The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-17

g. - 80 81 -
III you didn't happen to know she was
an actress you'd never guess 1t from
her looks her conversation or her
dress.
What shall we talk about?a said
Miss Joel modestly, after I had nearly
stared her out of countenance for at
least two minutes
why you, of course" | replied, as
If there We're anything else under high
heavens worth talking about when she
was around
"rhere really isn't very much to tell
about me- she laughed sweetly. Il am
veiy much interested in my work. l
love the stage and everything connect
ed with 1t and really enjoy even the
hardships we have to endure in play
ing one-night stands.
How did you happen to go on the
skage?" I asked
Like many tage-struck girl"
Miss Joel replied. "The idea popped
into my head when | was quite a lit
tie girl. I used to take part in anna
teur theatricals in my home town and
of course | imagined I had the MAX
ing of a great actress in me. One thing
led to another until finally | got an
engagement playing just a small SOU
brette part-but ii was a start. My
mother didn't entirely disapprove of
my choice OF a profession, for she trav-
eled with me always on the road un-
til l was married and since then my
husband has always been connected
with the company in which ] happened
to he playing, so you see I've been pro-
tected from a great many of the snares
and temptations that are supposed to
lie in the way of the average act
ress."
"What do you think about the actress
living the part of the character she is
playing?" ! asked curiously.
81 VIII answer you," Miss Joel said,
'by telling you that one evening re-
Gently after performance of with
in the Law I was tango-ing off the
stage when someone said:
"Why. that isn't Mary Turner"
Now. that is just the way feel about
things of that sort" she continued.
while | am playing part, as long as
I'm on the stage | am that person, but
afterward, why, l feel that an actress
like anyone else, should have a right to
her own personality. No. indeed. am
not a believer at all in that sort of thing
Another thing, I never single out people
to play to in an audience. as some ac-
tresses do. j play to an audience as a
whole. ] am strangely influenced by the
responsiveness 81 my audiences. Sup
pose shoEsa single out a person to whom
the part of Mary Turner did not appeal?
The effect of that disapproval would be
so great upon me that l don't believe
could go ON with the part"
How do you like playing such a big
emotional part as Mary Turner" asked.
TITS the biggest thing that has been
written in years." said Miss Joel prompt
ly "If such actresses as Margaret Hing
ton aud Helen Ware would accept the
role in road companies you know how
big the part really is. I dearly love it,
How did you secure the part asked.
.'I won't call myself an understudy."
she replied, because l never was that,
but alternated in the New York produce
tion with Jane Cowl, who is, of course,
more prominently identified with the part
than anybody else. From that 1t was Of
fered to me in the Southern company and
I accepted 1t, because I love the part SO
much"
II sometimes think I'll never have
greater part to play than Mary Turner"
she said refiectively. 'Tt is so much big
ger than anything that has been written
within the last decade that 1t would be
hard to find anything to come up to It,
Then, too. Mary Turner is SO intensely
human. There's something so appetizing
about her that she is in a class all to her
self. unapproachable and peerless!
It isn't easy to transcribe Miss Joeps
wondrous beauty and charm to cold. gray
print, for she's like a beautiful piece of
Dresden, with the most deliciously APP
pealing color. pastel of rare craftsman
ship, q Watteau painted on fan.