The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-01-19

~ Inc WebSterS
always have
been scuffling with Hamlet
There was O Benjamin Webster
who offered tribute 10 the Melan.
choly Dane In London two gen.
erations ago. When this Webster
retired, his son continued the
tradition under the banner OF
that great actor, Sir Henry
Irving.
And that Webster, still active
In what's left OF the English. the
alter these days, turned the
Hamlet mantle over TO his
daughter, Margaret, whose moth
or Is Dame May Witty, one OF
Britain's best-known players.
SHE'S QUITE
FEMININE
To be direetorial Is TO be die
tatorial, so you might picture
Margaret webster as being O
hard-boiled, tempestuous female
with q crisp manner OF speech
and O sharp tongue for orders.
The picture would not be &C.
curate, for she happens TO DO o
slender, comely young lady OF
about thirty-two, soft Of voice,
with ready smile and O laugh
that usually can be heard over
the crowd,
But she can be tough, too,
without drawing the line any.
where between star and q
small.bit player.
She Is violently opposed 10
hardness ut rehearsalS, always
appearing O half hour early, her.
self. One morning during the
rehearsal period for Hamlet,
Maurice Evans Sauntered In ten
minutes late. Tho Webster girl
faced her boss down In the awed
presence OF the entire cast.
"A star" she remarked wryly
and loudly enough for oil 10 hear,
"has risenl"
After that, Evans never came
late 10 rehearsals again.
MeticulouSly neat away from
directrial work, she Is dishev-
eled ut rehearsal. Her face In.
varlably becomes smudged with
dust from chairs and walls, she
runs her fingers through her
well.brushed hair, and IN upset
couture results.
Like oil stage people, she 10 not
content with her lofty position In
the theater. Most actors strive 10
become directors. Margaret -
she's more familiarly known Oh
Peg or Peggy -- Webster prefers
TO emote back OF the footlights,
aB she did last season In the
drama, Family Portrait"
She 10 addicted 10 the United
States, and for on excellent reN-
son, She was born here, fudely
inteTupting O tour OF this coun.
try that her parents were max.
Ing OF tho time,
She was born In O theatrical
boarding house at Sixth Avenue
and B8th Street, She has been
back TO look for II, to no avail
There's o parking lot there now,
ON THE STAGE
AND OFF-AT 8
She Ia equally OF home In New
York and In London. II was
In the latter metropolis that she
began her own stage career, un.
der parental protest. As she hanks
back TO II, my parents objected
10 q stage career with the usual
insineerity Of theatrical parents"
She played at tho age OF eight
with the great Ellen Terry, and
In her debut fell off the stage
and into the audience, although
the script called for no such aero
battle antics.
After that inauspieiouS begin
ming. her parents took their own
wise course and sent her off 10
school, but OF eighteen that old
yearning TO DO an actress re-.
turned.
A young actor named Maurice
Evans, who then was dividing
his time between histriop!cs and
clerks Job IN q publishing
house, was seeking @ leading
lady. He consulted Peggy Web
ster's mother about II. why
not" she asked her against her
better judgment, TRY my dauga-
terp" He did.
And during the past fourteen
years, Evans path and hers have
crossed many times. They APP
peared together In O variety OF
plays until he finally went his
own way and she hers. Separate
~, they stepped themselves In
Shakespeare lore.
Two years ago. when Evans
was over here, jobless, he thought
OF team!ng up with Peggy Web
ster again. He cabled for her u
come over from England ano
they went TO work. Their first
shakesperean try, with Miss
Webster In the directorial saddle
was "Richard H." It clicked. So
has their latest offering, the enor-
mously successful Hamlet" Theii
studies Of the Bard Of Avon have
born fruit.
Ts.~~~..S T~~n-aA~A