The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-09

Tt was in the early eighties" said MT.
 Frank Kilday, the Veteran Actor who is playing the role of "Father Kelly in
 "The Rosary" around at the Bijou this week. when came to Birmingham with Annie Pjxley in Miss Your town was a mere infant in arms then, and there was but one playhouse here, and that was o Brien's opera house. In those days we had the poorest sort of accommodate tions everywhere, both as to hotel ar engagements and the theatre. MT Frank F. o Brien | recall, was in Nashville when Miss Pixley and her company played there, and a more pleasant, charming, agreeable gentleman l never met. He ar ranged for us to come to Birmingham,
 and of course we were only too glad of
 an opportunity. When we got here the
 feminine part of our company were pro-
 vided with billiard tables for beds and the men scrambled about and did the best they could for themselves in the way of hotel accommodations.
 You actors won't be everlastlngly throwing up to us the subject of hotels when we get our numerous million dollar hosteleries in the next few months l in- terpolated.
 "Oh. we fared well here in comparison to other places we played in. Those were the days of 'wildcatting.' D said Mir Kil- day, which means that wherever we saw a spot we played there. l recall out west a fearful experience we had in a town. The people were wild and wooly and didn't think anything of talking from the gallery 10 the actors on the stage Once q won't mention the name of the tragedian) a great actor was doing Ham, let. He same to the lines
 " There's something rotten in the state of Denmark.
 "Pausng q moment after he had delv- cred the line, a voice from the gallery shouted out:
 |" You're IT Old Manr"
 Your early experience would no doubt fill d book, l suggested as Mr. Kilday recounted various experiences even fur ther back than barn storming" days nay, even to the early days Of Stock in California. when he was a member of the same company that numbered in its ranks Mr. Lawrence Barrett. MT John McCul- tough. Mary Anderson. Madame Janaus- hex and Adelaide Nelson.
 The actor of the present day has not the opportunity" said the Veteran Actor. "The example of emulation that the young members of a Stock Company such as that in San Francisco years ago had. There are now no Booths. no Barretts. no l regret to say. In the old Stock Company in San Francisco we played 52 weeks In the year. There was a gymnasium fitted up. With every access sory that could help the actor in his work. Broadsword, rapier, claymore, gad-zooks, I know not what. Nowadays the young actor is more familiar with baseball bat or a cigarette than he is with anything of that sort.''
 (Which accounts for the lack of Shake speace, Sheridan and the other classics observed.
 Repertoire was in those days made up of such beautiful plays as 1ngomar' with Mary Anderson as Parthena, Meg Mer- rifles" with Madame Janaushek in the title role, "Evadne." "'rhe Lady of Lyons, with Adelaide Nelson as Pauline, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar
 Which except for MT. Robert Mantel and MT. Sothern and Miss Marlowe we would have none now?" l suggested.
 And a worthy object those sterling actors have in view" said MT. Kilday, "of the classic drama. I recall l an incident regarding production of Julius Caesar when Lawrence Barrett, | John Mccullough Edwin Booth and Thomas E. Keene were caste for Brutus Cassius, Marc Anthony and Caesar. MT l Barrett was playing Caesar and MT. | keene was very anxious to do the part | which Mir. Barrett was rather ungracious | about. but after much persuasion he all lowed him to do it. The evening of the | performance there was huge audience | and every eye was strained and every ear attuHed to catch the reading of the lines | as Mr. Keene interpreted them. At the end of the scefe First, when the lines were delivered:
 :" Cry Havock, and let slip the dogs of War;
 q have never seen such enthusiasm. MT. | keene was recalled 16 or r times, and even MT. Barrett, who was not given par to experimenting other actors