The New York herald., 1922-04-02
Usual Discount Off for Ego
tism, Says Actress Playing
sThe Czarina.'

Miss Doris Keane has studied the life
and character of Catherine III. OF Russia,
whom she portrays in "The Czarina" at
the Empire. as civil engineer studies
blue prints. While she is no apologist
for the Empress, and does not think the
royal fiirt has been actually maligned by
some biographers. still she believes that
a more accurate estimate can be given
OF her varied character than Is offered
by SO many penny dreadfuls thinly dis
guised as history.
"I've read many of the historical works
relating to her." said Miss Keane In her
dressing room the other day. "as well
as the memoirs Of each Of the courtiers
who took a fling at her with their pens
Each OF the memoirs presents different
side of her nature. and each, believe, Is
pretty consistently false. 1t is only by
reading the diaries that you can cheek
up on these views and get real cross
section of her character.
"Then you find that she was a truly
great woman, after you've made the
usual discount for egotism. Every morn
ing she'd get up at and make her own
fire, which isn't generally expected OF
a queen She never took intoXicants,
but she'd begin the day by drinking hve
cups of coffee-and 1t took a Wholepound
TO make those five cups.
..She was a remarkable stateswoman,
which can't be said of all the rulers OF
her time. even though they were men.
Just thinh-during her time George III.
of England lost America, and Louis
XIV. was industriously; losing France.
You can see what a splendid sovereign
she was, when you realize that she was
adding to the Russian dominions what
ether monarchs were throwing away.
She crystalized the work of five gen.
erations, which is something to remem-
ber.
Brilliant Men Around Her.
And she chose her favorites primarily
fer their ability, their capacity m ad-
vance the empire as we'll as satisfy
her whims. She always had brilliant
men around her, until she became Cd
and then the selection offered wasn't
her fault. Potemkin, the Prime 71in-
'ster, who held sway over her SO long,
Lad one eye and was no beauty iin-
self. But he had brains, and he didn't
want any young man of good looks and
good mentality t. gain an influence over
her and send lT.n into outer darar ess.
and offering them to Catherine, ard she
kept pushing them away just as regu.
larly.
That's why there was such a pro-
cession of them. Early in her life they
didn't accumulate so numerously. But
Just because she did have such a run of
fayorites later, chats the period that is
given the most publicity.
"As to her having favorites at ALL we
must judpe her according
and the customs accredited TO royalty
The Queen before Catherine had favor
ties. though she didn't acquire the habit
from her predecessor. 1t was simply
that all queens were expected to have
levers as part of their royal perquistes
only, Catherine was great and the 9TH
ers weren't-that's why her case is
picked out as a dreadful exception, when
it wasn't"
Miss Keane was asked if sleeping her.
self in the lore of a character like that
doesn't handicap an actress, causing her
views on the character to conflict with
those the playwright has clamped to the
part
"on the contrary" she said. ITS dis
tinct help. and you can't get fed UP on
too much information about a parsonage
you're playing. The modern historical
play is built essentially on truth to char
acter. and does not start, as the old
fashioned play did, with some situation
over which the character had to be
stretched That's why / like the mod
crn historical plays. because they deal
with sincere psychology. If they were
the old fashioned kind l should renounce
them forever.
Family Record Told by Lawyer.
character being the keynote. It's nat
all the available knowledge concerning
the personality in question should have
tho same revelation about 1t that you
do. ! read over play. and il the char
acter Is true I am carried away by Il.
in this case wept enthusiastically the
FIRST time. Then 1 get down to thinking
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