The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-01-04
LILLIAN ASHTON, Isf
QUEEN ELIZABETH
IN LOST COLONY
By DON BISHOP
in The News & Observer

celebrated her 9th birthday in her
apartment at 140 West 46th Street
i'm the heart of New York thea
tire district.
She was happily surrounded by
the memorabilia of Sc years of en-
pertaining the public. And promi-
nent among these were the scrap
books collected during the 1887 and
1888 seasons of the outdoor drama
about Americas first English set
Element.
eve had so much fun those two
summers on Roanoke Island" she
said. Everybody was so wonderful
there"
Though she hasn't been back
since then, the English-born ac-
tress could reel off the names of
store owners and other residents of
the section whom she came to know
while in the summer acting job.
"The townspeople called me
Queen Elizabeth or 'Queenie,'
she recalled. at was almost as if
they thought l was the real thing.
Why, l was always being offered a
cape to walk upon, just as Sir
Walter Raleigh had let the real
Queen Elizabeth walk on his cape"
Miss Ashton was one of five pro-
fessional actors brought down from
New York for that opening season
of the historical play.
They we've members of the
WPA-sponsored Federal Theatre.
Her salary was $23.S6 from the
Federal government and $18 a
week in room and board from the
sponsors of the play.
"You know" she said, 81 hadn't
realized 1 was going to play the
part of Queen Elizabeth. That all
came about very unexpectedly"
Then she went on, in the manner
of one Intentionally letting the cat
out of the bag:
81 wasn't an actress at all. was
vaudevillian, and had been one
all my life. When l read a scene
from "The Merchant of Venice
at the auditorium, l delivered it
for laughs. When l left for Chapel
Hill, it was my understanding that
1 was supposed to play the mid
wife, which was a much smaller
role. We were rehearsing for Paul
Green and Sam Selden and the rest
of them and they told me to read
Queen Elizabeth's lines. l thought
at first l was just standing in for
someone else, but then they told me
the part was mine And was
l frightened"
President Roosevelt was on hand
during that first season of "The
Lost Colony" and he presented
pins, made from commemorative
half dollars which had been mint
ed for the occasion, to Miss Ashton
and three other actresses. She still
wears hers with great pride.
Wins Other Roles
Her performance in "The Lost
Colony brought Miss Ashton 9th
Ell acting roles, including produc-
ton of "Androcles and the Lion"
in Atlanta. But she was instructive
ly a vaudevillian, and she returned
to that field.
Born of a theatrical family
Miss Ashton began her career on
the stage at age II. She came to
the United States in 1911 under
management of William Morris
and has lived here ever since. She
married an American trouper
Harry McNally, and they played
in vaudeville in all parts of the
country. He died 10 years ago.
Miss Ashton's parents were kill
ed by German bombs during World
War II. On her fathers side alone
she lost 90 relatives in the war.
With special personal interest
therefore, she went on tour OF
veterans hospitals under sponsor
ship of the USO in 1949-50. She
was one of six members of "Gay
Nineties Revue" and at 81 she was
the youngest performer in the
group.
eve travelled $4,000 miles in II
months" she recalled, visiting
hospitals and institutions for the
insane from one end of the country
to the other. Sometimes it would
break my heart to try to be funny
Miss Ashton still entertains oc-
casionally. Last year she was part
Of an act at the Palace, where she
had played many other times dur
ing her career.
She hopes one day to go back
to Roanoke Island to see a per-
Torrance of "The Lost Colony"
Meanwhile, her connection with the
play consists of occasionally see
ing actress Katherine Gale, who
had the role of Pirginia Dare's
mother in the original cast. Also,
she usually receives Christmas
cards from Green, Selden, and a
few others who were connected
with the play.
They bring her lot of pleasure
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