The Washington times., 1928-06-07


cts the hardest kind Of work
and only possible for those who
love IL. Mrs. Lane said. Ieneta
happens to really love II better
than anything else ii the world.
That III measure accounts FOR
the success she has won
Miss Lane has acquired and
claerislles reputation for being
i good student. she has set up
half the night studying q part
often says Mrs. Lane. rather
proudly. With her II isn't like
school lesson where II YOU fail
there Is another chance II lines
are missed Oh the stage the aud.
ence or some portion oG Is
aware 81 the alip-up. 50 Lenefa
takes 4 pride il having her lines
own perfectly before Al opening
Performances. That means con-
er1tratIon ana the hardest kind
81 study. but Lcneia says the
compensation comes il stepping
Oh the stage and realizing the
required words are on the tip o.
the tongue to command a. ne
niay proceeds Generally she
acquires the sides Of the leading
mans part II her study.
The long part 81 Mrs CraIg
III the George Kelly prize play
sCrafgss wife was one which
Miss Lane found part ictIlarly easy.
III was beautifully drawn
character and the words of the
playwright seemed to tit mature
Sally into the action of the IN
happy wife. said Mrs. Lane.
THAT, think Is the secret Of
good playwrighting. Mrs. Craig
was unsympa thetic and unappeal-
ing, but after al very human.
what she said was really yoicing
natural reactions In matter Of TACT
words.
Right IN the midst Of her pleas
Ing reception for fine performs
ance as MRS. Craig" Miss Lane
had the unhappy experience Of
nlaviYr 4 leading role in traffic
accident She was driving her
coupe down Pennsylvania Avenue
with her mother seated beside
her when an onrushing taxicab
crashed full tilt into the actress
machine. The impact came on
the side occupied by Mrs. Lane
and there were bruises and dented
ribs. not to mention screams and
consequent shock. Mrs. Lane was
rushed TO her hotel and has just
emerged from the sick room as
result Of the accident. Leneta
was terribly shaken by the COLI
lision but otherwise unhurt. She
has no liYlderstudy so it was
necessary to quiet her nerves
that the play 20 on. Everybody
was sympathetic but il was
Lenefa Lanes grit and courage
that. made per fornnance that
night possible.
Iseneta gets on an average Of
100 letters week from those
who admire her work Some of
these are mash notes and are
consigned to the rubbish re-
ceptable. Others are genuinely
pleasing and helpful "A Mrs.
Lane says. her daughter has no
desire 70 meet men who VIII
write mash notes and she meets
enough Of Washington'a incest
people In her conventional social
contacts.
California right now Il call
Ing Leneta Lane and there she
will HE. In the late summer,
after this Washington engage
n1ent. 1--WE took this engage
rnent because Leneta loves this
city and It's people. / know
that sounds rather stereotyped.
but Leneta means It. every word.
Mrs. Lane explains. why not?
The audiences are the best. The
critics are generous. The. man
agement and the associations
congeniaI. Our friends, the
incest OF people. Put 1t down
in big letters: One, Washington:
two, California; three. the rest OF
the world, and that includes
Broadway.
You may have guessed by now
that Mrs. Lane Is the constant
companion and adviser Of the fair
Leneta. She IL. although she
finds time to write several times
a week to Leneta's kid brother,
also an actor, IL you please. Just
now he il playing juveniles with
a stock company In jamestown,
N. Y. He had a role with Eddie
Bowling in Sally, Irene and
Mary" Leneta says her little
brother Is a good actor. Mrs.
Lane rather accepts this opinion
too. In fact she accepts most OF
what Leneta says as pretty close
to o. K. all of the time.
Spare time. Well. there IS shop.
ping. In season Miss Lane buys
ION an average of one new frock
a week. Women know what dis
eliminating search of the marts
this involves. Leneta is passion
ately fond of flowers and the
peony lined Potomac drive is in
spected almost daily for session
with the gorgeous blooms. Reading
Shaw, O'Neil, and dab at the
best sellers. At present she is
close to raving over Thornton
Wilder's, Bridge OF San Luis
Rey.'5 "I think a pen that can
round out such exquisite poetic
prose must have a wonderful play
concealed somewhere" says
Leneta. 81 should love to see
him do a play and should love
better to act in it."