The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05
FROM THE PALMY DAYS.
Jennie weathersby, Sister to the
Beautiful Elisa, Acting Here.


the aunts OF Alice in TOO Many Cooks"
at the Thirty-ninth Street Theatre,
when she Is not playing one Of the
other roles to take somebody's place
who Is ILL., Is the godmother OF Frank
Craven. It was he who wrote this d.
verting comedy.
You see," said she. Franks mother
and I were pals for many years. When
Frank was chr!stened II was but natural
that l should officiate as godmother.
have reason TO be proud OF having been
selected, for Frank has turned out to
be gifted actor. a successful author
and still better, a man Of character and
quality"
But what about playing other parts
than your our IN this piece?" THE Sun
reporter asked.
"Oh, that is nothing new. have
done II in other plays all my life. In
the case OF Too Many Cooks It has
happened only once, as a matter Of fact,
when Miss Keene. who appears as
Aiicc's mother, fell suddenly i'll and 1
was called on at short notice. No. I
was not so very nervous for have
grown used to being a right hand man.
Then It is all IN the days work.
II suppose that in the long past days
OF Ed Rlce's 'Evangeline' when William
II. Crane. Nat Goodwin. George Fortes-
cue and my sister Eliza were in the
regular cast ! played all the female
parts In the course OF time. | may have
been rather weird In some OF them, for
my specially has been eccentric oil
women ever since was 10. But It
never was necessary for Mr.. Rice to lose
performance because any OF his ac-
tresses broke down. That Is something
for me to be proud Of.
"I was for a long time with the Ru-
dolph Aronson Opera Company, in Err
mime. 'Nadjy' and lot Of other comic
operas that have been forgotten. When
Nat Goodwin and Eliza were married
and started out upon their own account
in what was known at first as Eliza
Weathersby's Froliques. 7 went with
them, playing character bits which were
written for me. The first OF the plays
was called 'Cruets,' but did not amount
TO much in this piece. During its run
Ben woolf. a noted Boston dramatic
critic Of that time. wrote Hobbies for
! Eliza and Nat and introduced comic
| fairy into II. for which I was cast.
This was the FIRST time in my stage
career that anybody ever took any par
ticular notice Of mel suppose ! really
did make a hit--though didn't mind It
so very much.
II remained on with Nat. playing the
mother-in-law IN The Member for
: Slocum,' the funny Old woman in Jack
Sheppard at the old Bijou Theatre,
/ and so on. was with him while my
sister lived. about ten years, Eliza has
been dead twenty-seven years now
but II seems only q few months ago
that she was with us in all her youth
and beauty and charm. Everybody re-
members Eliza weathersby. That is,
everybody who was alive and went to
theatres in her time, for she was a
wonderful favorite with the public
People fairly worshipped her. and she
was worthy Of worship
After left Mr.. Goodwtn's employ.
7 was first with Mr. Aronson. as al
ready told. and then played with
Francis Wilson during one OF his early
starring tours Later was engaged
by Charles F'rohman for the character
OF Mrs. Shdd,otck in Jane at the Mad
ison Square Theatre. IL has of course
been torn down. I also acted for Mr..
Frohman In A Night on at the Stand
ard Theatre. which Is also gone.
Dear, dear, how old 1t makes a body
feel to talk about the famous land
marks OF their day AVID generation. now
obliterated and probably out Of mind to
nearly every living person who tresds
the sidewalks past the spots where
these places once stood Still. growing
old is all right enough, and easy enough,
for me- 1t might have been different
II the public ever had seen me as a
young woman on the stage, but !
started as an old woman, and 7 have
been an old woman ever since. So,
when any one says, I've seen you play
ever since ! was a kid, and you don't
change a mite why, I feel just as l did
then. and 1t doesn't matter at all"