The Washington herald., 1913-10-19
its a Big Jump from Small
Parts at So Per 10 a
Broadway Favorite.
Ada Lewis Found the Road to Stage
Success Pretty Rough
in Spots.

Our impressions OF Ada Lewis having
been formed during the years when she
6ssayed the role Of a tough girr' in
productions with May Irwin. Peter
Daley. and the Roger brothers. we rath-
er expected to find her attired in red
sweater and an nl-fitting skirt when we
called at her hotel with view Of having
her relate some of the interesting events
Of her career on the stage. But. the IN
etznt she came into view we knew our
impressions had been kidding MS, and
we could hardly believe she was the
same Ada Lewis we had seen in ''The
Country Sport and ''The Widow
Tones" As matter of fact. Miss Lewis
reminded us more of the fashion pic
lures in the magazines than anything
else we could think of at the time.
Now, that we have Miss Lewis on the
scene. properly attired. let us introduce
her. if such a thing is necessary. for
this charming and versatile comedienne
is already pretty well known among
theatergoers from one coast to another. |
Just at the present time she is supplying |
much of the wit and large proportion |
of the comedy in "The Honeymoon Ex-
press" which plays a weeks engage
ment at the Belasco Theater. beginning |
tomorrow night. proving to her friends
of other days that she can do something /
besides tough girr' parts
Although born in New York, Miss
n oxrrfo Ca
Francisco when a very small child, and
it was in San Francisco that she began
her stage career. Penned up in the
corner of cozy cafe, with all means of
escape carefully guarded, she told>us of
some of the rough roads she Travelled
actress at 50 a week until she finally
came to be recognized as a Broadway
favorite.
Hard work and many hard knocks
earned for Miss Lewis the success she
has now attained, but to hear her relate
some Of the near-tragic experiences Of
her transforming career one might easily
believe them to have been the brightest
spots in her life. Miss Lewis fairly
exudes optimism, and the gloom germ
hasn't a chance when she is around.
''Yes: my very first engagement was
at theater where my mother was play
ing in San Francisco" she said. They
needed some one for a child's part, and
was taken out of school and given the
role at 50 week. And. believe me, that
8 looked bigger to me at that time than
anything have earned in a single week
since.
1t was in the production Of Siberia"
at the Alcazar Theater, in Frisco. that
Miss Lewis made her debut. II
81 guess was about the proudest per
son around that theater." continued Miss I
Lewis. why, used to wait every
night for a chance to button up Louise
Allen, who was playing there. and when ;
Florence Roberts gave me a makeup |
box insisted on carrying 1t home with
me after every performance. I knew
then that 1 was a sure-enough actress"
Miss Lewis spent a few years on the !
Pacific Coast before an opportunity to
go East came to her. 1t was the late /
Ned Harrigan who recognized her talent, |
and who gave her the first real engage
ment she ever had. That was when she
was fifteen years old. Ii
ado you know" said Miss Lewis, when Z
that man offered me so week thought I
he must be crazy? I couldn't see how &
any spendthrift so reckless with his !
money could succeed. and I nearly re-
fused the engagement We played all the
way from San Francisco to New York,
kayoring the tank towns as well as the I
larger places. was given all kinds of ,
roles, and often on very short notice
put in Minneapolis I was cast for an
Stress, but in looking over my wardrobe I