The Washington times., 1915-04-04

just what sort of a girl the ono she
was to play would do under the cir
cumstances set forth in the several acts
and how she would do. Getting this
absolutely fixed in her mind she did
just those things and nothing more in
sible.
She awoke the morning after the per-
formance 10 find herself an actress.
She had never thought of it before. But
her school girl mind with an unusual
directness had gone right TO the bot
ton of the hole dramatic art and alb
sorbed its biggest truth. Realizing just
what she had done and how much she
had enjoyed doing 1t, she decided to 60
on the stage as a business.
She sought an engagement with the
that time putting on a production Of
Lewis Morrison's version of Faust,
and as they needed few extra girls
to play the parts of the imps in Hades
or something like that-she was given
job. She applied those same direct
schoolgirl methods to the imp business.
It is stated on good authority that she
was one Of the best limitations of a
real imp that ever appeared outside
| the vivid imagination OF the people who
dream about such things.
The Girard stock company directors
realized they had maze a discovery
when they picked up Miss Gilbert, and
she was kept on with the company
Milwaukee, Duluth. and way stations.
always studying, always applying that
simple rule she had applied at school
1t was the aptitude that Miss Gilbert
| admittanCe to the sanctum OF Oliver
| Morosco OH one of his visits to New
York and secured for her an engage
ment as ingenue of the famous Bur
bank Theater company in Los Angeles
| She played at the Burbank three years
going up from ingenue TO leading
| woman in leaps and bounds.
Miss Gilbert was one OF the mos
popdlar leading women the Burbani
company had. There she played OPP
T. Daniel Frawley. William Desmond
Dick Ferris-a Washingtonian, by tho
way-and others. She acquired thu
reputation of being an actress Tht Hh
scored tremendous hit I'm the part o.
Widow Murphy. and followed 1t by {
| part that was rougiSh ingenue. Sh'
! was ready to accept any part ther'
was.
Played in Samson"
After three years of stock work ir
Los Angeles, she was given n part ir
the production of Henri Bernstein's
| great drama, Samson" in which sh,
acquitted herself so well that for the
next two seasons she was specially Ell
| gagged to play the leading woman's par
| with James X. Hackett as star in tht
| play.
She liked the work in production
playing ono single part all season, bu
she found that she could not rest in thu
| summer, and so she accepted stock en-
| Gagements because she believed stocl
| companies gave her greater opportunity
! 10 pursue her study OF human nature
| the kind OF human nature that sh,
would be called upon to interpret in heI
| plays. After two seasons with HaCkett
as leading woman, she became leading
woman for William Collier in "Tll BE
Hanged If I Do" Then she appeared as
the only woman in the cast of The
Challenge" with Guy Bates Post, and
followed this with special engagement
as leading woman with Mrs. Minnie
| Maddcrn Flslle in Lady Patricia" and
| then created tho lead in the Chicago
production Of Ready Money"
| In the fall OF 1912 she was engaged for
stock work in Jersey City, and 1t was
| from there that she came 10 Washing"
| ton for two weeks engagement, beinG
shifted from hero TO the Poll Theater IN
| Hartford. Thence she went 10 Portla nd
| Me. where an excellent stock company
! is playing. and then. after 4 visit Ia
| Europe and some months spent la Itsly
| she played a series OF oBgsGements
with q big motion picture company, and
then came to Washington 10 begin heI
\ present engagement.
Miss AbeTt Is one Of he really