rss .
wonderfully enlightenng in sh'"
v.av people generally feel -
.H..r EutW L.f nAf