Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-31

OIHEhN ANU MAfNl[ON T.
- probably the strongest names
to eonjure with today on the
American stage-two players
!E4t who. when they first Joined
- artistic forces. only a few
years ago. were almost laughed at by
managers who regarded their plan of
deyoting their abilities wholly 10 the
Shakespearean PLAYS as little more THAI
dream which was sure TO end in a
tremendously expensive awakening. So
many other actors had given their best
efforts 10 the immortal bard merely, so
it seemed. to prove the old adage that
Shakespeare spelled ruin" The wise
acres OF the theater could see ahead only
disaster. But they had not reckoned
with the exalted ambition, the flame-like
zeal and the aggressive determination Of
these two players-and there is so little
Of great ambition. of burning zeal and
Of fighting determination in the Ameri-
can theater today, so far as the very
best, the very highest. in art is con-
cerned. And, so Mr.. Sothern and Mss
Marlowe. with no encouragement what
ever from managers. and undaunted by
many not inconsiderable obstacles, went
resolutely ahead. until today the bare an
nouncement Of their coming is sufficient
to insure crowded houses in every city
they visit.
Julia Marlowe has played Shakespeare
from practically the beginning Of her
stage career, and disheartening, up
hill fight it was for many years. oc-
caslonally she put aside her cherished
ambition and undertook plays which
were sure OF an immediate popular ap-
peal. This was done merely, however
TO obtain the sinews OF war TO enable
her to resume again the Shakespesrean
campaign. Her single handed fight had
In II much Of the pathetic. much Of
which the play-goins public, seeing her
today in the full glory OF her success
knows nothing. The actress, II may be
said. Is a strange mixture OF marvellous
determination and almost ehlld-lke gen
tleness-and while she fought her way
by sheer force OF the resolve TO win, she
nevertheless felt every encouragement
as only an extremely sensitive nature
can. and suffered accordingly But she
would do the thing she had set out 10
do-she would accomplish that one thing.
and that only, or she would die In the
attempt.
When she first ventured into New
York as star. presenting a repertoire in
GLIDING The Lady OF Lyons" The
unnnhk.,Nr
other plays, young girl of wonderful
beauty and rarely gifted. as the critics
admitted, she appeared with shabby
scenery Of the cheapest description. wear
ing costumes made by her own hands.
and surrounded by a company OF actors
that would today be RELOCATED to the
popular priced theaters. 1t was all very
pitiful. but the young girl could afford
nothing better, and she was fighting des-
perately for recognition. Managers with
whom she had bookings insisted that con-
ditions be improved. The youthful star
improved them. She engaged a leading
man at $50 a week; but to give him that
salary she must retrench elsewhere. So
she dismissed her maid. lived in hotels
where her board and lodging cost her
only 81 weekly. and in those wretched
hotel rooms she spent such time as was
not given to rehearsals In the making
and mending OF her costumes. But she
never flinched for an instant, because
she was determined to achieve her am
billion. ...
.
While Julia Marlowe was making her
fight in America a young actor was
making an equally aggressive fight In
London. He was playing utility parts