Norwich bulletin., 1922-10-10
FAMOUS ACTRESSES
siddons.

There were many heartacfes and mis- takes in the career of Sarah Siddons be- fore she reached that commanding po- sition in which Sir Joshua Reynolds painted her as 'grhe Tragic Muse Launched on her major career in roles that did not suit her, trying comedy when her forte was tragedy, failing, try ing again and finally reaching the point where London knew her as the Queen of Tragedy her shadows and lights are full of interest.
 And through the whole scheme there runs a simple story of a girls love for man, ripened into a. wife,s devotion for a husband of inferior talent, and mothers conservation to three children who might have been regarded by oth- CTS as undesirable enemies to progress. Mrs. Siddons was born July 5, 1759, in small inn at Breeknock, Wales, where the company of rowing players, headed by her father, Roger Kemble, had halted. .Kemble's troupe went from | town to town, playing in barns, halls or anywhere else that might be possible. As the child grew, her mother saw | to it that she acquired more education i than might have been expected in such surroundings.
 l Henry Siddons, a handsome young ac- | tor, joined the troupe when she had reached a stage of pretty girlhood. They lfell in love- The Kemble family drove 1 him away, and she went to Warwicll- i shire as lady's maid, in the home of "a I lady of quality" There she recited in 1 drawing rooms or servants quarters alike, until Siddons found her, pressed l his suit and in 1773 married her. They 1 played together
 A. party of fine folk came to hea1 I them at Cheltenham, expecting to laugf at serious efforts, and the box party was amazed to find 3 real actress before them. One of them told David Gafrick who sent Thomas King to see the mar vel. When King reported, Garrick gav, Mrs. Siddons a season's engagement 2
 lent of $25 a. week. Her beauty and grace charmed Gar
 rick. He showed her marked attention } and when she was sent on the stage fo : her debut in 1775, she made miserable 3 failure. A month later she repeated tn ! 1 performance with better results. Ther was no promise in her early work. Sh
 had no comedy in her system, and lief
 the Garrick, a failure, to play at Birm ingham where she also failed, Four seasons at Bath at S15 weel I followed. The people at Bath loved her \ While she was there Garrick died an
 Sheridan, who succeeded him at til s Drury Lane theatre, found himself los . ing money. He heard of Mrs. Siddon:
 improvement and sent for her
 She gave notice of her final perform ance at Bath, and promised to give th [ three reasons that led her to leave tn : town when she appeared on the stage
 She did. Walking to the wings, she gc
 her three children by the hands an
 pulled them to the center of the stage
 And so, with her husband, and itti s Henry, Sarah and Maria, she was bac
 at Drury, Lane in October, 1782. Sh
 feared another failure, but her trump l. was Immediate, and all London beeam
 excited over her. Her greatest role wa
 that of Lady Macbeth. She played he
 farewell in her favorite role in Jun
 1872, when she was 57, and was onl ' seen twice after that time before he
 death, at London. May S1,. 1881.
 She was not only the Queen of Trag s edy, but she was Queen of London r wrote an adnirer. But stage queensh :. never took her from her first love, ar her home. She lived wholly for Il
 man and three children for whom sl
 made 1t.