The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-10
ORIGINAL FADETTE TELLS HOW WAR
 UPSET HER TOUR
Ethel McDonough, "The Girl Behind the Drum, At
 Poli's Now.

Had 1t not been for the European War, Ethel McDonough. the smartIy attractive songster on Poli's bill the, fore part of this week would not be playing to Bridgeport audiences, but would rather have been receiving the applause of some German or French house. She was booked for two sol- i'd years throughout Europe but. as affairs were becoming serious she de- cided to cancel some engagements and run home for few weeks. Fortun- ately she sailed two days before war was declared. stsSe1saz
 Miss McDonough declares that she had the most unique debut to profess slonaI life of anyone on the stage At the age of IS years she played untitled drums over soldiers graves on Memo rial day and received three dollars for the circuit of five graveyards
 Her career on the stage has been very varied and incidently it is inter esting to mention that she has a par ticular feeling for Bridgeport as when she wa,ss tarting out alone on the road some nine or ten years ago this city was the third place in which she played, and this week is her first return here.
 She was the original Drummer Girl In the Boston Fadettes and later went out in her own act. The Girl Behind the Drum" in which she says, she ] world
 Later she was Annette Keflerrnar,s first competitor ih this country and with that act she also went to Europe Now she is singing her own exclusive songs and popular songs because ped- pie loke both.
 q think that singing. songs is the most charming way for woman to lentertain," said Miss McDonough. Tt is the hardest work because you have got toa feel every word even If 1t is a Etrashy piece I like to take a Song. and see what I can get out of it and it's really surprising how much one can make of a simple trashy one
 Concerning playing in Europe, Miss McDonough says that she likes it
 much better. In the first place, 1t is much easier The star turns in yau- devilIe are held back until late and the actors do not have to go to the theatres until after 10 o'clock at night, also, there are but two natinees a week and consequently the players have more opportunity to go about l in the world and to broaden.
 The audiences abroad are more demonstrative than in this country and are not so f1ckIe. They never forget an actor cnce they have liked him, and they are. very. kind, and if one has grown old they will always say: "But how splendid he used to !
 stIt is surprising" said Miss McDon- ough, ''the number of inferior Amer l ican acts that are playing abroad and are being well received. These acts wouldn't go in this country at all. AL so there are a number of splendid I acts which have never been appre- | ciated in this country drawing big ] houses over there"
 Regarding audiences, Miss McDon- 1 ough declares that throughout the world, and she has played in every large city in the world she has always found the people of the smaller cities 1 much harder to please than those of the larger ones. This is probably due to the fact that the people of the larg- CT cities go to the theatre simply to be amused and they receive anyone gladly who can amuse them while those of the smaller towns, like 1 Bridgeport, are a little doubtful and want to be shown, what one can do 1 before they decide whether or not they like them.
 Despite the war, Miss McDonough says that she was recently offered an engagement to sail and open in Berlin on February 1st and it was guaran- 1 teed her that she would have a six l months run but she decided to remain 1 in this country for a time yet.
 "But I'm going back she said, "just as soon as the war is over.'
 EMILY EMMETT.