n u == 3D 1 2 3 1 5 ^=!^— ■< 3 Cll 8 1 1 ■ ■'/r -n O I? '^/iaaAiNii-jyiv ^^Advaaiii^"^ ^ o FO/?^ ^OFCAIIFO%^ AWE UNIVERS//^ vj.lOSANCElfj'^ %aviian# ^fiUDNvsov^^ %a3AiNn-3W\^ VER% ^lOSANCElfj"^ o ^ %a3AiNn3\V^ <5^UIBRARY^^ ^tUBRARYQr^ ^.!/0JnV3J0'^ '^-aOJIlVDJO't^ VER^/A ^lOSANCElfj^ %a3AiNn-3Wv* ^OFCAlIFOi?^^ ^.OFCAilFO/?^ '^t?Aiiva8ii-i^ '^OAavaan-i^ ARYOc ^ -.^llIBRARYQc^ AWtl)NIVER5//. vKlOSANCElfj> o ojo^^ "^^ojiivjjo^^ %oi\mi^'^ WRiy ^OfCAllFO/?^ aweuniver% " o %J13AINn-3WV^ ^\^EUNIVER% ^lOSANCElfj> iiH^^ "^^Abvaani^ ^laONYSOl^ ■^/^aJAINfl-JVW^ im//j. 'ERS/A v^lOSANCElfj>, o ^lOSANCElfj"^ o ^ 5 ^lUBRARYQ^. "^ajAiNnawv^ ^^ %ojnvojo'^ Sock & Buskin Biographies JULIA MARLOWE J • • a • f • \ • v.. Sock &? Biiskifi Biographies JULIA MARLOWE JOHN D. BARRY Richard G. Badger l^ Co. BOSTON CnpYRir.HT 1899 By Richard G. Badger &f Co. All Rights Reser-veJ FA' Sock &f Bicskin Biographies, JULIA MARLOWE. 1. IN the early seventies a party of English colonists, most of them farmers, came from the north of England to America, and set- tled on the farm lands in Kansas. The colony failed, and some of its members went to Kansas City. Among them were John Frost and his wife and three children, the eldest of whom, Sarah Frances, born in the village of Caldbeck, in Cumberlandshire, and then about five years of age, is now known to playgoers as Julia Marlowe. In Kansas City, Frances Frost, as she was then called, had her first schooling, continued later in Cincinnati, where the family moved. In Cincinnati, at the age of twelve, she made her first appearance on the stage as a mem- 2 Sock & Buskin Biographies ber of the chorus in a " Pinafore " company, recruited very largely from the pupils of the public schools in Cincinnati by Colonel R. E. J. Miles, a theatrical manager of re- pute, and directed by his sister-in-law, Miss Ada Dow, a stock actress of considerable experience. Later she played Sir Joseph Porter under the name of Fanny Brough, her mother's family name ; Suzanne, in " The Chimes of Normandy " ; and a page in " The Little Duke." She had a pretty singing-voice ; and, though not a quick study, she showed aptitude for stage work. It is worth noting here that none of her family had ever been known to be associated in any way with the theatre. In the next few years the name of Fanny Brough appeared on the play bills as little Heinrich in " Rip Van Winkle," in support of Robert McWade, and later in the com- pany of Miss Josephine Riley, an actress whom Colonel Miles was starring through the West. Her parts with Miss Riley in- cluded Maria in "Twelfth Night," Balthazar in " Romeo and Juliet," Stephen in " The Parthcnia in •• Jnguinar " Cc/'yright, i^'^S, by li.J. lalk, .\. Y Parthciiia in " Ingomar " yulia Marlowe 3 Hunchback," and Myrene in " Pygmalion and Galatea." It is said that she played Maria with great vivacity, though she was hardly old enough to understand the lines. At the age of sixteen, Fanny Brough dis- appeared from the stage, and, under the di- rection of Miss Dow, began a course of study in New York, lasting for three years, in prep- aration for her career as Julia Marlowe. It has been said that Miss Dow is the aunt of Julia Marlowe, but there is no rela- tionship between them. Miss Marlowe has herself explained that Miss Dow was her adopted aunt. Her instruction consisted of the study of plays, chiefly classical pieces, the interpretation of the leading characters, and of lessons in singing, fencing, deport- ment, and in French. At eight o'clock in the morning she would begin work, studying till noon alone. After luncheon she would put on a long-trained gown, and rehearse with her aunt the character she had been preparing. In her teaching. Miss Dow had the wisdom to allow her pupil to develop her own conceptions. She never explained 4 Sock & Buskin Biographies how a line should be read or showed by example how a character should be played. She merely stood aside and criticised. In this way Miss Marlowe, instead of imitating her teacher, as many students of acting do, learned to rely on herself, and to work on original lines. The daily lesson lasted dur- ing most of the afternoon, and was resumed after dinner. Occasionally the monotony of the tasks was broken by visits to the theatre. During this time Julia Marlowe saw Mary Anderson, Clara Morris, and a few other well-known players. She was particularly impressed by the acting of Miss Clara Morris, from the study of whose deliberate and effective methods she believes that she received valuable suggestions. At this time there were fewer schools of acting in this country than there are now, and an aspirant to the stage had usually the choice of securing a precarious start in playing small roles in inferior road-com- panies, or of preparing for a more ambitious beginning by studying with a retired actor or with one of the manv teachers of elocu- yulia Marlowe 5 tion. With few exceptions, the teachers of elocution were very poor trainers for acting. Their pupils were taught an absurdly artificial manner of speech and affected tricks which, after a little experience, if they were clever, they soon learned to discard. Some of the actors, however, were able to give helpful instruction. Mary Anderson, for example, sought the aid of the elder Vandenhofl^, who for years had been teaching successfully in New York. But most actors have little faith in training for their work : they believe that the only way to learn to act is by acting. The best that the dramatic schools can do is to give their pupils a sound education and practice in playing a variety of parts. In fact, if the first requirement is achieved, the foundation is laid for a career justified by talent. Without talent, no education in the world can make a good actor. Most of our players show their defects, not in lack of tem- peramental qualities, but in vulgarities of speech, manner, and taste. The theatre in itself is a great school, but it rarely eradicates defects that ought to have been overcome in 6 Sock & Buskin Biographies early youth. Apparently, Miss Marlowe had no serious defects of manner to overcome, or, if she did. Miss Dow corrected them before her pupil made a public appearance. On her first appearance, Miss Marlowe spoke the purest of all English, which is the Eng- lish that betrays the accent of no particular locality ; and she had the bearing of a well- bred young woman. She says that in the matter of carriage she was her own teacher. One day she happened to catch a glimpse of herself in a large mirror as she was walking. She was startled by the ugly movement of her hips, and she determined to correct the fault at once. At the time she was passing the summer on the Jersey coast ; and early every morning she paced the shore with her hands pressing down on her hips, till she had remedied the fault. Even in her begin- nings, she never offended against taste. She had not, to be sure, the plasticity which Lawrence Barrett used to insist upon as an essential to good acting ; but she was young enough to acquire it. By determining to appear in a repertory, she was likely to yulia Marlozve 7 acquire it much more rapidly than the aver- age beginner, who is permitted to play only a half-dozen parts in the same number of years. II. A I' the beginning of her work, Miss Dow had not thought of attempting to launch Miss Marlowe as a star. But she became convinced that her pupil would in time be- come strong enough to play emotional and classical parts at the head of a company. So, after three years, she searched for a man- ager ; but no manager would consent to try to establish an unknown player. Finally, in the spring of 1887, Colonel Miles organ- ized a company, and took Miss Marlowe for a brief tour through Connecticut, during which she appeared as Parthenia. He also engaged New York Bijou Theatre, then called the Bijou Opera House, and arranged to present Miss Marlowe there at a special performance on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 20, 1887. The time chosen for introducing the actress was more favorable than Miss Mar- lowe's friends could have realized. There were then few actresses on our stage who were devoting themselves to legitimate plays, 8 Juliet in " Romeo and Juliet " Parthenia in " Ingomar " Julia Marlowe 9 and of these most of the more successful came from France and England for visits of a season at a time. Madame Modjeska, it is true, was displaying her beautiful art in a repertory largely classic ; and Miss Mary Anderson, her fame magnified by successes in Great Britain, could feel assured of attract- ing enormous audiences in any American theatre where she might appear. But even at that time Miss Anderson was contem- plating the retirement into private life, which took place not long afterward; and Madame Modjeska was no longer young. A few years before. Miss Margaret Mather, an actress with remarkable temperament, whose first appearance had been noisily trumpeted, had bitterly disappointed her first admirers, her art growing more vulgar and coarse with experience. So there was room in the American theatre for an actress with ambition to devote herself to the best in the drama, who could bring to it youth, beauty, grace, and temperament. It was probably in order to display these qualities to particular advantage that Miss lo Sock & Buskin Biographies Dow chose for her pupil's first appearance Maria Lovell's well-known adaptation from the German. "Ingomar" is not a great play, but in its kind it is a good play. Our audiences still love romance, but the romance of action, the romance that Dumas loved and that he passed on to Anthony Hope, not the grandiloquent sentimentaliz- ings of the German novelists and the old- fashioned playwrights. Ten years ago " In- gomar " had possibly a little more vitality than is now left in it, though it has lately been revived by so modern an actress as Miss Julia Arthur. Much of its late popu- larity was probably due to the success of Mary Anderson in the leading part, which peculiarly suited her rather declamatory stvle. The audience that assembled to see Miss Marlowe, it is safe to assume, was composed very largely of cynical playgoers. In New York the debutante^ before she has proven that she possesses ability, is always an ob- ject of amusement or pity, or both. The first appearance of an actress in an important character, however, is an interesting event ; Julia Marlowe 1 1 and it generally fills a New York theatre. It would be a mistake to say that those who saw Miss Marlowe's Parthenia believed that she was a great actress. Several experi- enced judges of acting, however, thought she had the qualifications that made a good actress. A few even declared that she gave the promise of greatness. The venture served the purpose of attracting to her the attention of theatrical managers, of influen- tial actors, and of discerning critics. Before a week had passed, Miss Marlowe received several offers of engagements in travelling companies, among others one from Mr. William Gillette, who at once appreciated her quality, and who believed that she was ideally suited to an important character in a new play which he was then preparing to present on tour. The significance of Miss Marlowe's first appearance in New York makes the event worth recording at some length. The cast was as follows : — Ingomar Mr. Frank Evans. Alastor Mr. J. Brennan. 1 2 Sock & Bicskin B iographies Myron Mr. C. Leslie Allen. Timarch Mr. George Nash. Polydor Mr. F. J. Currier. Lykor Mr. B. Henderson. Amytar Mr. J. Daymond. Elphenor Mr. C. Williams. Adrastas Mr. F. Walton. Novio Mr. B. H. Pierce. Trenobantes Mr. William Cummings. Ambivar Mr. F. Wilson. Samo Mr. L. Cotier. Actea Miss Effie Wild. Theano Miss Isabelle Waldron. Parthenia Miss Julia Marlowe. The notices of the dramatic critics show plainly that Miss Marlowe gave the audi- ence a surprise. Mr. William Winter, un- fortunately, was not present : he may have felt that it was not worth his while to go to see a raw young actress disport herself. Other critics of importance, however, were there ; and the notice by Mr. Edward A. Dithmar, of the Times^ a writer of sympathy and discernment, is especially interesting. Here it is, in part: — " Miss Marlowe is not a spectacular Julia Marlowe 13 Parthenia. She did not conquer by a glance or a gesture. She is not statuesque. She is comely and of good figure, but not beautiful. Her eyes are the most attractive feature of her face, which is uncommonly mobile and intelligent. She depicted the simplicity and love of the Greek maiden in a sensible, straightforward manner that con- vinced the minds and touched the hearts of everybody present who had a mind and a heart. Her work was marked by none of the failings of the novice. Her touch was always sure, and she impressed the critical observer with a sense of the ability to cal- culate beforehand the actual effect of every look and gesture. This is a faculty that three-fifths of the actors now on the stage do not possess. Her conception of the character was clear and reasonable ; her exe- cution of it, womanly and, above all, intelli- gent. She had no ' great moments.' She made no conspicuous points. " But her grasp of the character never relaxed, and she preserved the illusion under the most distressing surroundings. The 14 Sock & Buskin Biographies episode of the song of love was treated daintily and without exaggeration. The de- fiance of Ingomar was true and affecting, and not stagy. She expressed the anger of the girl very vividly, and without resort to any hackneyed artifice. She was equally suc- cessful with every other phase of the role. She did not carry her expression of love to the limits of great, absorbing passion ; but Parthenia is not a woman of strong passions. " In depicting the ingenuousness of the girl, she was not too coy. When she wept, the tears seemed to be real ; and her smiles seemed to be the reflection of a sunny temperament. Her voice is strong and pleasing ; and, if she has a singing voice, it ought to be pure contralto. The tones are never mannish ; and, best of all, she speaks the English language very well." The gentleman who used to write volum- inously on the theatre under the pseudonym of" Nym Crinkle " was also pleased with the new actress. " The old, old story of ' Ingo- mar,' " he wrote in the New York Worlds " was told yesterday afternoon at the Bijou \ iolu in ••Twcltth Nieht "' Copyri^lit, /iii, I'V B.J. J-a/k, X.)' Julia in •• The Hunchback " Jtclia Marlowe 15 Theatre. It is a pretty story of the power of affection over brute force, and it was told with new earnestness and new gentleness by a young woman who was unknown to her audience, but who speedily won their atten- tion and their respect for her sure dramatic instinct and her delicate accuracy of method. . . . Miss Julia Marlowe infused the old lines with an intelligent charm, and, after riveting the attention, commanded the ap- probation by an effective, tender, and legiti- mately dramatic rendering of the role. She is a good-looking girl, of medium height, with an expressive face and perfect command of her powers. She betrayed none of the usual nervousness of amateurs and none of the self-consciousness of cerebral novices. Her understanding of the inner significance of Parthenia's part was clear, and her mani- festation of it artistic, sympathetic, and natural. To an intelligent purpose she added a picturesque manner, and so, with simple touches, adorned the old role and won her observers delicately and irresistibly." Less enthusiastic, but altogether encourag- 1 6 Sock & Buskin Biographies ing, was the notice that appeared in the New York Herald : — " The impersonation, despite certain faults, due chiefly to lack of much experience, was in many ways charming and on occasion forcible. The actress has a voice that falls pleasantly on the ear, large, limpid eyes, full of expression, and a mobile, sensitive mouth. In stature Miss Marlowe is medium ; and she is graceful, and made a pretty pict- ure. The young lady read her lines with full appreciation of their intention, and mir- rored in her face, with delightful ingenuous- ness, the workings of her mind and the emotions which stirred her heart. It was a pretty presentation of fresh young woman- hood. The faults of the actress are a lack of repose where it is called for, an excess of gesturing, and too many bright smiles. At times also she did too much by-play in looks and action." Among the warmest of Miss Marlowe's admirers on this occasion was the late Colonel Ingersoll. His published praises, copied widely in the press, and commented on yulia Marlowe 17 throughout the country, did much to start the actress on the road to success. When an actress begins her career at the top, as the theatrical expression is, she is likely to be subjected to pretty searching criticism. Her severest critics, moreover, usually belong to her own profession. Actors who have served years of apprentice- ship resent what they look upon as the presumption of a novice in taking at the start a position which has always been their own goal, to be reached through hard experience. Mary Anderson has described in her autobiography the open ridicule to which she was subjected from the members of the company who played with her on her first public appearance. Miss Marlowe, however, does not appear to have suffered from any such prejudice. Many critics, it is true, denied her authority to appear in leading roles ; but even from these she re- ceived some encouragement. On the other hand there were many more critics who offered her the most stimulating praise. It has lately been said that, when Miss Mar- 1 8 Sock & Buskin Biographies lowe appeared as a star, she was really not a novice; that her training as a child actress had prepared her for her later career. It is very much to be doubted, however, if her brief stage experience as a child was of the least service to her. Miss Marlowe herself is inclined to believe that it was not. The acting of a child is wholly different from that of an adult. Most children can be taught to act fairly well ; some of them, indeed, to act delightfully, their unconsciousness en- abling them to reproduce nature with ease and simplicity. The effect that children create so artlessly, however, is in the case of most adult performers the result of thought and of developed instinct. It is nevertheless true that the art of the greatest actors, the actors by temperament, most re- sembles the artlessness of children. On the stage they throw off their identities, and become the character they impersonate. Usually, however, the actor's talent, even when it is a fine talent, is hampered by con- sciousness, and, sometimes, paradoxical as it may seem, by intelligence. The actor who yulia Marlowe 19 relies on his capacity for developing a part intellectually is in for more danger of blun- dering than the temperamental actor, who follows his instinct. This explains how many a born actor can play with brilliancy roles that he only partly understands. It may safely be assumed that Miss Marlowe's performances of the part of Maria in " Twelfth Night," which she had learned by rote*and interpreted with a child's faculty for imitation and with genuine spirit, did not in the least help her when she came to study Viola. She had to learn to achieve effects that she had once been able to achieve with- out effort. Time has justified the wisdom of Miss Marlowe in refusing to take any of the subordinate places in stock companies and travelling organizations that were offered her. If she had accepted one of them, her whole career might have been changed. In the first place, she would have been ham- pered in her determination to become a Shaksperian actress. There are so few companies presenting Shakspere that a 20 Sock & Buskin Biographies player has almost no chance to play Shak- sperian parts. Moreover, as a subordinate actress, Miss Marlowe would have had few opportunities to develop. Most of our American actors play one part a season, fre- quently one part for several seasons. Conse- quently, they fall into mechanical habits, and they lose the training that they need. At the time Miss Marlowe was making her debut there were not more than * a half- dozen stock companies of repute in the whole country, and even these produced on an average hardly more than three or four a year. Now the situation is different : within the past three years stock companies have been established in most of the larger Amer- ican cities ; and, by changing the bill every week, they are giving their actors a valuable experience. As a subordinate member of a company. Miss Marlowe would have suffered from the suppression that cramps the individuality of many a good player. She would have be- come a minor figure in the stage picture. Only actors and students of the every-day Rusiiliiul ill •• A.s ^ (III l.ikf it Beatrice in •• Much Ado about Nothing "" Julia Marlowe 21 workings of the stage can realize what this signifies. To an actor of originahty it often means artistic degradation. It means, also, that, when he has conceived a character in his own way, his ideas may clash with those of the star. Of course he will have to give way and follow instructions, even if the in- structions make his portraval imitative and feeble. In the reading of the speeches, he may be obliged to submerge his own intelli- gence to an inferior interpretation. By this interference many a good plaver has suffered discouragement, occasionally even despair. It often happens that actors are censured in print for playing parts not in their own way but in the way they have been ordered to play them. All such tyranny Miss Mar- lowe avoided by heading a company of her own. She could hold the centre of the stage, she could follow the dictates of her own thought and instinct, she could be judged on her own merits and faults. If she failed, she could then fall back into the ranks. She had everything to gain and nothing to lose. The start once made, she went valiantly on. III. AFTER the trial matinee, Miss Marlowe retired to the country where she con- tinued her studies. Mr. Henry E. Abbey had been persuaded by the success of her debut to let her have the Star Theatre in New York for one week during the season to come. So on the i8th of the following December she made her first regular appear- ance in New York, playing Juliet to the Romeo of that impassioned and versatile actor, Mr. Joseph Haworth. The New York papers praised her, and she seemed to have made an auspicious start. Miss Marlowe showed the boldness of the novice in undertaking, at so early a pe- riod in her career, so difficult a Shaksperian role as Juliet. The explanation of the attrac- tion of this character for most actresses is probably to be found in the variety of op- portunity that it gives them. In the whole range of Shaksperian drama there is not so varied a part. Moreover, it is theatrically a great piece of climatic development. In Julia Marlowe 23 her first scene Juliet appears as a demure school-girl. Then she becomes the eager, impassioned woman, poetic and intense in the balcony scene, playful in the scene with the nurse, rising to sustained power in the parting with Romeo, in the potion scene, and in the situations at the tomb. Most young actresses, on playing the part, make a wild rush at Juliet, presenting her a declamatory and shrill egoist. Miss Mar- lowe, however, gave the impression that she approached the character with timidity, as if she could not wholly comprehend it, as if she was, in fact, bewildered by it. In her balcony scene she was tender and girlish, but she never even suggested passion. The scene of her first meeting with Romeo, how- ever, and her wheedling of the nurse were exquisitely played. If she did not rise to the tragic intensity of the stronger situa- tions, she never offended by attempting what she could not achieve. Even in those scenes where she frankly failed, she main- tained a very beautiful dignity, and she held her audience bv her sincerity and by the 24 Sock & Buskhi Biographies charm with which she invested the char- acter. Miss Marlowe has since played the part nearly every season. It is now become one of her finest impersonations. Without los- ing in poetic quality, it has gained in passion and in vigor. The actress has not as yet acquired sufficient power to bring out the full horror of the potion scene ; but her treatment of this difficult episode is a model of discretion. In spite of its inadequacies, her Juliet is unquestionably the best Juliet that our stage has had in the past ten years. Later in the week Miss Marlowe ap- peared as Viola in " Twelfth Night," as Par- thenia in " Ingomar." The beauty of her Viola won instant recognition, and the best friends of the actress realized that in this part she ought to have made her first appeal to the public. \vi. the whole Shaksperian drama there is not a character that more strongly demands temperamental and femi- nine quality and fineness of fibre. That Miss Marlowe should at the start have made a success in this part was as good a yulia Marlowe 25 proof as she could give ot her exceptional endowment. The few weeks following the engagement at the Star Theatre must have been a trying time for the young actress. Her prospects looked doubttul, just as Mary Anderson's had done before the first notable successes were achieved. There were plenty of places on the stage open to Miss Marlowe; but she resolved to carry out her plan of leading a company that should present a classical repertory. In February she secured the chance of appearing in a series of perform- ances in Cincinnati ; and here, on the second night, she made her first appearance in the first leading part she had studied in New York, — Julia, in "The Hunchback." The character perfectly suited her, and she kept it in her repertory for several seasons. Of all her earlier impersonations it was, perhaps, the most remarkable, deliciously girlish and mirthful in the earlier scenes and deepening in feeling and in beauty as the character unfolds. All these experiences, however, were 26 Sock & Buskin Biographies merely preliminary. It was not till the autumn of 1888 that Miss Marlowe began her real career. The company engaged to support her included such actors as Charles Barron, for many years leading man at the Boston Museum ; William Owen, the best Shaksperian comedian in this country ; Robert Taber, then winning his spurs as lead- ing juvenile ; and Miss Mary Shaw, — ver- satile and brilliant players, and notably suc- cessful in Shaksperian works. They opened in Washington, where Miss Marlowe was warmly greeted. The engagement, however, that may be said to have made certain her future as a " star " began a few weeks later in Boston. The Boston playgoers of that period must remember the im- pression she made on her audience. Re- ports of her ability had come from New York ; and on the first night they attracted to the Mollis Street Theatre a large audi- ence, which included the leading critics and every student of the drama. The play was " Ingomar," and Miss Marlowe's Parthenia was received with astonishment and delight. Imogen in " Cvnibclinc '" » >. _^ - ^^^K 1 V f ^l..^, . . ^ 1< fc-'--^'- ^^I^^^^HR <^ \ . *" i.H^H6 1 ft>>^ ^"^ '- - ^vy^^^^^^^^L > - ' yHMR L' '^^^K^r\^ ii' ' * .V ^Fw. (■«i») >»i CopyrigJit, iSqj, i " Copyright, iSqj. by H.J. Faik. .V. ) ' Constance in •• The Love Chase '" Julia Marlowe 33 do. The discretion that serves her so ad- mirably as Juhet, that keeps her from blun- dering, hampers her Rosalind. It has many good qualities : it is graceful, it is merry, it is saturated with nice feeling ; but it is always discreet. It lacks the abandon of Miss Ada Rehan's Rosalind, the subtlety of Madame Modjeska's. Nevertheless, it surpasses both of these notable impersona- tions in its realization of the girlish quali- ties of the character. Those who are famil- iar with Miss Marlowe's Rosalind are likely never to forget the picture she makes, espe- cially in the scenes in the forest, where she seems to embody the very atmosphere of the woods. It was in this part that the ac- tress first used her adult singing voice, a delicate, pretty mezzo-soprano, just strong enough to fill the theatre. Miss Marlowe has kept " As You Like It" in her reper- tory during the whole of her career, and it has proved one of her greatest popular suc- cesses. The emphatic success in Boston of Miss Marlowe was repeated in Philadelphia, in 34 Sock & Buskin Biographies Baltimore, and in Chicago, which have since become great strongholds of her popularity. In the smaller cities that she visited, too, she received warm commendation. She won favor not by skilful advertising or by personal exploitation, but through her work alone. A few years before a young debutante had been sensationally advertised in the press and exalted to a position which she could not maintain. The methods adopted in the management of Miss Marlowe were far more sensible and dignified. Her appear- ances were quietly announced in the news- papers, and such further publicity as she received came from the dramatic critics of the various cities and towns that she visited and from the friends that she made in her audiences. Interviewers were unable to reach her. Her work taxed her full strength, and she had neither the time nor the energy to discuss theories of acting. Besides, as her manager used to explain when the interviewers sought his inter- cession. Miss Marlowe had nothing to say in the press ; all that she had to say to the Julia Marlowe 35 public she said across the foot-Hghts. This reticence annoyed the reporter, but deepened the respect for so self-respecting, reserved, and simple a young actress. It helped to place Miss Marlowe in the honorable posi- tion that she now holds. Great credit should be given to the devotion of Miss Dow to Miss Marlowe during this period. Though now a suc- cessful actress, Miss Marlowe remained a painstaking pupil. Miss Dow accompanied her to every performance, and watched her acting, offering encouragement and criticism. IV. IN her second season Miss Marlowe, ac- companied by Mr, Eben Plympton, who succeeded Mr. Taber in the leading juvenile roles, made a strong feature of her Rosalind and added to her repertory the comedy of " Pygmalion and Galatea." A few years be- fore, Mary Anderson had made one of her greatest American successes as Galatea, and had chosen it for her debut in England, cap- turing London on the first night. There are many of us who think that Galatea was the best impersonation Miss Anderson ever achieved, not excepting her wonderfully vital and poetic acting of Perdita in "The Winter's Tale." Indeed, Miss Anderson might have been created to play this part ; and on seeing her in it, after seeing several of the most popular English actresses of his time under- take It, W. S. Gilbert must have felt as if he had unconsciously written it for her. As the statue, Miss Anderson's uncommonly tall and graceful figure created a perfect illusion. It was easy to understand how, in 36 yulia Marlowe 37 London, one spectator made a wager that, in place of the actress, a marble figure stood on the pedestal. Throughout her imperson- ation her face never assumed flesh tints ; and her acting as well as her looks made it im- possible for you to forget that she was not of flesh, but had been hewn out of stone. She struck the note of absolute ingenuous- ness. Other actresses had made more " points " in the part ; but no actress had given so consistent and satisfying imper- sonation. Mrs. Kendal, who played the role many vears ago, used to make a point in the scene where Galatea first sees blood. Here Miss Anderson, like most ac- tresses, would shudder, and ask, with terror, what the strange thing was. Mrs. Kendal, on the contrary, dipped her finger in the blood and made a line with it, looking at it with a curiosity and wonder that emphasized Galatea's ignorance of life. Like Miss Anderson's, the Galatea of Julia Marlowe was played on conventional lines. Though Miss Marlowe is not a large woman, she is able to create on the stage the illusion of 38 Sock & Buskin Biographies height; and, though her face and figure have not Miss Anderson's classic outlines, she made a very beautiful picture as she stood on the pedestal. In speech and bearing, too, she kept the character simple and poetic. After descending from the pedestal. Miss Marlowe allowed color to appear in her face, — a precedent since followed by Miss Julia Arthur. Those of us who admired Miss Anderson's Galatea are likely to favor her treatment of the character in this regard ; but, of course, it is largely a matter of taste. Miss Marlowe might say, " But if Galatea opens her eyes, and shows eyes that are human, why shouldn't her face look human ? " On the other hand, it might be asked, " If Galatea's complexion is to assume the tints of life, why should her hair remain the color of marble, as it always does ? " In the following autumn Miss Marlowe began her third year of work with very ambitious plans. Mr. Creston Clarke, nephew of Edwin Booth and a romantic actor of promise, became her leading man ; and she announced productions of " Much C«/>yrif;/it. lf\()_;, h' II. J. I- it Ik, N. ) Con>taiuc ill " I'lic Love Clia.sc "' Copyriglit, iS,C)4, hy H.J. Falk, X.V Lctitia in " The Belle's Stratagem " yulia Marlowe 39 Ado about Nothing" and " Cymbeline," I*",arlv in the season she first played in the smaller places Beatrice and Imogen, prepar- atory to presenting them in the larger cities. A few weeks after starting out, however, while appearing in Philadelphia, she was stricken with typhoid fever. It was thought that Miss Marlowe would not be able to return to the stage till the following season, and the company was disbanded ; but a long rest restored her strength, and she made her reappearance in Baltimore early in March. This experience was the indirect means of placing Miss Marlowe on a footing of independence. Since the beginning of her career she had been bound by a severe con- tract with Miss Dow, which left her no liberty. From this contract she secured her release, and her business relations with Miss Dow came to an end. Then Miss Marlowe emerged from the strict seclusion in which she had been kept. She entered with zest, increased perhaps by her long reserve, into the social amusements that 40 Sock & Btiskin Biographies were offered her. She is now one of the most personally popular of our actresses. After her broken season, Miss Marlowe resumed work in the autumn of 1891 with practically the repertory in which she had appeared the year before, making stronger features of her Beatrice and Cymbeline, and presenting in conjunction with " Pyg- malion and Galatea " a one-act piece written for her by Malcolm Bell, called " Rogues and Vagabonds." Mr. Robert Taber re- turned to her company as leading juvenile to play roles in which he had already been seen with her, as well as Benedick and Cymbeline. In " Rogues and Vagabonds " Miss Mar- lowe had a graceful success. The piece was a pretty comedy, well worth a place in a repertory. It told how Charles Hart, a famous actor of women's characters, and later of men's, of the seventeenth century, impersonated a woman, and taught a young lover how to woo and win the woman he himself loved. It was, of course, a scene from "As You Like It" in new shape, but Jtclia Marlowe 41 none the less clever and serviceable for this reason. It belonged to that class of plays written to enable actors to display their ver- satility. Sometimes these are good plavs : often their only merit consists in the fulfil- ment of their immediate purpose. One of the best short comedies written by a modern dramatist is a piece of this kind, " Comedy and Tragedy," devised by Mr. W. S. Gil- bert to exploit Miss Mary Anderson, and worthy of the abilities of a Bernhardt. There were moments in *' Rogues and Vag- abonds " when the part of Charles Hart went beyond the scope of Miss Marlowe; but in the expression of whimsical tender- ness, and in her meeting of the lovers at the close, the actress achieved something like a triumph. The character of Beatrice is not placed among the greatest successes of Miss Mar- lowe. That she made it charming need hardly be said. In fict, like most actresses who undertake the role, she tried to soften the sterner side ot the woman and to em- phasize the high spirits, the humor, and the 42 Sock & Buskin Biographies tenderness. The faults of the impersonation were summed up, when it was first seen in Boston, by Mr. H. A. Clapp, the well- known dramatic critic and Shaksperian stu- dent. " The more brilliant speeches," he wrote in the Daily Advertiser^ "were forced to yield a humorous flavor, but did not make their true vivid appeal to the under- standing and the imagination. Very often the touch was light and youthful, seldom was there any illuminating fancy. * But there was a star danced, and under that I was born,' amounted to nothing more than a good-natured pleasantry. In short, the quality of intellectual force, the fire, definite- ness, and originality of Beatrice's intellect were inadequately expressed or often quite eclipsed. The same criticism fits Miss Mar- lowe's effort on the emotional side. She was frequently sweet, bewitching, and piquant in her scenes with Benedick ; but Beatrice's passionate depth of nature was scarcely indi- cated, the great representative verses begin- ning, 'What fire is this in mine ears? Can this be true?' from which Miss Marlowe y till a Marlowe 43 last night omitted the first six words, strik- ing her key-note with a weak and superficial tone. In the opening scenes Miss Marlowe undoubtedly departed far from Shakspere's idea in representing Beatrice as frankly, con- sciously, almost gently, coquetting with Ben- edick, even to the extent of flirting a rosebud under his nose to attract his attention. But it is to be presumed that the innovations were deliberate and a part of the general lightness of the actress's scheme." The fault that Mr. Clapp found with the Beatrice of Miss Marlowe, its lack of depth, touched upon her greatest weakness at this time. She apparently could not develop beyond the expression ot a delicate and poetic tenderness ; but to be able to realize this quality was in itself a rare gitt, and it eminently served in the impersonation of Imogen, a part too much neglected among even the most ambitious of modern actresses. In recent years Miss Margaret Mather de- graded it, but Madame Modjeska brought out all its poetrv. Miss Marlowe could not bring to the part the sureness of method and 44 Sock & Buskin Biographies the variety with which the more experienced actresses had played it, but her Imogen must be set down as one of her most satisfying Shaksperian impersonations. A writer in the Boston Transcript^ a paper conspicuous for the incisiveness of its dramatic criticisms, wrote on the occasion of Miss Marlowe's first appearance in Boston in " Cymbeline " : " Miss Marlowe's Imogen may be set down without hesitation as her finest effort so far. Considering the wondrous completeness and many-sidedness of the character, and the consequent extreme difficulty of the part, this should be a matter of no little satisfac- tion to her friends and admirers, to those who build upon her past achievements hopes of even better things in the future. Upon the whole. Miss Marlowe's talent has shown from the beginning this in common with Henry Irving's, — that it is predominantly a talent for dramatic delineation. She has conspicuously the power, by no means com- mon on the stage, of seeming for that time of being absolutely at one with the character she impersonates. Her specifically histrionic Letitia in •• The Belle's Stratagem " Copyright, lSg4, hy B.J. Falk, X.Y As Chatterton Julia Marlowe 45 skill may at times fall short of showing the character in a very strong light, but the illu- sion she produces of really being the char- acter she assumes to be is none the less complete and constant." At the opening of the season of 1892-93, Miss Marlowe had an exceptionally large repertory. Thus far, however, her appear- ances had been confined chiefly to the East- ern and Middle States. Her manager decided to plan a tour for the season that should take her as far west as the Pacific coast. So the early winter found her in Cal- ifornia, from which she travelled as far east as Boston. The only new part which she assumed this season was Constance in " The Love Chase," the old comedy by Sheridan Knowles, now seldom revived. It was well worth reviving, however ; and it gave Miss Marlowe her first training in old comedy, a most valuable school of art, and it also offered her a part peculiarly suitable to her youth and to her simple methods. In this performance she had the co-operation of Mrs. John Drew, specially 46 Sock & Buskhi Biographies engaged to play the " Widow Green." Miss Marlowe did not keep " The Love Chase " long in her repertory ; though, in the fol- lowing season, she revived it with Miss Rose Eytinge as " the Widow," and she has since occasionally repeated it. V. DURING the season of 1893-94 Miss Marlowe appeared in two new parts, — Letitia Hardy in " The Belle's Stratagem," rearranged for her by Mr. Edward Fales Coward, and as Chatterton in a new piece of that name written for her by Mr. Ernest Lacy, a young American. Mr. Taber, after two consecutive seasons as leading juvenile of the company, again retired and undertook other engagements ; and the position was assumed by Mr. Henry Jewett. Admirers of Ellen Terry who have seen the actress as Letitia Hardy will remem- ber how Miss Terry infused life into Mrs. Cowley's eighteenth-century comedy. Miss Marlowe could not, of course, be expected to lend it the authority and the grace of the most brilliant comedy actress of her time. But she justified the revival by the charm, the delicacy, and the vivacity with which she played the chief character and by the quaint pictures she made in the dress of the period. She did not keep the piece in her repertory, 47 48 Sock & Buskin Biographies perhaps because she found that her audiences were not sufficiently responsive to the anti- quated situations and jests. More important was the production of " Chatterton." It took courage on the part of Miss Marlowe to present a poetic drama. As all students of the American theatre know, most actors and managers are afraid of blank verse. They think that audiences dislike it. This prejudice explains why, in the first place, our own poets so rarely undertake to write in dramatic form, and why those who do are forced to present their plays almost wholly through the medium of book publication. Mr. Lacy was fortunate in choosing a subject that made a strong appeal to Miss Marlowe. The mere men- tion of Chatterton's name arouses sympathy. Early in the century Alfred de Vigny had made him the subject of one of his dramas. Reference is made to this work by Emile Zola in " Naturalism in the Theatre." It is interesting, apart from its connection with the subject, as showing Zola in the role of dramatic critic and humorist. " My deepest yulia Marlowe 49 interest," he says, " indeed, mv solely great interest, during the evening was the famous staircase. And I am convinced that the leading actor in the drama is this staircase. Mark how it succeeds. In the first act, when Chatterton appears at the top and slowly descends, his entrance is made much more effective than it would have been, had he simply come through a door on to the scene. In the second act, when the children of Kitty Bell are sent to carry some fruit to the poet, it is delightful to see the little legs of those adorable children hoist them up each stair: again it is the staircase. Finally, in the last act, the role of the staircase be- comes altogether clear. It is at the foot of the stairs that the mutual confession of love made by Chatterton and Kitty Bell takes place, and it is over the banisters that they exchange a kiss. The agony of the poisoned Chatterton is rendered the more horrible to see as he climbs the stairs, dragging himself up. Finally, Kitty mounts slowly on her hands and knees, opens the door of the poet's chamber, sees him dead, falls backward, and 50 Sock & Buskin Biographies slides down the whole length of the ban- isters, to turn over and fall against the proscenium at the bottom. The staircase, — always the staircase. Suppose for an instant that the staircase were not there. Imagine a flat scene, and ask yourself what the efi^ect would be. It would be diminished to nothing, and the play lose the little vitality that remains to it. Fancy that Kitty Bell opened a door at the back of the stage, and recoiled. That would be meagre. Why, then, is not this accessory, the staircase, raised to the role of principal character ? " A few years ago Mr. Wilson Barrett won considerable success in England and in this country in a short play by Henry Arthur Jones and H. Herman, founded on the story of Chatterton's career. Without being in any way remarkable, it contained some extremely effective situations, which Mr. Barrett played with his characteristically melodramatic vigor. Mr. Lacv's work, like the version used by Mr. Barrett, con- cerned itself with the tragic close of the young poet's life. The Barrett version had intro- duced what actors call a strong " heart-inter- /'^^H ^^^^^^u^^^^^Lv^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H •^ ^ «J ^^^^< L ^ rTirfi^HW Lad\ Teazle in •• The School tor Scandal Julia Marlowe 51 est" in the love ot Chatterton for a young woman whom he believed to be indifferent to him. After taking poison in despair at his poverty and the hopelessness of his fate, he finds a letter which she has left for him at his lodgings, which makes life dear to him again. So the pathos of his death is intensi- fied. Mr. Lacy used in his work only four characters : the poet himself, the landlady of the lodgings, and a London tradesman, for whom Chatterton, according to his habit, had provided a fictitious pedigree, and the tradesman's daughter. On discovering the cheat, the tradesman had called with the girl to remonstrate. But Chatterton succeeds in softening his wrath, and so works on the sympathies of the daughter that she leaves a purse for him. This charity he scorns, and ends his miseries with poison. As a drama, Mr. Lacy's piece suffered from inad- equate construction. It seemed more like a biographical sketch in dramatic form, with very little tragical connection between the scenes. In the title part, however. Miss Marlowe had a genuine success, notably in depicting the mute jxithos of the character. VI. EARLY in the spring of 1894 Miss Marlowe became the wife of Mr. Robert Taber. In every respect the mar- riage seemed to be ideal. Both were young, both were devoted to their work, both were ambitious. Most marriages be- tween actors carry with them the promise of unhappiness ; husband and wife, unless they belong to stock companies, are almost inevi- tably separated, sometimes for months at a time. Home life is impossible, save for comparatively brief periods each year. In the case of the Tabers, however, the condi- tions, it was thought, would be different. They would act together, as they had done before; and each would stimulate the ambi- tion of the other. The stage had already given examples of happy marriages among successful co-stars, the most conspicuous being, perhaps, the case of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Kendal. It was known, of course, that many managers believed the public did not care to see husband and wife act to- 5* Julia Marlowe 53 gether, but the Tabers hoped to be judged solely on their artistic merits. Already Mr. Taber had achieved a high place on the American stage. He had the advantage of being well born and well edu- cated. So he brought to the theatre intelli- gence and good manners, — qualities not so common among plavers that they may be taken for granted. His father was a cotton- merchant of New York ; and two of his brothers had begun careers which have since given them honorable places in life, one as an artist and the other as professor of mathe- matics in Clark University. Mr. Taber was trained for the stage at the dramatic school of Mr. Franklin Sargent, which has introduced many good actors. His first professional work was done as a subordinate member of Madame Modjeska's company, in which he was so fortunate as to enjoy the advantages of playing small Shaksperian parts and of being associated with a great artist. Even then he was noticed for his fine physique, his rather handsome face, and for his intelligent readings and clear voice 54 Sock & Buskin Biographies and diction. His engagement as leading juvenile with Miss Marlowe gave him ex- ceptional chances. He had a variety of parts, including Romeo, Claude Melnotte, Orlando, Orsino, Ingomar, and Clifford in "The Hunchback." His advance was, per- haps, a little too rapid for his abilities ; but he did his work with a crude vigor, — that is, he overdid it. Unlike Miss Marlowe, whose development has been to reach a part slowly by underplaying it, Mr. Taber at- tacked his new roles with violence. He suf- fered, too, from self-consciousness, which, besides being responsible for other defects, made it almost impossible for him to make a graceful exit. After leaving Miss Mar- lowe's company, he had a valuable experience in modern parts with the companies of Richard Mansfield and Rose Coghlan, as well as with a company organized to play the once popular melodrama " Roger La Honte," in which he had a popular success as the hero. When Mr. Taber returned to Miss Marlowe, he showed an unusual and a very praiseworthy ambition to broaden his ytilia Marlowe 55 work by attempting character parts, usually given to older men. Instead of the roman- tic Orsino in " Twelfth Night," for example, he played Malvolio. He used to say that he preferred to appear in roles in which he could sink his identity. The romantic actor nearly always thrusts forward his own personality, and the character actor usually strives to depict a personality wholly differ- ent from his own. Mr. Taber has proved the wisdom of his ambition by doing his best work in those parts where he has relied least on his personal appearance and most on the actor's power of impersonation. At the time of his marriage he was able to look back on about ten years of arduous and varied work, which offered justification for his ambition to take his place on equal terms with an actress who during the same period, had been establishing herself as one of the most successful on the American stage. During the season after her marriage Miss Marlowe was billed as Julia Marlowe- Taber. Retaining several of the pieces with which she had become identified, she matie 56 Sock & Buskin Biographies in addition two interesting productions: " The School for Scandal " and a condensed version of Browning's " Colombe's Birth- day." As Lady Teazle, she was subjected to comparison with Miss Ada Rehan, who was then winning considerable success in the character, as well as with actresses of a past generation, who had been as members of the old stock .companies trained in the traditions of old comedy. The performance lacked the brilliancy of Miss Rehan's, but it had a simplicity and a directness that Miss Rehan's work seldom displays. Miss Marlowe's pro- duction was, as might have been expected, Sheridan up to date. Perhaps it would be even truer to say, in the words applied by the great comedian, William Warren, so long a favorite at the Boston Museum, to Mr. Jo- seph Jefferson's production of " The Rivals," that it was " Sheridan twenty miles away." It appears impossible at this time to bring actors together who can give the flavor of old comedy. Miss Marlowe was able to present only a one-sided picture of Lady Teazle, making the character light and gay and i 1'rim.c Ilcnrv in '• Hcin\ 1 \ Copyrii;ht, Ibqii, by H.J. /-a/'k. .\ . J Lydia Languish in " The Rivals " yulia Marlowe 57 essentially noble-minded. Much, of course, may be said in favor of this interpretation; but it leaves out a few important and inter- esting qualities. Lady Teazle cannot be ranked among Miss Marlowe's successes. The character was too subtle and too in- volved to be within the range of the ac- tress at the time she undertook it. By producing " Colombe's Birthday," Miss Marlowe showed courage, initiative, and fine poetic appreciation. A new ver- sion had been prepared for her by Rose Eytinge and S. Ada Fisher, who had skil- fiilly stripped the poem of Browning's philo- sophical passages, and arranged in coherent form its dramatic situations. Miss Marlowe gave this piece only a comparatively few times, and not once in New York. She probably thought that New York would have little patience with Browning. Indeed, Browning as a writer for the stage has never received much appreciation. Lawrence Barrett, to be sure, had some success in his version of "A Blot in the Scutcheon"; but he did not keep the piece long in his repertory. 58 Sock & Buskin Biographies Here and there, too, in the history of our stage in the past fifty years, attempts have been made to give plays by Browning, chiefly, however, by cultivated amateurs. Mr. H. A. Clapp, in his notice of Miss Marlowe's production, recorded in the Bos- ton Daily Advertiser that "the single pre- vious public representation of the work in Boston took place at the Howard Athe- naeum on the 1 6th of February, 1854, when Mrs. Jean Davenport, afterward Mrs. Lang- don, appeared as Colombe." The revival by Miss Marlowe aroused great interest in Boston and in a few other cities, attracting many lovers of dramatic literature who are rarely seen in the theatre. As Colombe, Miss Marlowe won a success of esteem. It can hardly be called more than that. " Mrs. Taber's impersonation of Colombe," said Mr. Clapp, in an exhaustive review, "was mixed of merit and demerit. It did not lack grace and ease. On the contrary, it was strikingly rich in these qualities, even in difficult situations. On the other hand, it was deficient in weight, force, and fire." VII. DURING the following season (i 895-96) Miss Marlowe and Mr Taber carried out two ambitious plans that they had long had in mind. This was to make an elabo- rate production of the first part of Shak- spere's play of " Henry IV," and a pains- taking and accurate production of "She Stoops to Conquer." Not long before, Sir Henry Irving had suggested to Madame Sarah Bernhardt that she produce the Shaksperian piece, playing herself the part of Prince Hal. It may have been this suggestion that gave the idea of the production to the Tabers. For many years the drama had not been given in America. So to the younger generation it would have the interest of novelty ; to older play-goers it would recall memories of the late James K. Hackett, father of the present stage favorite of that name. The holidays of 1895 ^^^ Tabers passed at the summer home of Mr. Taber at Stowe, Vermont. Here they both worked hard preparing for the 59 6o Sock & Buskin Biographies new production. It would mark their first experience in their own stage management, and they were resolved that the task should be artistically and thoroughly accomplished. Mr. Taber engaged Mr. E. Hamilton Bell, the well-known artist and at one time an actor, to make plans for the scenery, follow- ing an example set by Sir Henry Irving and other stage managers of England, and very generally ignored here, of soliciting the co- operation of such men as Alma Tadema and Burne-Jones for their more elaborate pro- ductions. Mr. Taber was delighted with Mr. Bell's plans, and sent them to scene- painters in New York who were to carry them out. A few weeks later, on going to the city to see the work, he was appalled by the way the color schemes had been vulgar- ized. Then it was that he learned the lesson all actor managers must learn, — that their plans must be carried out under their per- sonal direction. Mr. Taber gave new in- structions to the painter, the work was begun again, and successfully completed. Late in August the company assembled yulia Marlowe 6 1 in Milwaukee for rehearsals. Mr. and Mrs. Taber had prepared a stage version of the piece of their own, after studying those made by Mr. Hackett and by Mrs. Inchbold. When their arrangement had been finished, they discovered that it practically coincided with the usual acted version, — a fact which strengthened Mrs. Taber's faith in stage tradition. In spite of the hot weather the rehearsals were vigorously conducted for two weeks. Most of the stage business had to be devised, for in that regard the prompt-book offered little help. Not only had the actors to be drilled in their parts, but a large force of supers in armor had to be carefully trained for the battle scene, — a wearisome task in itself. Moreover, Mr. and Mrs. Taber had to learn to wear armor, in which they had never before appeared on the stage. To accustom themselves to it, they wore it in their apartments for several hours each day, even taking their meals in it. Even at the dress rehearsal many diffi- culties remained unsolved. For example, it was found that, if Sir John Falstaff were 62 Sock & Buskin Biographies allowed to appear in armor, he could not be lifted after he fell. Nevertheless, the pro- duction on the following evening was warmly commended by the local critics. It was not surprising, however, that aston- ishment should have been expressed at the decision of the Tabers to produce " Henr}'' IV." The explanation is probably to be found in the generosity of Miss Marlowe, who had at heart the interests of her husband rather than her own. There was really no part in the drama suitable for her. Lady Percy offered few opportunities, none, at any rate, worthy of a ''star." Consequently, Miss Marlowe chose the character of the Prince of Wales. Those who are familiar with the work of Mr. Taber need not be told that Hotspur was eminently suited to his build and his declamatory style. It would seem that under the circumstances the honors must have fallen to Mr. Taber. But to the performance of Falstaff had been assigned one of the best Shaksperian actors, certainly the most comic actor of Shak- spere in his time, Mr. William F. Owen. A.s Rtjiiiol.i Marv in ■• For Bonnie Prince Charlie yulia Marlowe 63 If for nothing else, the production would have been remarkable for Mr. Owen's unctu- ous characterization of the fat old knight. The humor of P'alstaff has now almost wholly evaporated. Those who can laugh at his speeches deserve to be credited less for their appreciation of wit and fun than for their reverence for Shakspere. To give life and merriment to the character, an actor must have a very unusual fund of humor in himself. Mr. Owen succeeded where manv another actor of ability would have com- pletely failed. His impersonation was elabo- rately grotesque and faithfully Shaksperian. It must rank as the best work of its kind seen on our stage in many a year. Of Miss Marlowe's " Prince Hal," it is not altogether pleasant to speak. Perhaps the kindest thing to be said about it is that it was a success of curiosity. The public was interested in seeing one of the most del- icately feminine of modern actresses mas- querading in the part of the young roysterer, trying to assume an air of bravado in utter- ing his coarse jests, and strutting across the 64 Sock & Buskhi Biographies stage encased in mail. Miss Marlowe her- self probably does not look back on those performances with much satisfaction. She soon began to dislike the part, and it is said that she used to cry every time she had to play it. She could not, of course, create the least illusion ; and, though she read the speeches intelligently, her performance seemed like a bit out of comic opera. Mr. Taber's performance of Hotspur was, as might have been expected, vigorous and heroic, both in bearing and in speech. It was difficult for him, at the close of the drama, to accept his defeat by Prince Hal without subjecting himself and the Prince to ridicule ; but our audiences are the politest audiences in the world. In this connection the mission of the work that Miss Marlowe has expressed in print is worth quoting : " Shakspere wrote the piece knowing that Prince Hal was a national favorite, and must be made heroic ; and I suppose that this ex- plains his victory over Hotspur at the end. No doubt Shakspere was politic, as we all are in some degree ; and it seems to me Julia Marlowe 65 that he is rather at war with his conscience all the way through, wondering how he can make a sufficient hero out of the material he has to deal with." Then Miss Marlowe added, with perhaps a touch of humor that her interviewer missed, " Besides, I am very sure that, when Shakspere wrote * King Henry IV,' he did not think of pleasing the taste of American audiences." It was impossible, of course, for an actress of Miss Marlowe's temperament not to win favor as Lady Hardcastle in Goldsmith's comedy. It was equally impossible for this very modern young player, in spite of her training in Shakspere, to give vitality to the old comedy. She made Lady Hard- castle a charming young girl of the late nineteenth century, whose frolicking was the most graceful make-believe. Perhaps the best comment on the production was made by Mr. William Winter in the New York Tribune. Referring to both Mr. and Mrs. Taber, Mr. Winter remarked: " Neither of these actors — although both can be playful and both are apt enough at pleasantry — 66 Sock & Buskin Biographies displayed the peculiar talent that is essential for comedy. Goldsmith's dialogue, at its best, is rather formal, so that even when Lester Wallack and John Gilbert acted in this old play, their ingenuity was taxed to make its language seem fluent and flexible. Mr. Taber's crude delivery left it in its original condition of serried composure. Of all the old dramatists, Vanbrugh alone used language that it is deliciously easy to speak ; but the old actors had a way of mak- ing all language sound as if it were flowing with spontaneous ease. The new actors seem not to have inherited that art. Mrs. Taber was, of course, agreeable as Miss Hardcastle. She could not easily be other- wise. The eighteenth-century rural Eng- lish style, the distinctive quality which appertains to the characters exactly as a peculiar fragrance does to a special kind of rose, was not perceptible ; neither were the buoyancy, the distinction, the sweep and dash, and the crisp and finely finished execu- tive method, which are the Indispensable characteristics of comedy acting. Mrs. ''■^^^^p^'illlk^^^ ^^^ ^^^H I ♦M*4j,, '^ fll 13/ M ^1 A> the Countess Valeska yulia Marloivc 67 Taber seemed to make no effort of the imagination to assume a foreign identity, in a distant past time, and amid other environ- ments than those of the present. Her man- ner is modern, and her vein is sentiment rather than humor. The personal sincerity and sweetness, and the kindly good humor of the embodiment, will be remembered as its best attributes." VIII. THE season of i 895-96 is further mem- orable in the history of JuHa Marlowe as it marks her establishment as a New York favorite. After her first New York appear- ances during her earlier seasons, Miss Mar- lowe avoided the city for several years. It is true that she continued to play brief en- gagements at the Harlem Opera House; but, considered from the rather narrow point of view of the frequenter of the Broadway theatres, the Harlem Opera House does not really belong to New York. There are many actors, popular throughout the United States, who seldom or never venture to ap- pear before Metropolitan audiences. One of the most artistic as well as one of the most successful of all our stars is a notable example, Mr. Sol Smith Russell. Occa- sionally Mr. Russell gathers courage to make a new attempt to win the favor of New York, but thus far he has received little encouragement. It may be that his art, which expresses itself in quiet, unemotional 68 Julia Marlowe 69 plays, is too fine to be enjoyed by theatre- goers used to the highly spiced dramas com- ing from London and Paris and to the over- wrought acting that these encourage. A similar explanation might have been offered in the case of Miss Marlowe. During her engagement at Wallack's Theatre, then Palmer's, she presented an extensive reper- tory, including " Romeo and Juliet," " She Stoops to Conquer," " Henrv IV," and " As You Like It." The papers gave her con- siderable attention, some praise, and more or less severe criticism. The audiences did not fill the play-house, to be sure ; but they went away pleased. Shrewd observers of the theatre saw that Miss Marlowe had at last made a place for herself in New York. On the opposite side of the street, Mrs. James Brown Potter was demonstrating how Juliet ought not to be played ; and those who saw both Juliets cannot have failed to admire Miss Marlowe's all the more. It was during this engagement that Miss Mar- lowe's Juliet received from Mr. W. I). Howells in Harper s lVeckl\ this triinitc, JO Sock & BusJciti Biographies taken in part from a long article, which shows how remarkably she had developed in this character from her first timid and inade- quate portrayal. : — " I think that what Mrs. Taber did most beautifully was to give the sense of Juliet's youth, and let her nature open from child- hood to womanhood like an expanding flower before the eye. It is a child who gives her love away upon the balcony : it is a woman who doubts of the potion which is to save her to her love from the marriage she dreads ; and every moment of the change, the growth, has been most delicately suggested, most distinctly noted, in Mrs. Taber's perform- ance. I could not see where at any time she failed, where her art fell short of her ideal ; and, as her ideal was so beautiful, I do not know that I could say more than this in her praise. She had imagined Juliet with a purity in which there was no capability of consciousness, of the low selfishness which makes the inferior artist wish to shine at the expense of the poet's creation. She was throughout natural, and to be natural in the yulia Marlozve 71 ideal is all that art can do or criticism demand. Mrs, Taber has divined this with an intelligence from which alone such art as hers could spring. The impulse, the ten- derness, the trust, the doubt, the fear, the courage that make up Shakspere's Juliet are all delicately expressed in Mrs. Taber's Juliet, and above everything the angelic gentleness, which, even more than her pas- sion, is characteristic of Juliet, is accented with most sympathetic perfection. Her adorable sincerity, a thousand times more charming than any coquetry, for which it has not an instant's patience, seems to have imparted itself to the actress, so that she cannot play false to Juliet or be false to herself as an artist." At the close of their regular tour, in the spring of 1896, Mr. and Mrs. Taber played a supplementary season in the production of "The Rivals," given by Mr. Joseph Jefferson with a " star cast." This cast is, indeed, so remarkable that it has an interest here: — 72 Sock & Buskin Biographies Sir Anthony Absolute .... William H. Crank. Captain Absolute Robert Taber. Falkland Joseph Holland. Bob Acres Joseph Jefferson, Sir Lucius O' Trigger N. C. Goodwin. Fag E. M. Holland. David Francis Wilson. Mrs. Malaprop Mrs, John Drew. Lydia Languish . . . Mrs. Julia Marlowe-Taber. Lucy Miss Fanny Rice, A performance of this kind is perhaps not to be considered very seriously. It was undertaken less with an eye to the interests of art than to financial profit. From the commercial point of view it proved to be eminently successful. The company played brief engagements in several cities before crowded houses at considerably advanced prices. Artistically, the greatest successes were won, first of course, by Mr. Jefferson and Mrs. Drew, whose acting in the old comedy was, however, familiar to the public, and by Mr. Wilson, who, in spite of an impossible accent, gave an uncommonly fine characterization, developed with great origi- nality and with genuine humor. Mr. Taber, Colincttc, Art I L'oliiictte, Act 111 yulia Marlowe y^f too, received enthusiastic praise for his de- notement of young Absolute's demure comic hypocrisy. The charm of Lydia Languish was everywhere recognized, but it was sub- jected to criticism for its failure to interpret accurately the dramatist's intention. During the following summer Miss Mar- lowe and Mr. Taber devoted most of their working hours to preparations for the pro- duction of a stage version of George Kliot's " Romola," made by Mr. Elwyn A. Barron. For many years Mr. Barron had been dis- tinguished as the leading dramatic critic of the daily press of Chicago, his writing having won distinction for its scholarly accuracy, its insight and fluency. At this time Mr. Barron was little known as a writer of plays. It would seem, however, as if his experience had given him an excellent preparation for the work. Still, as every one knows, it is much easier to point out the defect of a play than to write a good play one's self The critical faculty is far removed from the ability to create, and the true qualities are not often found highly developed in the same writer. 74 Sock & J3uskiu Biographies The case is somewhat different when the critic's task is to take the material of another imagination and to use it in another medium. " Romola " contains so many strong dra- matic situations that, before Mr. Barron, others had been tempted to the task of transferring it to the stage. Mr. Barron's version had literar}'^ quality, it was pictur- esque, it told the story coherently ; but as a drama it failed. It gave Miss Marlowe very few chances to display her abilities ; but in the part of Tito, a far stronger part, Mr. Taber had a great success. The piece was presented for a few months only on the road. New York never saw it. In spite of its failure to gain popular ap- proval, Mr. Barron's play won a good deal of approval from intelligent critics. In the outlines of its construction it showed con- siderable ingenuity. Like many plays written by students of the theatre, it was better in plan than in execution. Mr. Barron opened the piece in a public square in Florence, and in the first act succeeded in beginning the story of Tito's cajoling of Tessa, and in Julia Marlowe 75 dramatizing Tito's sale of the jewels, his meeting with Romola, who passed, bearing a bunch of lilies in her hand and leading her blind father, and, finally, his reception of the news that Baldassare still lived. The weakness of the act was due largely to the crowding in of the incidents. The second act, which passed in the house of Romola, where her father was very successfully char- acterized, proved less interesting from the lack of variety of incident, tliough the love and the betrothal of Romola and Tito were very delicately handled. The third act \yas divided into two scenes, the first in Tessa's cottage, showing the meeting between Tessa and Baldassare, and the second in Romola's garden, where Tito's perfidy in selling the antiquities of the old scholar was betrayed. In the fourth act Tito had his dramatic scene with Cosimo de' Medici, and was pur- sued by the mob, to escape from which he leaped into the Arno, only to fall into the clutches of Baldassare, lying in wait for him. In spite of his principles, Mr. Barron had not been able to resist the temptation to 76 Sock & Buskiii Biographies introduce a bit of melodrama here, the curtain rising to reveal Tito slowly strangling to death in the grip of his enemy. This scene naturally closed the drama ; but, to wind up his story, Mr. Barron had to resort to the expedient of an epilogue, which pre- sented Romola in the gray garb of a nun, adopting the child of Tessa and Tito, and receiving consolation from Savonarola. The production of " Romola " was warmly recommended for its fidelity to historical de- tail and for its beauty. The scene in the garden in the second act had the quality of an old Florentine picture. But neither scenery nor good acting can save a play. Greater success attended the next produc- tion of Miss Marlowe and Mr. Taber made later in the season. This was a version of Francois Coppee's powerful drama, " Les Jacobites," prepared by Mr. J. I. C. Clarke, under the title of" Bonnie Prince Charlie." The piece ran for several months when first given at the Odeon in Paris. There it had a remarkable cast, including Madame Weber, now known as Madame Segond-Weber, and Jtilia Marlowe yy remembered in this country for her splendid impersonations in the support of Mounet- Sully during the tragedian's brief tour here ; Paul Mounet, one of the strongest of the actors who had joined the Fran9ais in many years; and that robust and eminently satisfactory player, Albert Lambert, father, by the way, of the younger Lambert, of the Fran9ais, one of the most brilliant inter- preters of romantic parts now living. By her acting in this piece, Madame Weber practically established herself in Paris, — a fact which speaks well for the possibilities in the chief woman's character. Indeed, the character of the gentle Scotch girl, Mary, who devoted herself to the cause of the light- minded prince, perfectly fitted Miss Mar- lowe ; and in the part of Mary's old father, the very embodiment of Scotch loyalty and self-sacrifice, Mr. Taber succeeded in sink- ing his mannerisms, and played with most effective sincerity and power. The work was too serious to please the great public, though it attracted large audiences for sev- eral months ; and it has dropped out of Miss Marlowe's repertory. 78 Sock & Buskin Biographies It is always a pity when so fine a piece of dramatic writing as " Bonnie Prince Charlie " fails to make a strong appeal to the popular heart, especially at this time when so many trivial productions find wide and long accept- ance. But, as has already been noted in these pages, the poetic drama has never found much favor among us. Coppee's verse naturally suffered from its transference into another speech ; and, in construction, it was by no means without a flaw. The great situation, in fact, the scene where the old patriarch, Angus, is led to believe that his daughter has been seduced by the Prince, and lashes himself into fury, is spoiled by the knowledge of the audience that the girl is innocent and that her father's agitation is due to a misunderstanding. The pictures of Scotch life, too, made from the point of view of a romantic Frenchman, hardly en- dured close examination. Nevertheless, the drama contained several deeply moving scenes, and was conceived and executed on a high plane. Colincttc, Aft III Colinette, Act ] I J IX. AT the close of the season of 1896-97 Miss Marlowe made two important changes in her career. She placed herself under the management of Mr. Charles Frohman, the foremost theatrical manager in the country, and the head of the now famous Theatrical Syndicate, or Trust, formed not long before ; and she ceased to travel as co-star with her husband. From the point of view of business, both changes promised to be advantageous. Under Mr. Frohman's direction, Miss Marlowe would have the benefit of the power of the syndi- cate, which controlled most of the leading theatres in the East and the Middle West. Her decision to star alone was the direct consequence of her association with the syn- dicate. The shrewd managers in control of this combination believed that she would be more successful alone than as co-star with her husband. Whatever personal suffering this change occasioned may not be recorded in this biography, but the separation will 79 8o Sock & Buskin Biographies serve to illustrate one of the most familiar and most distressing features of theatrical life. At the close of their last season together Miss Marlowe passed the summer with her husband in the pretty littk Normandy vil- lage of Giverny, the home of Monet, the impressionist painter, and a quiet resort for English and American artists. When the time came for her return to America, Mr. Taber went to England to begin a new career. Those who have watched his prog- ress know how rapidly he became a favorite there, and how conspicuous a position he now holds on the English stage. His suc- cesses have included^his Macduff, in support of Mr. Forbes Robertson's Macbeth and the Lady Macbeth of Mrs. Patrick Camp- bell, and his performance in the company of Sir Henry Irving of the leading juvenile part in " Peter the Great." During the first season with the syndicate Miss Marlowe played in her old repertory and in a new piece adapted from the German of Rudolph Straltz, called in the original yiilia Marlozue 8i "The Tall Prussian" and in translation "The Countess Valeska." It proved to ht a strong romantic drama, with a part emi- nently suited to Miss Marlowe's youth and abilities. In it she gave evidence of more technical skill than she previously had been able to attain. She even displayed a certain authority of manner. After seeing the work in the English version, one could under- stand the reason for its vogue in Berlin dur- ing the previous year. It was one of the few absolutely serious plays produced in New York during the season. Of humor it had none, though a certain relief was afforded by the subordinate episodes in which the two young lovers figured. The scene was laid in Poland in 1807. The Countess Valeska loved a young Prussian officer, whom she concealed in her house at the very time when she was offering hospitality to Napo- leon, her country's " saviour." By chance she discovered that her husband was plotting against the emperor, and patriotism forced her to betray him. The piece was saturated with emotion and resounded with the clash 82 Sock & Buskin Biographies of arms; but the sentiment always rang true, and the dramatic episodes were developed without the sacrifice of probability. It was received with warm appreciation on the road, and for several weeks in New York it attracted large audiences to the Knicker- bocker Theatre. Though Miss Marlowe had by this time become well established in the esteem of New York playgoers, this engagement made her a great favorite. In fact, it placed her among the most success- ful of American players. Those who had previously felt doubts regarding her future, now saw that her position was assured. " The Countess Valeska " served Miss Marlowe for two seasons, presented during its second year with " As You Like It " and with a new piece from the French called " Colinette." It is not unlikely that she will revive it occasionally in seasons to come. In " Colinette " she has repeated the success won in " The Countess Valeska," though these two pieces are not for one moment to be ranked together in merit. Whatever " Colinette " may have been in the original. Jnlia Marlo7ue 83 in the version prepared by Mr. Henrv Guy Carleton and revised by Miss Marlowe her- self, it is one of the most insipid and fatuous comedies presented in this country in several seasons. It offered Miss Marlowe, however, a graceful and charming character, in which many of her admirers were glad to see her. To those, however, who had followed her work from the start and who appreciated her ambition to become known as an interpreter of Shakspere, it seemed a pity that she should waste her talent on such material. Financially, the season in which she played " Colinette " was the most prosperous she had ever known: artistically, it was almost barren. Not once during the year did she appear as Juliet, though this was the part that she wished most to play. It is worth noting that, during the closing months of this season. Miss Maude Adams, also man- aged by Mr. Charles Frohman, made her triumphal tour with her production ot " Romeo and Juliet." Karly in the autumn ot 1899 Miss Mar- lowe began her season with a revival ot 84 Sock & Bnskin Biographies " Colinette " and with preparations for the production of a new drama written for her by Mr. Clyde Fitch. This work she pre- sented early in October in Philadelphia and a few weeks later in New York under the title of " Barbara Frietchie, the Frederick Girl." As the name suggests, the piece had been suggested by Whittier's famous poem. Mr. Fitch took liberties with the story, as he had a perfect right to do. He made Barbara Frietchie a young woman, and the central figure in a series of romantic and wholly imaginary incidents which led to the climax exploited in the poem, where Bar- bara waves the Union flag in defiance of the rebel soldiers passing her house. Perhaps the best that can be said of the piece is that it provided Miss Marlowe with a character which she played better than she had ever played a modern part before. As the young Southern girl, won over to the cause of the North by her love for a Northern soldier^ she was delightfully vivacious in the early scenes ; and, as the character deepened in feeling and intensity, she showed a remark- ^ 4 fc-^^^^K^P L VL t ;i i* e9 /v^^. I t 'J i 1 CcjlilK'ttC, Act I \' As Barbara Frictchie yiilia Marlowe 85 able command of her abilities, acting with exceptional sureness and powers. Unfortunately, the piece did not sustain the chief part, which, by the way, kept the actress on the stage nearly all the time. The first act had decided originality, and was a natural and graceful bit of writing, infused with simple and wholesome romance. The scene disclosed a street in Frederick, with groups of prettily dressed Southern girls sitting on the doorsteps. The betrothal, on the steps, of Barbara and her soldier- lover was the prettiest love-scene yet written by Mr. Fitch ; and it was very beautifully played by Miss Marlowe and Mr. J. H. Gilmore. The second act, too, at the house of the clergvman who was to unite the lovers, contained a good deal of clever work. But after the sudden separation of the lovers by the outbreak of fighting, before they had time to marry, the piece became unreal and melodramatic, l^ven Miss Mar- lowe's natural treatment of scenes in the third act could not keep them from approxi- mating the ridiculous. The death of Bar- 86 Sock & BtisJcin Biographies bara's lover, however, in the first scene of the final act, was very well handled ; but the flaunting of the flag by the grief-stricken Barbara proved to be wholly unsuited to stage purposes, giving the impression not of a noble patriotism, but of girlish hysteria. Miss Marlowe is now so strongly estab- lished that there can be no doubt about the success of her future career. It is not likely that she will ever acquire great force : this is denied her by her physique and by her temperament ; but she has other qvialities just as valuable, which have already been emphasized in this brief narrative. Best of all, she has taste and insight, both of which are sure to keep her steadily developing on artistic lines. Thus far she has not been seen out of her own country. For several seasons she has been planning to make her debut in England. Years ago Madame Sarah Bernhardt, who has been one of her warmest admirers, urged her to play in London. When, finally, she does appear there, she will show her talent broadened by a valuable experience in many kinds of acting; and it Julia Marlowe 87 is safe to predict that her quaHty will be appreciated. Meanwhile she is still a young woman, and with her gifts and her ambitions a great deal of fine work may be expected from her. PRINTED BV Gi:0. H. 1-1. LIS AT 272 CONGRESS STREET BOSTON, FOR RICHARD G. BADGER & CO., PUBLISHERS BOSTON {ylW" r ■??, yr ^6>AavaaiH^ >&Aavaain>?^ ^HIBRARYQ<> %OJI1V3JO^ '^jo^ ^