The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-15
"The Bird Of Paradise

WHsTnfDAT ST '. m,s ms, little n,na say m',, ans,
 sounds like she might be just the
 opposite-big, stalwart, Anazonian-Ann
 Reader, who plays the role of "Luanar
 in The Bird of Paradise the exotic
 creation of the brain of Richard Walton
 Tully, which has been regarded by critic
 and iayman alike as perhaps the most remarkable play of the past decade. l hadn't an idea what little Miss Ann
 Reader was going to he like I had seen two or three 'Luanas," and each had
 been different, so when I asked the at- ia ble clerk at the Tutwiler to announce to Miss Reader that I was waiting, and
 l gave him my name, ] sat for mo-
 ment in the crowded foyer meditating upon two things
 First what Miss Reader was going to look like; whether she was small or large, blonde or brunette, nice or-er- weli--you know some of them are not really very
 nice, especially when they've just arrived on belated train and all tired and worn
 and disgusted with life.
 Second. by meditations took the form of a,.real dissertation upon the sub iect of hotel clerks and how lucky this biS old town is to have such agreeable nice men behind the desk the Tutwiier affords Take Mir Wheeler and MT. Jiud- son. for instance; always agreeable. al- ways affable, no matter what the situa- 4op is; nothing is too much trouble. no matter how big the crush is and at what
 an inconvenent time your request may come. Somehow, I believe if l were clerk in big hotel I'd be as snappy as tiger. or as mean as an old black bear. because the public generally is so terribly stupid. and the job of being clerk in big hotel is anything but passivei
 And then, just as I was enjoying my meditation, the nice man behind the desk sent word that
 Miss Reader would like for Dolly to come to her apartments" and the dream went a-glimmering.
 l boarded the elevator, and found myself within a few minutes in Miss Ann Read CTS presence. and to my amazement , found petite creature. terribly and aw- fully young, and oh. so pretty and at tractiye. with the biggest gray-blue eyes and the longest sort of lashes: dark, swarthy skin and the most gorgeously glittering jet black hair like ravens wing it was so dark; and it shimmered l like brilliants, and it was so wavy and ! soft and heavy that it looked like crown upon her fair head.
 1 'I am so glad you were originat enough not to comment upon my size ' said little Miss Reader, after we had exchanged greetings. Everybody ex-
 claims over my petiteness the very first | thing
 | T was doing so mentally I said quick lily, but was saved being bromidic be- cause you talked first
 Tt carries me back to my converse 1 tion with MT. Richard Walton Tully just
 before he left for England few months ago" said Miss Reader. T dined with
 MT and Mrs. Fully one evening short +. hAfy. liy,er 1 Fully said Tt has always been the im- pression-and an erroneous one-that I "Luana. of "The Bird of Paradise" should be a large woman; but you have proven to me just what I have always known. and that is. if l could find pe- l tite girl with the voice and the strength :, to play such tremendous role she would I be the ideal So much for my tiny l little self
 i From the very beginning my height and my youth were against me for this I adorable part I am playing, Miss Read 1 CT said. 'I left the convent when 1 was l just 13 years old and had the good for 1 tune to meet Leonore ulrich, just after she had made such a great success as I Luana' I was at dinner party ans
 sat near her, and she talked of nothing but The Bird of Paradise and the mar vicious possibilities of the roll of Luana. ! She was simply mad on the subject ils- f tened and was fascinated; l said then and there that I would play that part. l This, of course, you understand. was i after Guy Bates Post had made his great reputation as the beach -comber' in the play and Laurette Taylor had come into prominence as 'Luana
 ''Of course, poor Bessie Barriscale. who afterward became such a popuiar nim star, lost her chance to make big
 sreputation in the role of Luana. only playing it one season and being replaced
 by Laurette Taylor We'll, to make a