AN INTERVIEW WITH MISS OLA HUMPHREY.

Evening Star, Issue 13002, 22 December 1906, Page 15

AN INTERVIEW WITH MISS OLA HUMPHREY.

The prospect of an interview with MBs Ola Humphrey is apt to be regarded as something somewhat formidable when it is remembered that this young lady holds a position not by any means obscure among the literary lights' of her own country, but it is a most self-conscious interviewer indeed who fails to ho won at once out of all nervousness by the bright charm of the actress’s presence and conversation. Miss Humphrey was born in the State of lowa, her .mother was French, her maternal grandmother Irish, her father American, and she herself, she proudly tells you, is an American ! That fact, indeed, proclaims itself—her quick, vivacious manner of speaking, her frank directness of manner, and her perfect carriage all denote the widely-written-of and much-envied American woman. Her attitude towards her own profession is a very serious one, and in speaking of it she thus expressed herself :

I had thought, some little time ago, of abandoning the stags and devoting myself entirely to literature, but, to use the words of Glory Quayle, I found “ it’s my life — it's in my blood—it's the only life I'm fit for—if I part from it I must die,” and so on. I could not leave the stage.

Writing is to me a delightful business, and I have written since I was a tiny child at school, but I never attempt to write unless, you say, “ the spirit moves me"—in fact, till I feel I mean what I write. It has been said that X write very quickly, but that is only the observation of those who are with me when I actually write. A subject may be complete in one’s inmost self, as it were, for many months before it is, in a hasty hour or two. put into words, and a quickly written production does not by any means denote a hastily thought-out plot or topic. My love for the profession of letters has been deepened by the fact that I have had the good fortune to meet many of our well-known American writers.' Miss Ella Wheeler Wilcox is one of my dearest friends, and at her house I have met some very notable people. You would like 'to know what Ella Wilcox is like! Well, she is not beautiful—not even pretty; but her eyes are really wonderful.'nnd'it docs not take one long to realise the enormous amount of mentality that lies behind them. She is bright, dresses beautifully, and writes under her own name. Her maiden name was simply Ella Wheeler. Then I have met your great Rudyard Kipling and his wife, both of whiin stayed, as I did, for a long time at the Empire Hotel, in New York. It was there, yon will remember, that the writer became so seriously ill of pneumonia. Kipling I found a curious personality. One feels when speaking to him just 'a little—what shall I say!—afraid, because one feels that he is a' very critical man. but the careless untidiness'of his clothes! the reserve of his manner, are lost sight of in himself, in the dominating interest of his personally. I have also met James \\ hitcomb Hi lev. who is called "The I lousier Poet of Indiana.” whose clever, delightful poems New Zealanders, I believe." know well. He is a writer very deeply beloved bv all Americans. Also I have met Mark Twain, a dear, white-haired old man, with the most wonderfully vivacious eyes you ever saw—the enthusiastic, mirthful eves of a youth of eighteen. Another wonderful old man I know, Joaquin Miller, who wrote, anionp many otn.or books of poetry, ‘ As It Was in the Beginning,’ a book much discussed a little while ago. He lives at the Foot Hills, in California. Ralph Vtahlo Trine, the writer of ’ln Tune with the Infinite,’ I know; also Robert R. Wilson, the author of ’Paths of Power,’ and that very powerful writer. in India, and whose splendid bonk, ‘ The History and Power of Mind,’ I have tried in vain to get in the colonies. You may also be interested to know that vonr weilknown English writer. Hall faine. rehearsed me for the part of Helga in ‘ Thf Prodigal Son.’ On-, of my most valued friends is Elbert Hubbard, the publisher, whoso little magazine. ‘The Philistine,’ alwavs gives me keep delight, and who lives at East Aurora, in New York State. We were talking a few minutes ago of Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Perhaps you do not know that she, has written a clever costume play, called ‘ Mizpah.’ It is being placed now in the United States.

In one respect Miss Humphrey Is a very difficult person to interview—she keenly disdikes talking of herself, and if at anv time a personal note is touched by the interviewer the conversation is vorv quickly and adriotly directed, by this most modest of actresses, into a safe impersonal channel, with the whimsical remark. “ Ah, hut that is not interesting Some little tit-bits of information about herself became, then, doubly appreciated. Miss Humphrey knows no less than two hundred parts, and she finds it difficult to choose her favorite character. “ I am very fond,” she says, "of Paula, in ‘The Second Mrs Tanquerav,’ but there are many parts of which 1 am fond. For the first four years of mv stage career I played Shakespearian roles, and I like the parts of Desdemona. Portia. Ophelia. Cordelia; also I play Nora, in ‘ Tho Doll's House, and Hedda Uabler, both by that marvellous writer, Ibsen, who is simply paramount when it cones to dissecting the problems of life: then I play Gismonda. Mary Tudor, and the part of 'ligarotte, tho little vivandiere in Ouida'a ‘ Under Two Flaps’ I particularly like. I starred in that play for one season in New York and all the other States. I love ‘La Toscn,,’ ‘ Sappho,’ and ‘Camille* (for which play I possess Sara Bernhardt’s own prompt book), and tho character of the Princess Flavia. in Anthony Hope's ‘ Prisoner of Zcnda.’ I had a play written for me once by Opie Bead. It was called * Tho Only Prisoner,’ and was a true sociological studv. I played it in vaudeville. I have myself also" written a play, which I intend to revise during my New Zealand tour for the purpose of bringing it out in book form and of ultimately staging if. “What were yonr impressions of your Australasian audiences?” I asked. *' I have only been in New Zealand for » week,” the actress answered, “but I ;hink I shall be able to say of New Zea■anders as I do of Australians that it is a joy to play before 11" •t. In Australia I .’ound delightful audiences, sympathetic md very kindly in their judgment. The very atmosphere on my first right in Sydney was magnetic, and I felt that I should receive the gonial, enthusiastic welcome that I actually did. I enjoyed my star in Sydney very much, and during my three months there 1 met some very charming people.”

“Do yen find it at all possible to contrast your American with vour Australian audiences:"—“ One may not even compare one American audience with another, for we found that what was a success in New York might dot ha ns be a complete frost in Boston, what was a failure in the East was a gigantic success out West, ami vice-versa.”

“ Have you been to London. Alias Humphrey?”—“l intend going there on my wny to France, where I am to visit one of my aunts, as soon as my engagement with Mr Williamson terminates."

“And will you work there?"—“Ah! That denends unen conditions," she replied, then smiled and shook her head quaintly. “But, of course, we mast always surfnount difficulties.”

“You believe that one may control circnmetances ?"—“ Absolutely. Otherwise we should not be given such a tremendous staying power in ourselves; it must have been given to us to _use, and the unseen forces which do positivelv exist come to oi and give us the power to dominate and control fortune. Peoole have asked me. again and again, if I do rot find my work vorv hard, and 1 renly that I do think rehearsing very hard Work at times, but then wS shall never get anything for nothing in this world—the rule is that we get nothing for nothing. You tvoald_ like to know some of mv fads and aims ? Well, my hobby is for collecting auto-

graphed books, and I am glad to say I possess a great number. One of the most dearly valued of my treasures is the Or I - . pinaT autographed manuscript of ‘ Little Bov Blue,* by the late. Eugene Field, whose delightful poems for children are so well known. Then lam also an indefatigable camera fiend, and seldoth go out without snapshotting something. My aim is to be always, as I am now, a woman s woman. I am sincerely interested in all women, and whenever I get a chance to help a woman 1 tty to do ,Bo in whatever i measure lies in my power.” ‘ ‘ And now, before I weary you with nnv further questions, will you tell me if i you prefer to play in comedy or tragedy T Miss Humphrey replied very simply : “ It is a great thing to bo able to take pe:ple out Of their sorrows and make them happv. even for a little while —a greater thing than to make them weep, for it is easier to bring tears than laughter, and I felt sincerely what I wrote a little while ago in an article called 1 Fate and Fame ’ :—' Only those who know how to weep as Well as how to laugh can play unon the heartstrings and make others laugh and weep.’ ” E.M.L.