The Washington times., 1915-01-24
Maude Adams Intense Desire to
Be Human on Stage Shown
as Infant When She Was
Understudy for Rag Doll.
By GARDNER MACK.

When the work Of an artist or
writer or an actor Is described as
human. the description Is recognized
as covering production or COM
monplaceness in which the average
virtues and average frailties are
so neatly fitted together that each
person who sees the picture. reads
tho book. or watches the action can
pick out his own virtues and his
friends frailties without the slight
est mental effort. 1t Is this power
Of automatic selection and reflec-
ton Of things that are personal to
the beholder that makes the pro-
duction human. Humanity in art,
literature. and the drama, therefore.
may be defined as ability to por-
tray the commonplace so that 1t Is
lifted ever SO slightly above the
heads of the mob. but not so far
above that all may not have the
fullest and most encompassing view
Of the whole thing. And the ability
to do this lies not only In the pos
session OF the keenest understand
ing, but the most flexible power Of
expression. neither of which are to
be gained In the ordinary routine of
ed out In the lobster palaces OF a
great city, the ice cream parlors Of
a village. or the wide fields of a
countryside. The main thing is that
1t is worked out and never played
out-which expressive phrase works
both ways from the middle.
Most Of this has been by way Of
preparation for a recitation OF the
reason why Maude Adams kiskad-
den has for almost a quarter of
century been the best paying invest
ment on the list OF securities with
which Charles Frohman holds a
fret mortgage on public esteem.
While Miss Adams is a product Of
the theater pure and simple. she Is
one Of the most practical props that
ever held the mirror up to nature.
And It was as a practical prop"
rather than ono OF the theatrical va
riety that Miss Adams made her first
appearance on the stage. The fact
that she Is a native Of Salt Lake City
is very generally known to theater-
goers. Tho fact that she is
leading lady OF a stock company in
Salt Lake City when Miss Maude
was born Is also fairly generally
known.
Understudy for a Rag Doll.
1t is probably not so generally
known. however. that her first ap-
perance on the stage was as under
study for a rag doll-a prop in
fant-when she was nine months Of
age. and from later developments it
would be almost q safe wager that
the artistic and practical soul Of Miss
Adams was even then manifested.
For 1t was her crying behind the
scenes that caused the actor Who
was to carry the rag baby on the
stage to run to the real one espe-
ciahy as she was crying for her
mother. and her mother was the
person to whom the actor was sup
view Of the audience. It Is sufficient
to state that when Miss Adams
reached the center Of the stage her
cries ceased and she settled back in
perfect contentment.
A list of the parts that Miss
Adams played during the early years
Of her life would be .interminable.
speaking part-that Is. at the age
when she could first speak plain
enough to be heard over the foot
lights. She knew the theater thor
oughly-completely She was at
home on the stage. and was able to
do almost anything an actress was
supposed to do. And she VS. con-
tinually protesting against things
that were theatric when real things
could be used just as we'll. In fact
Miss Adams whole life has been
spent in doing real things as opposed
to things that are theatric. At FIVE
years of age. when part she played
required her to bring a pitcher Of
beer on the stage. she protested
against the Use of colored water ana
insisted on having real beer.
Drew Crowd With Banjo.
It was shortly after this that
Miss Adams conceived the idea that
II was not only an actress business
TO entertain the people In the
theater, but to induce them to go
to the theater in the first place. At
that early age perhaps her methods
were a little crude-but history re-
cords the fact that in pursuance Of
her idea Miss Adams mounted stool
in front of the theater in which she
was playing and gave a banjo con-
cert for the purpose OF drawing a
crowd that might he induced to
enter. Thus the practical side OF
her character was first developed
a practical side that was most un-
usIal-but has stood her In great
stead ever since. She studied her
audiences and her stage every mo-
ment of the time she was before
them She played with actors of
distinction during those early days.
In one company she was under the
direction of David Belasco, then in
the early stages of his upward de-
vslopment. and was cast with james