The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-21
THE PIE COUNTER
PLUCK HELPS A
STAR TO SUCCESS
A New York Writer Tells of
the Early Struggle of
a Favorite.
BY Gene Cohn
NEA Service Writer


come its newest.
The same stage that saw Kate
Claxton increase the blood pressure
of her audience in 1.-The Still Alarm"
will soon witness ultra-modern pres
entations Of Tchekov, Benevente,
Galsworthy, Goldoni and Ibsen.
And what is likely to prove the
seasons greatest novelty will be
fusion therein of those artistic and
esthetic ideals established by the
Moscow Arts Theater with such
grand old American institutions as
the peanut gallery" and the COW
cred orchestra pit.
All Of which will be to the credit
of the versatile genius of Miss Eva
lie Gallienne, who Herewith makes
her bow as producer, to be
reckoned with in the future. Her
venture has been christened the
Civic Repertory Theater, the first to
be established in America under the
traditions of the European repertory
playhouses.
Product of Struggle
It's inception is a story of long
struggle, with idealism finally
triumphant.
Perhaps" Miss LIE Gallienne re-
fleets, "it could not have come about
had l not faced the actual necessity
of eating 10-cent lunches. Had sue
cess come easy 1 might have sue
cumbed to the softness of life; l
might have accepted ease and luxury
without question and drifted along
the line of least resistance, taking
roles that managers handed to me
no matter what their quality.
"But things weren't easy-particu-
larly when l first came to America.
When finally success and the conse-
quent income did come my way, l
was determined not to be COM
placent. I would keep telling my
self that mustn't get soft. And I
would leave luxurious hotel quar-
ters to eat at one Of those funny
lunch cars. l did this to keep my
sense Of values. I did not want to
forget that 1 had once haunted pie
counters and could do it again, if
need be-"
Miss LIE Gallienne feels that these
adventures in hard boiled" Amer
lean surroundings We're invaluable
for shaping both character and
career. But for them she feels she
might have lacked courage to arouse
managerial ire and strike out on her
own under circumstances that the
wise ones insisted would bring
failure. If worst came to worst she
knew she could always eat at pie
counters" again.
Heritage of Artistry
In contrast with which was the
rich background in which she was
reared. With the poet, Richard LIE
Gallienne, for father, and a courage
Gus, cultured Danish mother, her
heritage was almost certain to be
an esthetic one. Many years of her
childhood were spent in and around
the homeland Of Ibsen. That she
became one Of the youngest and
most important opponents of Ibsen
she credits largely to those childhood
influences.
Her appearance suggests frail
loneliness and senstivity. Her ac-
tivities reveal nervous energy, wiry
vitality, capacity for hard work
both physical and mental. This,
then, is Manhattan's newest young
producer.
when my mother brought me to
America we had little money-very
little she relates. "At the age of
Is had appeared in a small
theatrical part and was considered
a hit. 1 began looking about for
something to do on the American
stage. I answered a theatrical ad
and arriving at the theater found
they wanted someone to play a negro
maid. My accent was the, broadest
Londonese. Yet I took the job. But
the show closed ten days later.
Il had IA small number Of small
parts of one sort or another and, in
the meanwhile, the struggle was not
easy. We would rehearse in a
terrible old hail. I would allow my
self just 10 cents for lunch. Then
would go to the counter and get
the largest cinnamon roll one could
buy for a nickel-and a cup of
coffee"
In the end she was eminently
successful-at least from the stand
point Of the audience. But shh
would not allow herself to get in a
dramatic rut.
Then Came Success
Last season, with less than ST.
900 to her name, Miss lie Gallienne
undertook series of matinee re-
vivals and, after a bad beginning,
met with success.
And then decided on the roper
tory of the European theaters
where a cycle Of three or four
dramas are undertaken, with one
playing half the week, another dur
ing the latter half and a third at
matinees. All the time new play
is in rehearsal and once a month is
presented. Oh, yes, it's lots of
work.
But, it's free and one does what
one wishes. Like the Moscow Arts,
there will be no star systems. Those
who play leads in one performance
will take minor roles in others. I'm
afraid I'm going to have to appear
in all Of them because just. now I
can't afford to pay some one the
salary 1 ought to get' =
The old Fourteenth Street rhe-
ater. with history dating back to
the f1fties, has been secured and the
first productions will be Tchekov,s