The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-09
Pretty Virginia Howell Who Plays "Iras in "Ber-Hur",
Says the Stage is Difficult and Means Hard Work
vy DOLLY DALRYMPLR
Virginia Howell's a southern girl.

l.
I'll tell YOU that to begin with and when
YOU see her as aIras" IN the wonderff,i
production OF "Ben-Hur'' vou'u be 81
proud to claim her as your next door
neighbor tshe was born up in Florence.
). c. that you'll take your hat off 10
her twice, nay thrice, for the superb pie
ture she makes of the character and the
marked talent she displays in its delinea-
ton.
! suppose by this time you are consumed
with curiosity to know what she looks
li1e-arent you2
mean, Of course. off the stage.
\ spirit Of chain-mail run through NTH
| electricity, flashing. vital. powerful-and
the whole tucked away in a 1.-THE, rest
less and beautiful body.
This is the real Virginia Howell Mh9
10 wears ago was mercy a pretty south-
ern society belle with a .beer buzzlng ii
her bonnet that hummed the tune of the
stage
Physically. Miss Howell swings well
over a woman's average of five feet and
a half.
slenderly compact, she is clean cut.
without one ounce Of flesh unneeded.
Her @colatura scheme is that of fiain-
ing autumn, cast in the shadows.
When the light comes fun upon her
pretty face, her black hair seems to burn
the autumn tints as it fiuffs and waves
about her neck and forehead and cheeks,
as il 1t dearly loved to belong to her.
Then her big. serious gray-blue eyes
meet yours and hold them--eyes that ara
clear and direct and unwavering-eyes yGu
| would wager had never looked otherwise
than frankly, and looking SO. had seen
much to be grave about and good deal
to laugh at, withal.
Suddenly as you study her you begin Ia
| realize that she knows exactly how Il
dress too, in order TO bring out her best
points and as the conversation progresses
you become aware that you are talking to
real live human being like yourself.
An actress?
Yes
But
If you didn't happen to know it, how
ever, nothing about her dress. her man
ner or her method of discoursing would
suggest that fact to you.
For
Didn't say in the beginning that Miss
Virginia Howell is Just sweet. attrac-
tive, every day southern girl. who has
made quite bit of success on the
stage?
What shall We talk about Miss How
ell said yesterday as we arranged our
selves vis-avis in the palm Room" at
the "Hillman' overlooking the foyer
where men and women passed unheeding,
on their errands bent.
why, about you. of course ! said
promptly.
There really isn't very much to tell,
said she. rather shyly.
'Oh, there's always the sad, sad story
of how YOU happened to do it, and when
and" I began.
We'll, if I must, here goes she smiled
back at me. and then said: Ten years
ago ! went up to New York from my
little South Carolina home, determined
to go on the stage. My sister had studied
at dramatic school, but | had never hal
any training at all. but my heart was set
upon being an actress and so | started
out / remember, for when I got myself
settled in New York, | went down Broal-
way one morning looking at every siea
that came within hundred yards of me.
/ WAS looking for a theatrical manager
somebody | could talk to. about my as
pirations and ambitions. Finally, | went
into an office, the sign on which read
'Broadhurst and Curry In | went. and
just as | stepped in the door and intro-
duced myself, one of the men said:
Where did you come from? You are
the very person I'm looking for Young
slender, graeeful-yes, you'll do for the
parti
you can imagine my surprise" Miss
Howell reminisced when in relating the