The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-18
SKETCHES F RON
THE. LIFE OF
JOHN DREW
kFew Lines From His Own
Book to Help Emphasize His
Visit to Washington This
Week.
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CONTINUED from Page 81
On March 20. 1873. John Drew
spoke his first lines on the stage
as Flumper in "Cooi AS A Gu
curnber," at the old Arch Street
Theater In Philadelphia, under
management OF his mother.
What q grievous- handicap the
young man Iabored under. for
only few hours before his de-
but the Inquirer printed an
article bemoaning the fact that
John Drew, ST., belonged to, a
school Of actors passing rapidly
away and leaving no copy be-
hind The press verdict on
Young. Drew.s debut was fairly
charitable. though he was indicted
as too Sure Of himself and Of
laughing at his own jokes. Even
his mother, Louisa Lane, who
essayed the part Of a maid that
night to give him confidence.
sccidsd him for his assurance
ana ,poise.
AS Harrington says, ''the. earth
has swung aorund the sun a
few, times since the days, even,
OF. :Drew's .ascendancy to popu-
'larity. How often has it swung
round from the day Of the con-
fiaent, audacious Plumper, to this
present one where even the motif
0f 1.-THE Circle : is poignant
travesty on age that is. creeping
sW4ftIy?'
,.Ani oddment,. indeed, is Drew's
confidence that up to the age OF
ten The had great difficulty with
his speech, his, grandmother ineyi-
tally protesting she couldn't un-
derstand q word he.said. '.I would
try and pronounce words as they
told me, but it was no use, and
while I probably improved, under
training in the school OF elocution,
was glad to escape to the street
and my playnates." A letter from
his mother while he was : in an
academy at Village Green consoled
him because his shoes were too
large: and she held pabulunmi IN the
prpmiset that he could bring his
sled With him when he cane home.
OF sAda Rehan,s uncomfortable
hqRor,s sense, Drew has several
eneo9otes, Incidentally. through q
mistake ot9aiis mother. who first
eugaged the renowned catherine
of"The Tanning of the Shrew,"
Ada .GreAan became known as Ada
Rehans: the first letter OF her sur.
name being mistaken for an ini-
tial. -
Y WAS pnce acting "a; relocated
British officer and wore a white
wtgp he writes: :tAs I,4came' up
70 Ada Rehan at the performance
she burst out laughing. ,aHd I. UNI
der my breath. tried TO control her.
1scodldn't help, it,; she. said: you
"
locked 30 muct1' like a sheep Ada
Rehanl never got over this upset
ting. tendency for the ridiculous
st. titpes.. ! Again in ''The For
esters, .wheTs Marian says. to
Robin Hood, Your horn is known
and feared throughout the Forest
Drew would cover his nose up and
set her to such laughter that Daily,
on. learning horn and nose were
synenpmeue. struck the lines out.
Meta SIR emf Wig DIN dlu wyp kqj
pslH's peculiar black hat with
cenlcal crown gave Drew a sud
den, resuTrectian xcf, his memory,
long ektsr he MAS dead. when one
day on Sixth avenuethe noticed a
figure aheed Of him, wearing one
oEtbs identical hats. It was Rich
ard Ralystold servant. who always
recgsVe4 the discarded headgear.
tPleXtng. b BRONSON ,Howard's
sS9ratoga'' in Salt Lake city, a
plsy complicated by the pursuit
Of the hero by three infatuated
women, Daily was surprised at
Mormon Indifference until during
an i: interview with Brigham
Xoung, he learned that q Mormon
hesos would have married them
en- ,s+Y ? .rsz.,, - ~.
With Booth In Hamlet" in
1875. Drew, eiioited barb from
William Winter, :. the famous
critic. 1.-THE gentleman who
played Roeenkrantz evidently had
sSn enlargement with a friend
SITTER the performances, so hurried
was his speech and SO evident
his:desife to get through with his
part" Again, playing Sir Pierce
to booths: Richard: Drew expert
enced great 'trepidation in the
scene where he stabs Richard
''fer fear I : might actually stick
this. great man, instead of pre-
tending"
Of hiF only transforming tour,
after failure Of Daily's first ven-
ture., Drew; tells of the killing Of
Ben Porter, a fellow-actor, and the
wounding Of Maurice. Barrymore;
by a thug who had affronted
Ellen Cummings while the three
were in a lunch room at Marshall,
Tex. The tour collapsed In Chi