Untitled

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1006, 17 June 1909, Page 17

busby hats. One must be up with the fashions, so 1 gfone of them for Widow Cobble. Instead of trimming it with feathers I used a couple of bath loofas at each side and perched a bird on top. It amuses people.

“There’s my three-quarter coat an I black and white Shepherd’s plaid. Some women would call it a dream. Of course, it's a matter of form, mostly, and well, you see, I haven’t Hie Pht-street shape. It must be that that breaks the audience up, for it’s quite an every-day costume- “ And. again, there are the irttle weaknesses of women. The cackle and scandal we have about our imag inary friend over half-a-dozen cups of tea makes women laugh because they know how true it is. Who was that spiteful man who said, ‘ When women are not running down each other they are running up bills for their husbands?’ But it’s too bad of me exposing women’s foibles; I sometimes feel quite ashamed of myself, especially when I think that my mother-in-law, if 1 had had one, would have been a woman. Next year I hope to be playing villains —wearing evening dress and smoking cigarettes. And talking about evening dress, woman has the advantage of man here—she can never be mistaken for a waiter. A short-sighted waiter might mistake her for a salad with very little dressing, but that’s about the worst that can happen her. There’s another advantage, too, in being a pantomime dame as compared, say, with playing passionate comic opera parts. We don’t get pestered with appointments for afternoon tea. There, there, I’m letting out women’s secrets again. “ One person none of us on the stage escape, however —the autograph fiend. I suppose it’s one of the penalties of being paid £lOOO a week. I think I’ll make it a rule not to sign anything again—except the packet containing ten one hundred pound notes I receive each week ‘with J. C. Williamson’s compliments.’ Why there are half-a-dozen books to sign every night before I put on my switch. I always dress head first- Now, some women, I’m told, dress boots first, like a man, though I don’t suppose it matters much which end you begin. “ And talking of dressing, I sometimes think if ladies have half as much trouble as I have, figuratively speaking, they are much to be sympathised with. Do you know, getting into my outline for the tight-fitting directoire in the jewel scene in “Jack and Jill” is positive torture. Those straight fronts—well, when I give expression to the thoughts that arise in me, I sometimes think if anyone overheard me they would say I was no lady. My dresser often has to remind me that there are gentlemen present.”