The Washington times., 1913-03-10
Declares Art Is Jeopardized
by Managers Searches for
Mere Physical Ideals.

n n ORE than dozen girls whom
NH have interviewed this season
iH have declared that they owe
their success On the stage to
the fact that they took a prize in q
newspaper beauty contest. This seems
to be one Of the most favored entering
wedges to the profession. for when q
jury of artists and newspaper men and
women declare that girl is beautiful.
it is hard to depart from this decision,
and the public must believe.
Constance Molineaux is one of the
stage recruits drafted from the news
paper beauty contest contingent. She
Is here this week with Fisk O'Hara,
playing a part in "The Rose of Kill
dare" She is one of the most perfect
types OF Irish beauty, with exquisite
black hair. blue eyes. and fair skin.
The beauty of Miss Molineaux became
known four years ago. through girl
ish prank. Charles Frohman proclaimed
that he would give engagements to the
six prettiest girls in New England. One
Of the principal Boston papers made It
a beauty contest. A jury of artists was
organized. and candidates for honors
were asked to send in photographs. CIV
ing descriptions.
Had Returned to Home
After Life In Convent.
Miss Molineaux was just home from
convent and living with her parents in
Providence. Constance and several girl
friends thought 1t would be great fun
to send their pictures to the paper,
without any idea II winning any prize
or notice. Her father, well-to-do-
merchant. and a man of very digniied
manners. stood in the way and she did
not dare. The other lassies. not possess
ing such paternal dignity in their fam
lies, giggled over the scheme for a
while and then couraseously sent in the
pictures and sent one of Constance with
them.
Some days later, when Mr. Molineaux
opened his paper, the first thing that
met his eye was the picture of his
daughter. adjudged by the jury of art
lists as one of the six prettiest girls of
New England and awarded an engage
ment in one of Prohman's best COM
panies. 1t took all kinds of persuasion
on the part of the family to compel him
to allow Constance to accept the en-
gagement, but like a sensible man he
realized that when a woman wills. she
WILL" and SO the stage career of Con-
stance began. She played with the
Frohman companies for two years and
was with Henry W. Savage for a sea-
son. She was selected by Augutus
Pitou. jr.. as the best type possible for
THE Rose of kildare"
While she is what is termed a type"
Miss Molineaux has sounded a warning
cf the impending decay of art upon
the stage. There is a disposition she
says. ION the part of producing man.
ayers to seek for types" rather than
artists
IAN author turns his play over to the
producer who studies 1t out carefully
determines In his mind the type OF
PLAYER he requires to cast Tor each part
and then sifts the mass of unengaged
peoplc to find those whose personalities
qualify them for the role.
Sounds Warning About
Arts Impending Decay.
ITO nv way of thinking. more fall
ures are made in dramatic productions
on account of this system than through
lack of merit in the plays. player
NAV appear on the stage an exact
counterfeit OF the character in the PLAY,
~ II was pictured in the minds eye
IF the producer. But there Is another
and much more important element 20
he considered The presentation to an
audience of a psychological sice of that
character. Without this the mimic he
$50 - haroipe is soulless dry and in