Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-26
Miss Annie Russell, Actress,
Is Nothing II Not Versatile
She Designs Her Own
Costume S an d
Scenery with Equal
Facility.
BY ADELINE cARRIcK WELLS

\ A ISIS ANNIE RUSSELL is many
M things beside an actress. For
~ one she is an able architect.
having designed. inside and out, her
charming bungalow up on the Maine
coast
For another she is a landscape gar
dener of no small ability The details
of the grounds and garden that are
part and parcel of that just-men-
toned bungalow were fashioned by
Miss Russell's own head-and hands,
too, to degree. For in vacation
time she loves to dig and to plant and
grub in the fresh, moist earth, and
to inspect daily the fruits, or, rather.
the flowers. of her toll.
II really work." she assured me in
| her dressingaroom in the Shubert
Theatre last night, (which is very
different performance from the put
tering that some women call garden
ing. Last summer ] planned a stone
bed. and you should have seen me
working with pick At night | used
to be as healthily tired as a youngster
that had played hard all day. And
then came such wonderful sleep, and
such vigor in the morning. I wish
could go there now"
| In her eyes was a vision of fragrant
woods and tapping waves and sands
| glittering in sunshine.
But it will be a long time" Miss
Russell added, Pm booked clear to
the end Of May, and may play even
| later"
Practically Unaided.
| Surely You had professional help in
designing your home" said I. Where
upon Mss Russell declared that her
/ only professional assistant was a
Maine carpenter, who helped hei
I measure chimney spaces and such.
| This busy woman also designs her
own costumes and scenery. and per-
sonally sees to her stage settings.
| Her hobby is very old furniture. and
it is her. delight to have her furnish
ings genuine. as we'll as historically
| correct. The old brasses, quaint pic
lures and furniture in "She Stoops to
Conquer" are, every one, genuine an
tiques, even to the old English chan
! delier that is shown in Hardcastle's
house.
ana Mouern.
"Tell me- do you like these old plays
better than modern ones?" I asked.
"we-ell, it all depends" Miss Rus
sell reflected decidedly, there is a
! charm about the old plays that mod
ern dramatic works do not possess, I
think. But, on the other hand, it's
much easier to create brand-new roles
than to appear in one that is en-
meshed in traditions. When one plays
classic role there are people in the
audience who say such and such a
one was more buoyant, or she isn't a
bit like so-and-so.'
You know she added. some per-
sons cannot bear to have precedent
destroyed. They would rather have
an actress initiate her predecessor in
an old role than to play the character
as she sees it,
Those fluffy clothes have a charm
of their own" I commented looking
at her silken gown.
Haven't they?" Miss Russell agreed
enthusiastically "do you wonder how
a girl who wore such feminine, RUSTY
things could have helped being a CO.
quette? The minute l don costumes
Xix, this I find my gestures becoming
more flowing, and, my mental attitude
more sprightly."
Clothes Making the Man.
I've always believed that clothes
had. a decided effect on personality"
said /, "it was perfectly natural for
man in velvet Knockers and lace wrist
ruffies to be deliberately courtly."
"And for girl in powdered wig and