New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-02
TALES OF THE PLAYERS

katharine Mnanan tnc Bird Girl. i
probably tho chief wonder of \ Good
Little Devil" the fairy play ~ the Re
public Theatre. Throughout the scene in
julctS garden one hears as if from the
very hearts of the flowers and the brush.
n from the leaty reccsses Of the wonder
fUl N"T tr-c. tho soft. liquid notes Of the
night.ucal". the cn!rrs and -sr..cs and
trils o. is:k. thrush and liuuet.
one asks if 1T iS possible that David
Bclasco has trained even the birds Of tae
forest To DO his bidding. Katharine Nina
han. though nCVer seen IN the play. Gre
stes all this miraculous bird melody from
her own throat. She does not whistle o.
initiate. She simply sings a bird sings
ana that il the whole simple secret.
Miss Ninahan SAYS she does not know
how she first began to do the bird notes
she always was an outdoor child. and
loved the woods and her feathered friends
Of the forest For tve year, she Was d
q convent school. with acres Of Woodland
and field for girls to ramole IN.
During this period the little girl dis
covered she could answer the birds 30
naturally that even the birds themselves
were deceived. OF course she was proud
of her pretty trickery. She practised it
seGuloUsly out in the woods. and showed
of 10 the other girls when the sisters
We're out Of hearing one day her talent
got her into trouble She had been war
bling and jrillinI i'm the gymnasium. when
word came that the cir! Who is WhistIIng
must 20 to the Mothe" superior. the
most dreaded punishment.
Il wasn't whistlne. sister; was only
dOinc this" she explained 4 beautiful
wood birds note completed the sentence.
The wise sister realized that here was
something unusual. a gift to be cultivated
and used later as drawing room accom-
plishmcnt. Opportunity was arranged for
the girl To practice and 10 be heard, and
nor talent was encouraged. But her best
study was always the woods. where her
free hours were spent watching the birds.
listening TO their songs. learning 70 talk
Ia Them. and coming TO know them as
nortals know the friends they meet day
by dav.
Last wear the rImor Of Miss Ninahan' :
bird-throat came 20 the ears Of David
Belasco. He made a silent note Of her
name. and when definitely he decided to
produce a Good Little Devil he sought
her out and engaged her 10 assume thu
role Of nightingale" But this was a
bird Miss Minahan never had heard. II
became necessary Tor Mr.. Belasco TO pro-
vide her with one that she might study
it's technique. No nightingales could be
found in this country. 50 the manager
sent to England and obtained six very
fne specimens.
Desperately homesick birds they were,
but from their songs OF sorrow. as of JOY,
tho girl learned the whole range Of Won
derful melody of which this bird is capa-
bic. All last summer she practised these
songs in the quiet of her New Jersey
Garden. And in the autumn. when the
fcathered tribes were beginning to- mi
crate. one DAY at dawn she opened the
doors Of their cages and with a heavy
heart she saw her beloved nigh,insales
IN away to find their remote cousins, let
us hope. in our own Southern groves.
The pendulum Of luck made an eccen-
tric stroke when IT swung Miss Stella
Archer into a Broadway engagement. She
is now representing the young girl en-
tangled N web Of suspicion woven
around the murder in The Argyle case.
When Robert Hilliard VAS locking about
for an ingcnue leading woman TO play
tho deserted wife in ~ Fool There was
three years ago. = Hinetoscop;c flash Of
memory reminded him Of young woman
he had seen months before playing in
stool: company at Stap.eton, Staten Isl
and.
He had forgotten her name. and had
forrottcn the play. but he had p very Dig
tinct recollection Of an appealing per-
sonalily Mr. Ifilliard is n man OF quick
and decisive action. Agents were called
ND. injuries were made. Miss stella
Archer Was located and before the day
was over nc had given her a contract that
has bcon regularly renewed ever season
since then until she NOW fnds herself
onioying the delights OF q Broadway en-
gaecmcnt
Miss Archer il quaker city girl. vino
hogan her stage career with Richard
"---e.'~ - Henry ""