Blanche Yurka's '07 Blog

My Daily Entries This Week

Dios di mi Alma! -- here it is March 1908 -- and my poor diary still in last year!  Well it is hopeless to catch up.  So much is certain, -- I can only jot down the important things which happened during the winter.  The above "closed chapter'' proved to be the only one with a sequel! Many visits to Frohman's offices resulted in nil.  Countless trips to other places ditto, altho' I had many experiences and gained much insight into the dramatic profession -- especially the side technically known as "hunting a job.''  My inches seem to command me some respect, also my determination, when I set out to see any one -- to see them - willy-nilly.  And I usually do see them -- tho' nothing definite ever results.  In many cases I have been treated with exceptional kindness; and the chief trouble seems to be that it is a frightfully bad year and the managers do not dare put on new or ambitious productions -- Well, to stop rambling, some four weeks after sending my letters to Belasco, came a polite note from his secretary, asking me to come down and see him - that Mr. B. had been so overwhelmed with rehearsals that he could not answer sooner.  I found a most charming person - Mr. Winters, who drew me out most beautifully and talked to me quite at length about my aspirations - my "unusually pure accent'' which he thought was English.  I, of course, was using my "heavy contralto tones,'' as Betty calls them.  I finally left him to draw his own conclusions and to report to Mr. B.  In about a week I received word to come to the Belasco Theater at 10.30 P.M. and have my interview with the great man himself. The hour seemed ungodly to us - Mila has been a rock of strength and support in all these thrilling efforts to break into the drammer -- but we were very prompt, and from that moment on it is a tale of the wierdest - most  unexpected politeness and consideration imaginable.  Nothing in my previous experiences - dramatic - operatic - or religiatic can equal it. 

The moment we stepped into the lobby we were met by the head usher, who asked me if I were " the lady who was to see Mr. Belasco.'' I claimed the distinction eagerly - and he ushered us in to the theatre and begged us to watch the performance for a while, as Mr. B. was busy.  It was "The Warrens of Virginia'' and we saw the last two acts - as Mr. B. continued to be busy until the end of the performance; the usher apologizing profusely every time he caught my eye.  Finally I was ushered into a little "hole in the wall'' furnished in red - just between the stage and the boxes.  I sat in trepidation - expecting every second that a brusque theatrical edition of Mr. Conried would blow in and settle my affairs in short order. My breath was quite taken away when a quiet, self-effacing, almost shrinking man, came in, with many apologies for having kept me waiting and many more for having to ask me to come again, as he had a rehearsal on the stage to which he expected to be called any minute.  But I quietly lost consciousness when he said, I should wait for a moment while he ordered his cab, as it was raining hard; and Mr. B. led the way out to look for Mila - I followed his heels in a trance.  She had stood back into the shadow and when she finally realized that it was she that Mr. B. was peeking about for, she followed at my heels.  The procession must have been imposing.  Mr. B. came way out to the stage door where he handed us over to Mr. Dean, who escorted us to the cab and closed us in - Well, when I finally got my breath, I looked at Mila and she looked at me - and both our expressions were imbecile.  I shall never forget that night as long as I live.

The next interview proved a little more satisfactory verbally - he made me talk - and resulted in another appointment when I was to read for him, as he wanted to hear my voice and movements on the stage.  He gave me a week to prepare in, or rather I set the time for week later, and he bowed me out. No carriage this time - grace au Dieu! That would have been too much.  The next day I consulted with Mr. Sargent, and he advised scenes from "Magda'' and "Cymbeline.'' I studied them feverishly, not in the least disturbed by the fact that they were the severest tests possible.  Mr. Collins was a perfect trump - he came up several afternoons and rehearsed and criticised and finally - the night after Xmas - I went down, armed in the most becoming dress I ever owned - a simple black which Mila had made up suddenly prepared to conquer the world.  But alas! Mr. B. came in, looking very ill, and said that as he had been suffering most dreadfully from neuralgia all day he begged me to postpone the hearing till he was more fit to listen.  Mr. Collins, when I told him, was very glad, as he said there were many things he had not corrected for fear I should grow self-conscious.  We continued to work on them - and the scenes improved constantly. When I was sure of the intonations there were little unnecessary movements of the body to be eliminated - for I have an inclination to emphasize words with a short step and a jerk of the body or head.

A great help was the opportunity for observation afforded in the "Rose of the Rancho'' Co.  They came to town for a month's engagement at the Academy of Music, and Mr. B. was willing that I should join them for the little experience I could gain in makeup, etc. It proved to be most interesting and enjoyable and I learned a great deal.  The company was made up mostly of very charming people - who were very kind to me and some of them were good enough to take quite an interest in me;  Mr. Engle, the stage manager, especially; I had many long talks with him - we "jollied'' a great deal and got along famously. He is, in a way, I fancy, a typical theatrical man - of the nicest sort; for he was kind and considerate to all the extra people, and managed the production most conscientiously.  He told me many interesting stories of his career - he has been on the stage for many years and I really enjoyed knowing him.  Miss Starr, I thought a charming girl -- she cannot be more than 23 or 24 years old. She came up and spoke most cordially to me the second night I was there; and several times after talked very kindly to me.  I, of course did nothing but walk about in various different scenes - but it was good experience.  I learned considerable about make-up and when I was not on the stage I greedily watched everything from the wings.  So many people spoke of the unusual quality of my voice and I am glad that I have so much of my training accomplished, at least.  It means to much in dramatic work, and I really believe that even had I desired to prepare for drama, I could not have spent the past two years more effectually than at the Institute.

There were two very interesting girls in the company, one an Irish-Italian - Kelly by name - who was doing the same as I, and the other a Greek-Irish, Miss Nicolaides who had a few lines to speak - They were most unusual looking: Kelly was abnormally thin, delicate with the face of an Italian Madonna, wore Mrs. Pat. Campbell-esque clothes, and had an unusually fine mind for a girl of twenty.  She dressed in the same room with me and was very congenial, so we were together a great deal. Her very frail health will probably prevent her from ever accomplishing anything but she had much charm, and a keen power of observation.  She roomed with "Atalantita''  - as she calls Miss Nic. and used to love to talk about her, analyzing her good qualities and her faults, and seeming to be quite inexhaustibly interested in the subject.  Indeed; it was an interesting one.  Miss Nic - has a peculiar attractiveness - not one regular feature, for her eyes are green, her nose distinctly retrouss\'{e}, her upper teeth protruding - yet the face is fascinating.  She dresses cleverly - wearing unusual hats and bizarre jewelry and I think Kelly cleverly described the impression she first made upon her - "a cross between a snake and a tiger'' - a very vicious description - to be sure, of a charming girl.  I found her most interesting to talk to, tho' I believe of a less subtle nature than Kelly.  She had studied at L'\'{E}cole des Beaux Arts in Paris but loved the stage, she said, better than anything else.  Kelly said that Miss Nic-- confidently expects Mr. B. to bring her out some day - well why not? I am sure every member of the company - one might almost say every member of the profession -- harbors that secret hope in his or her breast - and Miss Nic--  is certainly unusual enough to interest Mr. Belasco.

I was quite triste when the four weeks were over and the company left for Phila, I could have gone on with them, but I though it wiser to stay here and keep in personal touch with Mr. B. especially as I had gained all that I should be likely to from that play in those thirty or forty performances.  I had not yet recited for Mr. B. tho' there had been several appointments, and I did not want to lose the chance of doing that.  My "Magda'' scenes (her entrance in Act II, and the big scene with Von Keller) were improving constantly and finally - one night- it was the ninth appointment - it came off.  Of course, I was tense inside, -- I can't call it nervous - because of that curious control over myself which comes to me when I get up to do anything before people, but Mila says my face was quite colorless and after it was over I realized I had undergone a nervous strain.  Mr. B. was too kind for words - he stood quietly to one side - while I did my scenes from the middle of the stage.  First came the "Cymbeline'' scene, "I see, a man's life is a tedious one'' etc. and I went thro' it, expecting to hear any moment the Conriedian call - "That's enough.''  But he heard it through and then I saw for the first time that Dave Warfield had come in and was listening.  I next did the light scene from "Magda'' and then he asked for the heavy scene.  By that time I was enjoying it and I think it went well.  Mr. B. said little that was definite, except to say, very kindly, that it was "fine'', but it encouraged me when he said he wanted to hear me do some very light comedy scenes, to hear the light tones of my voice.  Mila and I were both tremendously excited, of course and my mind went over and over the scene all night.  Well it may mean nothing, it may mean a great deal - at any rate to have acted and read for the very first time in my life before an audience consisting of Mr. Belasco, Dave Warfield, and Mr. Dean, seems an auspicious opening for a dramatic career.

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