New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-29
Cilda Varesi's Mother Chief
inspiration for New Play;
How Actress Began Career

There used to be stock phrase on
Broadway; Why doesn't somebody
write a play for Gilda Varesi? Miss
Naresi listened for the answer as at
tentively as the best of them and
finally, hearing nothing hectic, she
planned great coup. Somebody
should write play for her, and to
make sure that there should be moth
ing untoward about it, she would write
it herself
So She did, with Dolly Byrne for
ccollaborator, and, having conjured
Brock Pemberton with her magic in
THE Jest while they both were work
ing with Arthur Hopkins, she found in
Mr.. Pemberton willingness to pro
aeuce 1t. The first night Of Enter
Madame, BY and with Gilda Wares:
ward signs of gathering of begin
ners. 1t was a new producer, new
star and & first play
But behind the firstness Of the play
there lies a story beginning in the
home of Nine. Elena Varesi, mother
Of two little Italian girls, Gilda and
STA who played funny game.
1t began with mere cutting out of
paper dolls. 1t kept them quiet, and
daughter of the great barytone Varesi,
Tor whom Verdi wrote "Rigoletto,"
wanted a lot of quiet
Then Gilda, the elder, began to feel
the need of an encourage for the vari
Gus fine ladies and gentlemen who had
been parted from old magazines. Sila.
VINO has followed her singing ances-
TORS ana Is now prima donna at Nice,
was then an eager baby, at the tell
L,,,
stories and the building Of great
houses began and grew together
rlrst camo the imagining. There had
to be fine castle, on a hill, with slopes
or green hills all around it, through
which a tarn rushed, stopping just long
enough to circle the castle and REQUIRE
moat and drawbridge. Above the
castle, on still higher hill, was an
other castle, too sumptuous to be
entered. 1t merely contributed to the
grandeur. But near the first castle q
monastery stood, filled with monks,
whose business it was to save the souls
OF the great persons.
This much imagined, 1t must then
take shape. More magazines were ran
sacked, this time those devoted to pic
turing celebrated homes of Europe and
America. An illustration OF Medicean
palace was the first picture. Its great
hall, its library and it's banquet hall
were put down on the floor in row.
Then Julia Arthur and the Duke of
wellington were married and installed.
ana IL became necessary for them to
nave servants. Footmen were provided,
and buffers and maids galore. Then
every body had to have place to sleep.
80 perfectly bedazzling bedchambers
were cut out for the Lady of Quality
and the Duke, and somewhat simpler
ones for the footmen and the butler
and the maids. The house grew furi
ously Two sets of kitchens-the little
Varesis appear to have had strong
class feeling-one for the family and
one Tor the servants, were then pro-
Vided, and In order to stint nothing in
elegance there had then to be servants
1or the servants and quarters for them.
After the house had struggled out all
over the floor outer walls were laid
down. huge courtyards were placed, and
the mountains and the tarn were put
OUTSIDE. The monastery went down.
room by room, refectory to cubicles
and monks and monks were laid about
The floor being then Uttered from end
70 end, there had to be something else
After all, said the little Gilda to Sila.
an ears, when TINS many people get to-
gether they don't all just flop.
There. then, under such stimulation
began Gilda Varesi's first play. The
Empress Eugene was moved into an
apartment next to Julia Arthur and
Wellington. and tale commenced to
spin.
Gilda recited her play, while sila
raced the little figures through a suit
able action, and the more they tried
it. the better they managed. The
plays became so absorbing, in fact
that Nine. Varesi became oppressed
with the quiet, and stormed their clut
tered room on more than one occa-
sion.
"It is well enough for you to be good
children" she would say, but while
you carry on this nonsense l never
see you at all. After all, l am your
mother. and | should like your com
pany some of the time"
1t was Gilda who invented tbs first
really good excuse. Suppose mamma,
that instead of having a game like