SOME EMINENT ACTRESSES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1636, 8 July 1903, Page 41 (Supplement)

SOME EMINENT ACTRESSES

LEADING LADIES OF THE “ARE YOU A MASON ” COMPANY. Miss Ethel Knight Mollison, the leading lady in th e “Are Yon a Mason ?” Company is a beautiful young Canadian, whose stage experience has, however, mostly been gained m New York and tho principal cities, of th© United States. When Mr Williamson was forming his present company h© deputed his Melbourne manager, Mr George Tallis, to visit America for the purpose of securing a leading woman. After visiting practically every important theatre in the States and having opportunities of seeing all the best artistes, Mr Tallis eventually decided upon engaging Miss Mollison if sued were possible. Though playing the lead in an mportant production at the time in Boston he was able to offer the young lady sufficient inducement to warrant her in making an arrangement with the management whereby she could be released in four weeks from her contract and accept the present engagement. Apart from, the stage, Miss Mollison is more than an amateur at painting, having studied for three years, chiefly under Mr John Hammond, R.A., the marine painter. She has also the liter? gift, having contributed several serials to prominent American magazines, and has written two comediettas which have been successfully produced.

Miss Eileen Munro, whose pourtrayal of Mrs Bloodgood in "Are You a Mason ?" is so highly spoken of, commenced her stage career in 1893 as understudy in "Alone in London," at the Princess Theatre, London. Prom there she went to the historic Sadler’s Wells to play juvenile lead for a season in such plays as "The Colleen Bawn,” "'Two Orphans,” "Lady Audley’s Secret," etc. After touring for two years with such plays as "The Amazons,’’ . "The Magistrate," "Sweet Lavender," etc., she had a short season at the Royalty and at Terry’s Theatre, London. In ’97 she toured again, playing the heavy lead in "Cheer Boy s Cheer” and the juvenile lead in "Esther Sandray," etc. In ’9B she Avas engaged for leading parts in South Africa, such as Lady Bracknell in "The Import.