The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-11-27
Miss Shoemaker
First of Family
to Go on Stage
Likes Comedy Roles as She
Says It's Harder to Make
People Laugh Than Cry.

One OF the most sensible, self-con-
TONED actresses on the stage-that Is
t..@ impression one gains from talk
with Miss Dorothy Shoemaker. the new
est young actress to make her own name
on Broadway In 1.-THE Mans Name"
! ct she can act as though lost to all
sense of control She can be a misun-
d.rstood wife so that the best Of hus-
bands in the audience wear a guilty
look. Her emotions come pouring out
so wildly that you wonder how she can
cpen can of tomato soup In the play
every night and not cut her thumb
tragically. Probably II II were a can
of beans she could open them with
real thrill for the spectator.
Seemingly Miss Shoemaker has
achieved the level OF common sense
itself a triumph in the theatre-bccause
she had to do SO much hard work f.
stock before reaching the level OF Broad
way, for desi lite her youthful appear
ance 1t took ten years before she could
stand on Forty-second street without
feeling that cop might tell her to move
on. Moreover. Miss Shoemaker had
sensible parents, SO she comes by that
trait naturally.
I'm the first one In our family, on
either side, to go on the stage" said
Miss Shoemaker the other day In her
dressing room at the Republic Theatre.
whore another young woman acted as
chaperon during the interview. so
everything was quite oil right. "My
mother had often wanted to go. but
never quite brought herself to the
point-it required two generations to
bring us there While she didn't en-
courage me. neither did she discourage
me, which was something, for every one
else seemed willing to. My father, to
determine whether l had the necessary
stick-to-it-iveness before / went on the
stage, made me take up years course
in stenography and typewriting-and +
really enjoyed 1t.
First Engagement I'm Stock.
when was first acting In parts
used to scribble down things In short
hand until one day thought. 'Pshawl
who's going to see it?' Then 7 stopped
these masterpieces. Ny first engage
ment was with the stock comrany at
Keith's Chestnut Street Theatre In Phil
adeIphia, where l had to report and re-
hearse for thirty-nine weeks. and In that
time played just thirteen parts. In six
Of which was audible and could be dis
tin~uished from the scenery"
Following that came stock engage
ments In Columbus. Ohio; Portland,
Ore Montreal, Canada, and. In fact.
every part of the country where such a
stop can be made to absorb experience.
In each place Mss Shoemaker polished
up her art for thirty weelos on the ave.
rage so she could probably beat any
other actress on Broadway when It
comes 10 geography She might. indeed,
claim to be the best stocked actress In
New York.
Aside from n few engagements with
touring companies, notably with Wilton
Lackaye. she has revolved all over the
map through stock The best loved OF
all her engagements. che says, was the
last one In Union Hill. N j.. where
''The Mans Name" was originally given
q trial and the local manager Insisted
that Miss Shoemaker play the feminine
lead instead OF q Broadway actresses
that A. II. Woods saw her and conEratus
lated the manager on being so obstinate
Naturally the value of stock Is place.
at par by her.
"I'm going to play IN stock every sruR
rner" she said. thereby shattering ana
other tradition of Broadway. where prin-
cipals only MAY In stock without notify
ing their friends ITS great run: It's
the best training for variety OF roles
that you can get in this country without
a repertoire theatre. and keeps you
from going stale and developing man
rerisrrs when you've played one part 50
long that you almost have to shake 10
off you n gives you treat confluence
the manager trusts you. ana the peopio
like yor so much you know you can't
make false move.
at revre-,her after being on the rad
IN sran'sh role used to 30 aruund
for a time with my hand always restine
1,Aez In
first engagements found II almost Inn
nossib'e to MAY a serious part without
handkerchief. 7 used to Punish myself
bv forcing myself to reIfounce my hands
kerchief
Hopes TO Play Comedy Role.
"Of AL types OF roles the comedy parts
are the ones that appeal to me most, for
it's much harder to make reonle smile
.Nan weep. ard you can't imagine how
stimulating It Is to hear a laugh start
and sweep an audience out OF them
selves. told Avery Hopwood that I
hoped some day to play in a comedy by
him like 'Nobodv's Widow and when
said thought ~as better nj comedy
than straight parts he replied. Then the
chances are you aren't Perhaps he's
right"
Union Hill was memorable among
other things for Miss Shoemaker be-
cause twice during her stay they revived
WAY Don East" because Griffith was
washing down the muIt'trdes with tears
throreh his motion ricturc version.
"Ordinarilv whenever any Kidding OF
play Is done by actors" Sid Miss
Shoemaker. "T become irfuriated. but IN
this instnnce 7 corldr't hep joirinr IN
1t myself Once when 7 was about 20
70 out In the eWir'irg srnwetorn und be
lost couldn't helm chanting. You'll
never see Sweet Annie anv more An
other time got hold OF Martha Pe~ki,s's
red mitters. and IL nv most ira ua'io
soeLe suddenly whirped red-mittened
hard ont from un1er the misery cape
and pointed scarlet finger at another
character"