The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-26
SOCIETY AND HOME
" You May Call My Art, Solo Dramatic
Interpretation" Says Madame Harriet LabddieI
BY DOLLY DALRYmPLE


II I We're asked my impressions off,
hand of Madame Harriet Labadie, the
charming, cultured woman. who this
/ evening viii present Percy Mackey's
play, Tomorrow" OF the high school
auditorium for the benefit of the Play
grounds association, l should say:
First of ALL her womanliness; sheer
femininity, talented, intelli gent. vibrant
with life and color. and after that.
beauty of face and figure, with a ra-
dance that emanates with a glow from
her every movement and every word
Still further. her wondrous voice of
deep contralto timbre, fun and pene-
tratng and a pair of eyes which fiji
with life and changing color in re
sponse to the different questions made
luminous by her quick sensitiveness
and keen perspicacity."
Now then
You pause and wonder for a mo-
ment
You wonder how one woman can,
is capable, even with all her charms
ana talents of presenting a play in its
entirety, devoid of scenic effects, devoid
OF an appeal whatsoever to the physi-
cal eye; devoid of all the usual acces-
sories which go towards making up the
average theatrical event
But Madame Labadie does this and
from what her critics have said of
her, at home and abroad, she does it
monstrously well.
You don't quite grasp the idea?
! No.
| Neither did l, al first
| But,
Listen;
| Madame Labadie accompliShes her
beautiful art by what she calls "men-
tai projection" which. in other words
means merely that the imagination of
| her auditors is required TO be brought
| into play and that their brain must
work as well hers, and once hav-
! ing got into juXtaposition, as it were
with those about her. she eliminates
| even her own personality-and the
characters of the play come and go so
naturally and you see them mentally
so clearly. that in a moment you're
in tune with the wonderful art of the
woman. and follow her through every
phase or temperament and develop
ment, with which she classes her char
acters.
The effect is at once stimulating and
inspiring to the intellect with a final
glow of exultation and a sense of COM
pleteness that is satisfying to de-
gree.
Madame Labadie is very extraor-
dinary woman.
She is absolutely the only exponent
in her chosen field, and while there
have been many readers" and inter
| preters' and dramatic artists" who
| present plays" and selections and
| "recitations," hers alone stands out as
riginal-different-
! Clad in the love1iest of deep blue
gowns with a touch of dainty cream
colored lace about the throat, which
revealed her soft, white skin, she chat
ted with me yesterday afternoon in the
Palm room" at the Hotel Hillman. and
her enthusiasm inspired me with tre-
mendous interest in the woman her.
self--and then her art-for she is sin
cere and genuine in her desire to per-
feet her work and give the public an
opportunity to judge it
| You may call my art, solo dramatic
Interpretation" said Madame Labadie,
as she smiled sweetly in answer to
my question as to the nature of her
work. ut is not too inconsequentive
to be worthy of undivided effort 1t
has the best possible title for it is
| older than the drama itself. The
| rhapsodists who wandered about an
cent Greece before the time OF Christ
reciting the great epics, were the first
! exponents. l am not reader. L
am not an interpreter. 1 do not re-
cite. l present plays, and the manner
in which l present them is for their
appeal"
Let me tell you just how IL is
done-may ?" she continued.
1T is precisely what l want to
know" I answered.
picture to yourself stage she
said quickly, with all the usual fur
niture and scenic effects eliminated,
except for an inconspicuous, bare table.
In q short time 1 create the atmosphere