Evening star., 1919-02-16
Ethel Barrymore,s First APPEAR

comedy, The ON Chance, became
fifteen years old, she encountered a
difficulty. It was one rather COM
mon: in fact, pressing shortage
of money.
Little Miss Barrymore was at
convent school in Philadelphia when
this worldly need first made itself
apparent to her. With an 1ndepe nd
ence and bravery characteristic or
her dfstin guished stage ancestors, nu-
merouS Drews and BarrymoreS, She
determined to meet the difficulty face
to face, and persuaded her uncle;
John Drew, to award her small role
in '-The Bauble Shop in which he
was appearing at the Empire Theater
in New York.
Strictly speaking, the youthful Miss
Barrymore had made one previous
appearance on the stage. but it was
in a very tiny role in far-on Canada
during a school vacation. when the
girl was visiting her grandmother,
the elder Mrs. John Drew, then tour
ing that country in The Rivals"
Mr. Drew listened to his niece's
pleading and she was given the task
of understanding Elsie de Wolfe as
Lady Kate Fennel, in The Bauble
Shop" And on one eventful night.
when word reached the theater that
Miss de Wolfe was too i'll TO appear.
the girl was told to prepare to play
the role.
"we had heard. of course. that
George Drew and Maurice Barry
more had daughter" said one of the
members of the company, who after
ward became famous. "but ii never
had been limited that she had acted
or could act When the announce
ruent was made each of us was
silent We were sympathetic enough
but we were a mighty shaky lot. We
Don hi
so long and our success mad Deen
30 emphatic that we wanted to con-
tirue without a mishap. Mr.. Drews
company included Maude Adams, then
Mr.. Drew's leading woman; arthur
Byron, J. E. Dodson and several
other players who have since achieved
popularity and fortune This feeling
of uncertainty and alarm at a sudden
change in the cast always persists
in a highly conscientious company.
as ours was. and even extends TO-
the stage hands
ITO make the prospect even more
uncomfortable, we overheard some
remarks from the new aspirants
dressing room:
~sWhy. Her figure in Elsie de
wolfe's dresses" one OF the woman
members exclaimed Indignantly.
They are fifty pounds apart
ssBut the ambitious Ethel had been
faupht by her gifted grandmother
that it was not what one wore, but
how one acted, that counted, and she
put on her gown, several sizes 700
large. with a serenity that an older
and more experienced woman "ouio
not have even feigned-
.aThe gossip behind the scenes only
served to aggravate our worries stu
more The time for her cue came
John Drew was already on the scene.
"a rthur Byron was standing in the
wings talking in whispers to Lew
baker. We were all more than ordt-
iaarily upset over the experiment.
if.haries Frohman, hearing OF the nh-
:Aaraffefed change. had hurried 10 the
eafef and taken "a seat out Iron,.
hcbokx knew just how he felt about
.ES hut they We're aware that he did
lS OF have a very placid countenance
Ifhe rest OF US were on pins and
Needles
Aressing room. Laughing as ~ sraoo, mo
had Just been let out Fifteen years
spId. mind you, and had never faced
METROPOLITAN audience before Sne
irrossed to the entrance where we
were an gathered. turned with
fsmSm to Byron. and then walked on
IL she were about to recite her geog-
raphy lesson. At the end OF her nrst
scene she had put us all at our ease,
from Mr.. Drew and Miss Adams 10
the man playing the butler, ana tne
uer<or.nance went on TO It's END Win
ONT a hitch"
Room after this the play went on
four and Miss Barrymore had sue,
f,eeded Miss de Wolfe for good Ahu
10 began the distinguished career OF
tllis most popular and beloved player
Actors, Fund of Americn-Daniei
Frohman. president of the Actors
Fund of America. has furnished many
inferesting facts regarding the activi-
ffss Of that organization. In speaking
~ the purposes, requirements and
present emergency of the fund, Mr..
Frohrnan says:
.yyhen the public visualizes the life
~ the theater il sees only the stars
and finds 1t difficult to reconcile the
great salaries and success with hard-
shIp. But the tragic difficulty OF the
dra matte profession is with the rank
ana fiie-the subordinates OF the the
AIR so TO speak. who sometimes must
rehearse from four TO SIX weeks IN
plays whose runs" last less time
+han the rehearsais. Then ensue long
rehearsals. other wardrobe accumu-
lated RESPONSIBILITIES. II is by no
means easy sailing.
.Tn the old days when the profes-
zion was less crO"Oeo ACTORS re-
cetved a thirty TO forty weeks hxed
contract, but under the uncertain
conditions that prevail today in the
theater amid the production of SO
many plays of more or less uncertain
value. and the simultaneous operation
cf SO many theaters that must be
allied with attractions, there is much
uncertainty. followed in many in
rtznces by hardship and frequently
by sickness and other disabilities
ut may be weIl In this connection
te correct a misconception with re-
gard to these fund benefits. In spite
of the fact that there are many the
atrfcal activities on foot to further
The welfare of the Actors Fund, this
sums that will be realized win not
equal the total of the funds expen-
dftures. The Actors Fund OF Amer
lea disburses annually between S75,'
600 and $780, 900 in relieving the SICK
and otherwise disabled members of tn,
theatrical profession The cases foi
which the fund cares. year in and
wear out, average about $50 a week
In addition to this constant drain up,
on the resources OF the organization
the fund maintains a home on Slater
Island where aged and infirm mem
bers of the profession are afforded
every comfort in their declining
years
The fund was organized thirty-sev
en- years ago by the then aciSnowl
edged leaders OF the theatrical pro-
feasiof. Tha firSt uaeAtinR Was betf