The Washington times., 1913-12-24
Annie Russell Began Her
Career AS a Soubrette
By JULIA MURDOCK.
Copyright. 1915.
ty the Pres Publishing 90.


lY n 1879 a singing soubrette in jnve-
II nile Pinafore Company.
In 1913, owner and manager of
her own company, In a revival CT
the two most admired Of the English
classics.
This Is the jump that Annie Russell,
who is to be seen in Washington next
week In two of the most delightful Of
the English comedies-"School For
Scandal and "She Stoops To Conquer" !"
has made.
She was eight years old when she had
her first part. They were little ingenue
parts, just, little characters where she
was required to walk on and off, to
6irt her skirts, and laugh a few laughs,
perhaps, q sort of filler in when all the
time, even at eight, she was yearning
for big things as she expresses IL
Il did so long to draw a deep breath,
and to express life as I knew II. but the
only satisfaction I obtained was to ap-
pear in curtain raisers. and simple little
characters which meant nothing, either
to the little girl who was playing them,
or to the audiences that looked on" she
SAYS
But she stuck to the stage. in spite CT
the disappointments and discourage
ments. playing girls-all sorts Of girls,
and ] do not believe there ever was a
more realistic idea of girlhood than that
given the public years ago by Annie Rus
SELL Girl roleS-whfte muslin. girls, sim
pie -diaphanous girls, Transparent girls.
love-lorn, poetic girls. all the varieties
of girls were delightfully."- expressed by
this intelligent little actress. and long
after she had ceased to be girl n real
ity, the public clamored for her as a
girl and never did she fail to do the
girls complete justice.
One of the most beautiful characters
she ever. portrayed was the Lily Maid
OF Astolat. in the old Madison Square
Garden. New York, years and years
sgo. so long that the writer does not re-
member it. except as told by those who
saw her and were enthusiastic over her
then. But it was one Of her chief sue
cesses. and old playgoer5 recall with
pleasure the picture of the slip of girl
"stsnding with reluctant feet in that
poetic play Of, the DAYS when knights
were hold.
Then came rebellion. Miss Russell !
lcn2ed for emotional work. for some- !
thing IL which the girl element was |
for something suot'e and |
got away from Annie Russell parts. |
Blanc manGey girls" she named them
:ngenues-she called them |
"Annie-genues." So one night she ap-
peared in The Niger" in the New
and the next night she played /
Lady Teazle, and the simple little girl |
Of charm and vivacity had vanished. and |
her place had been taken by an actress
who showed the world that she could
play strong. artistic parts.
And she is still showing the world.
and never at any time has Miss Russell
lost her sense Of perspective. She has
always looked at things from a logical
angle. and todav she Is in the exact po-
sition of doing the very things she has /
to do 50 long.
Few actresses have kept themselves
as fresh and actively I'D to date as Miss
Russell. Oddly enough. she could still
play "girf parts as realistically as
ever. Nobody has arisen who can wrest
from her the laurels that she never en-
loved. Emotional women there are by
the score. but the white muslin girl. as
Annie Russell used to play her. has
cever been as exquIsitely portrayed.
Compared with the mushroom stars