The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1922-09-13

good woman, they want me to live
up to the letter of the yellow ticket
1 have not given the exact speech
only the context of it, as L remem-
Der it. Weeping, the actress bowed
to the audience who madly recalled
her. Her eyes streaming, she went to
the footlights and raised her hand.
1.-THE Confession of My Heart
THAT is the speech in the play;
you have heard what Mr.. Morton has
told you, but there's something he
doesn't know. something that only one
or two people know and I'm
going to tell it to the world today.
Now. The confession of my heart"
1t was unexpected. The house went,
still as death. 1t was more dramatic
than any play. 1t was life-semethine
vital which was to be enacted. i sat
cold on the stage. l am sure / turned
pale. Miss Reed was pale-her beau
tiful mobile face was white. her eyes
staring hard-her body rigid, her eX-
pressive hands raised aloft. Morton
was trembling i saw the audience.
They were open-mounthed and mute.
Il am going to confess something.
. i was in the hospital when l
decided to play that role in The Vel
low Ticket Before that j was re-
hearsing in Under Cover with the
Selwyns. Mr.. Woods was in the the
alter every day, telling me he had the
greatest part for me-something which
would make me famous. / told him
to go away. that / was under con-
tract and contended, and / didn't want
to be made dissatisfied. But he in
listen. Then was taken i'll. I was
f, rushed to the hospital, for n serious
surgical operation, / was lying in II
daZe when Mr.. Woods walked in and
said: I've bought you from Selwyns,
here's the contract for The Yellow
Ticket and he read me the speech I've
| Just done for. you. / said: III
sign the contract Weak and still I'll
I went to rehearsal The operating
doctors had done some things they
|
alyzed from the hip TO the toes on
the left side. l played the first six
months with brace
My God" calculated Morton, Il
didn't know that
Il wanted you to know it-wanted
you to know how much it meant to
me. But there's something else
much more important. Liste-.
Born Jewess.
Il was born a .Jewess. You didn't
know that. l was. My mother was
jewish. My father was II great actor
-hc created Koko in the Mikado' in
this country. He was famous artist.
But listen"
| The actress was herself now. she
was breathing heavily. supporting her
I self at n chair
Il lived in the Jewish rites until l
was sixteen. going to synagog. OBJ
serving our holidays, following the
kosher diet. =
AT sixteen went on the stage and
came under certain influence and, was
converted to Catholicism. For several
years l was a Catholic.
when the part in The Yellow
Ticket came to me, l was nothing.
was in ii maze with nothing ethical.
religious. spiritual to guide me.
WAS unable to pray to any spirit.
/ was wandering. lost. Then
| came this play / want into the part,
with fury, played it as if it were
my life. Girls came back to my dress
| ing room. Jewish girls. and showed me
the. yellow ticket-the real one. ]
realized the suffering of the Jewish
race i realized what was in them.
Something else. 1 began 10
realize what | was
Il knew that l was Jewish. Once a
Jew. always Jew. l felt my heart
| crying in me- l returned to what
was. l became IA Jewess again.
That's what The Yellow Ticket
did for me- i made me happy, showed
me the light. pointed the Cod in
4 heaven. the God of my forefathers
Yes. that's what | wanted 10
say"
Weakly, she bowed her way from
the stage. There was nothing thea
tricuI now. 1t was real soul that had
..,,,I.,, Jn1iaun Jpwisl Chronicle,