New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-03

an axiom Is an indisputable fact one Oh
the near-axioms Is that without ambition
no one can climb to the top. But there is
Elsie Janis who is to-day at the top of
popular favor. and the common nickname
for her is the ambtionless wonder"
! Queer thing. Let's interview her.
The best place to interview an actress
when you want to talk sweet airy moth
ings about acting is at the theatre, be-
tween scenes. when her head Is dizzy
with applause and her eyes are black with
| excitement when the rOars of laughter
! from the auditorium penetrate with boom-
| ing rhythm even the alright compart-
ment known as tho stars dressing room
| and-se. her heart a-futter like a call to
arms. Because then she does not deal
Won theories: she Just bubbles feelings.
! The stage is not unlike battlefield, nor
| is the rushing advance OF the star from
! the wings out before the lights and the
| crowd unlike the charge TO battle. There's
q fight out there She has 20 rouse emo
| ton in the emotionless, pleasure In the
pleasure stated draw laughter from the
grouchy and noisy approval from the
habitually silent And this IL TO be ac-
complished in a few minutes with no less
an effort than the gathering up OF her
personality and the hurting Of it In bomb
form over the battlements Of light into
the darkness. where the enemy sits wait
ing TO be conquered and unconsctously
lighting against being conquered. Is that
the situation? Usually. What task for
an ambitioness woman,
As the Curious One went behind the
scenes at the Globe Theatre night before
last The Lady OF the slipper" was in it,
second stage Cinderella was at the
princes ball, and in blaze OF light and
jewels was whirlng in the complicated
steps OF a waltz which she had devised
herself She smiled. Even from the
wings-from which vantage point all
things look dinerent-the smile was real.
She dipped and swayed and spun through
the air The dance requires an athlete,
but her grace dlssembles exertion, masks
II. She seems buoyed by the music.
Finally at the concluding chords she and
the prince whirled across the stage and
shot into the wings, flushed and smiling,
but sIghtless The Curious One and the
crowd of supers and stage hands fell
back quickly out Of their way. The roar
OF applause followed them in, the music
struck UP and out they weE to do it all ,
over again.
once safely boothed in her dressing
room at the end of this encore, Miss
Janis offered the Intruder a chair, seated
herself calmly, breathing easily and not
seeming to be even overheated.
81 understand you have never done
l., 10, api-
Neither l have" she replied, without
surprise. This isn't work It's just Joy
bursting out
II only those who add figures serve
pancakes and sell ribbons each day looked
upon their Jobs as 10y bursting OUT of
them too, what glad world! An hilarious !
world.
81 mean what | say" she went on, as
though what she had said We're incredible. !
II think / enjoy myself as much as the
audience enjoys me-perhaps more. |
often think that maybe they are mutter-
ing: What does she imagine she's doing
up there? Meantime I'm having the time
OF my life.
Dancing? I've always danced. The
music has only to play. AS for this new
It. ! wrote a song last summer called
For de Lawd's Sake Play q Waltz
CThis song has been sung in all the
vaudeville houses during the last sum-
mer) wrote II last spring when | was
having dinner somewhere and they be-
gan to play a trot."
Itappears that, like most expert dancers, !
Miss Janis has never been taught dane
ing. She has met it, conquered II and
made II hers through ten years OF inter-
mittent endeavor on the stage and off It; I
tut she has never been taught. Athletics /
she has made a speciality Of Her mother /
conhded this to the Intruder while Elsie \
was doing some wondergliding on the 4
stage. And perhaps being a practised (
athlete does help some In modern dane !
ing.
Mothers nearly always do give you |
away. 1t Is part Of their love for you.
They call her without ambition" she |
said, as she stood shoulder to shoulder [.
with the Intruder. while Elsie whirled ,
in the limelIght. well, then, have the
ambition"
How truel
1T is l who keep at her always. I |,
taught her deep breathing, Kept her at |
outdoor sports, coached her In her enun-
citation She has such resonant and clear
enunciation now that when she went a |
few days ago TO have graphophone rec
ords made OF some OF her songs the first
records were perfect Even the singers
in grand opera have to have several rec
ords made before all blemishes are
cleared on"
This is true OF Elsie Janis. Just listen
as you sit back In your chair. No matter
what part Of the house you're in, there's
no effort necessary to hear every word
she says.
Joy-playing for ten years and still full
of Joy! Last year this delightful dancer
toured seven thousand miles and missed
only two performances She composed
all her own dances and, besides, eight
songs, both words and music.
Il lie in bed making up new dance
steps" confessed Miss Janis. with the
smile that sends both cheeks into dim
pies. Il bump around for hours some
times before can get to sleep, thinking
how this would go, and that"
Soporihc climate this.
1T may not sound restful, but it's fun.