The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-25

sort of work. l like Ibsen, especially Che dramas that are seldom played, like Lit tle Eyolf," although I believe Madame Nazimova did play that several seasons ago in New York. The Lady From the Seas,' John Gabriel Berkman' and The Wild Duck are others l like. Pinere I consider the ceverest of all modern play wrights. His plays are perfectly stun hing Of course there is much of real- ism in them and one always recalls what the insouciant Frenchman Catulle Mendes advised as a motto for play houses
 Abandon all reality, ye who enter here D'Annunzio has been called the Italian Flauhert, and the Swinburne of Italy. l like his Francesca de Rimini, but then that is such a beautiful subject Witness all those who have made differ ent versions of 1t. stephen Phillips. for instance. and even in the musical world Liszt ana Tschailzowsky. have composed Symphonic Poems to It."
 Were you born with a talent for the style and play writing? An inhertance?" I asked.
 Not at all,' said Miss Poynter. T
 
 terians in the world. They were very much opposed to my stage career, but from the time l was a wee bit of a tot wanted To do nothing so much as go on the stage. I used to dress up in my mothers long dreses and play Lady and do great theatrical stunts. My father was hotel man in the West and I used to see and meet lots Of the actresses and actors who came out there. Finally when 1 grew up 1 still begged Ito go on the stage and so my mother told me in des- peraton one day, and just to get rid of my pleadings, that If anybody would have me l conld go. So l went down to inc theatre and sure enough the company that was playing needed some chorus girls, and if you please, they took mel"
 50 you are musical as well as liter ary?" I said incidentally.
 T used to sing" said Miss PoynteY but l do very little of 1t now. You see as soon as 1 could get away from Mu- sieal Comedy ] went into the legitimate, and there I've stayed ever since"
 Have you any plays or dramatlza- tions in progress at present." I asked.
 .'Yes," said Miss Poynter q am busy writing play to fit myself. That's the hardest thing I ever attempted. It's like being your own dressmaker. 1 loved Lena Rivers. That was the best drama tiZdllOn l ever made. one or my dram atizations is playing now out in Australia. It's one of the Duchess novels, Molly Bawn' Pve just completed dramatiza- ton of Edward Egglestons book, The Hoosier SchooImaster.'
 T recall several years ago when l was In New York, reading an Alan Dale crit ieism of your Lena Rivers, [ observed.
 Isn't he a wonder?' said Miss Poyn- ter "I consider him the best dramatic critic in this country. Let me tell you something about the people who have played with me. Several of them now are with tho leading stars on Broadway. There's Mrs. Maria Day, who is playing with Edith Taliaferro, In Rebecca of sunnybroolS Farm; she was my Granny Nichols in Lena Rivers for years. one of my best actors in Lena Rivers now has prominent part in 'Eyerywomans. Mrs. Harry Burkhardt, who was with me several seasons. is now with MT. Otis skinner in 1<ismet. So you see, the the- atrical world is very small after all, anl the stars shoot about like so many sky roekets-ai but me, and 1 stick to Stock year in and year out. l love my work and my profession. and l am so ambl- tious to be really BIG."