Evening star., 1917-12-16

Clarke, who in his time was the lead
ing comedian of both hemispheres;' his
mother was the, sister of Edwin Booth,
Americas greatest tragedian. Mr..
Clarke has practically DISCARDED the
dramatic end of theatricalS for vaude-
vil1e For many seasons vaudeville pa :
irons have been regaied by hia personality
and Irresistible comedy, and each sea-
son finds him more in demand than
ever. With his clever wife, Grace Meiu-
peared together has failed as a hit.
Their offering this season is. called Ills
| Reel Trouble" and was written by Mr..
Clarke.
Ethel Barrymore.--In enacting the
character of Camille, the Dumas
heroine. Ethel Barrymores not only
realizes personal ambition near to
her heart for several years. but also
brings to fruit a plan laid down for
ner by Charles Frohman a year or
| more before his death. To. Mr. Froh-
man Miss Barrymores desire to be seen
i'll the role was well known, and it
was his intention that the oduction
should be made shortly following the
conclusion of her season in Our Mrs.
McChesney," the last vehicle in which
the actress was seen here. Miss Bar
rymore and the Charles Frohman Com
pany have made every effort to carry
out the late managers plan.
Ethel Barrymore's first appearance
on the stage was made when she was
less than fffteen-a school girl, study
ng music with the intention of going
on the concert stage as a pianist With
all her plans made for a finishing
course on the continent under the best
| masters, she found herself without the
necessary amount of money, the thing
most urgently needed. Sc she did
what any piucky American girl would
have done-she looked around for a
lob
At that time Mrs. John Drew's COM
pany resembled a distinguished family
party, for in THE Rivals besides Mrs.
Drew as Mrs Malaprop. her son, Sid
ney Drew, was the Bob Acres. and
Mrs. Sidney Drew was Lydia. At one
time in this tour Mr.. and Mrs. Mckee
Rankin. father and mother of Mrs. Sid
ney Drew, Travelled with the company
as Sir Lucius OTrigger and Lucy, re-
more's father Maurice Barrymore.
| Joined them to play Captain Absolute.
At another period her brother, Lionel
Barrymore, being then but boy. APP
The elder Mrs. Drew, like Joseph JEFF
ferson. made use of a version of The
| Rivals" which omitted the character
of Julia Melville, so when young Ethel
consent to make her debut the charac-
ter was restored for the use of the
young girl.
With few days rehearsal she was
ready to appear.
On the evcntful evening. with trepf-
dation and threatening tears, she ap-
preached her famous grandmother.
with the murmured hope that she would
be able to "get through with it,
Through with it," repeated the elder
woman in the tones with which she
would play Lady Macbeth, "of course
you'll get through with it! Aren't
you my granddau lighter? Aren't you
Maurice Barrymore's girl. Where's
your. blood. childt"
And she has been on the stage ever
since. She has earned first rank among
American actresses. In essaying
Dumas heroine she adds herself to an
interesting and notable group contain
| ing Bernhardt, Hading, Fanny Daven-
! port, Matilda Heron, Clara Morris and
of later day Mrs. Potter. Olga Meth
ersoIe and all those ambitious
! celebrities who have earned their
| laureIs with their varied conceptions
| of what has become an acting classic.