MISS DARGON INTERVIEWED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1737, 16 July 1884, Page 2

MISS DARGON INTERVIEWED.

AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION, ■ (From the Sydney Evening News,) A gentleman ounnected with the staff of this joarnal had an interview yesterday afternoon with Miss Dargon, the celebrated dramatic artiste. Finding the season at the : Royal about to close, and the distinguished lady's connection with the stage in this colony finally to terminate, at a time when some discussion had arisen as to the general want of appreciation of high-olass drama, our reporter thought the present a fittiog opportunity to obtain from Misg Dargon in the course of a conversation an expression of her views on this and kindred subjects. Our reporter also wanted her-opinion before leaving of Australia and its people. The lady had travelled greatly, and,in moments when thoy are best judged, seen so, much of people that her opinion must be valuable, There was another thing, Miss Dargon was to terminate her engagement in this city on the following Friday evening, and -lest au unfavorable impression might be taken of the Sydney people, it was thought fair that the public should, even at the eleventh hour, know the woman who was to be amongst them; but for a few days ; more. Then a fair estimate of the tastes of the people could be.bbtained. What took place at the interview may be gathered from the following:— Reporter; Miss Dargon, I have come for a few moments' conversation on matters of no small interest to the public, and I trust you will pardon my obtrusion on ycur privaoy. Miss Dargon; Certainly. But you gentlemen of the Press are such Bohomians, .. Reporter: Oh ! I beg-at least IMiss Dargon: Doubtless! Roporter: Well, but I'd like to sayMiss Dargon; All are not Bohemians, and that is true, There are Bohemians not of the Press alone, Many live on the reputation or influence of a professionmade useful and influential by men whose names are never known. My dearost and nearest friends are journalists, Thoy are the most substantial men in America, and have done more good for the country than many others, A different opinion may be held by a casual observer of some of the newspapers; but what I say is true. However, that was a joke of mine—my doubt as to your not being a Bohemian, Why should you people have all the fuu on your side? Well,l'm sure! (smiling) and, besides, you gentlemen aro not over considerate in your criticism, But, mind, 1 like my defects to be pointed out. Reporter: Well, in our papers-? Miss Da/gon: And in others you've attacked hie for my brogue. • I wouldn't give it up for £IOOO, Reporter:, Well, I see you purposely assume it at times.

Mis 3 Daruon: Of ojurso, I know its value at times'above all my vocal powers. Oh, my darling brogue (here speaking with a rich accent'and laughing), I wouldn't part with it for life.

Reporter: I'seo you speak the purest English, Miss Dargon: Was it ever otherwise with a Dublinwoman (smilingly)' Reporter: Then, are you a native of Dublin?

Miss Dargon: 1 am a native of that dear old spot. But I went to America before I was twelve years of age, ' Reporter: Am I correct in saying that you are tho daughter of the distinguished physician who— Miss Dargon: Oblige me by not saying anything on that point. I disdain to borrow prestige, If I could not myself support the honor of the name, I should quit the stage,

lleporter: How came you, Miss Dargon, maj I ask, to choose the profession ? Miss Dargon: Purely from a study and love of the poets and the dramatists, Reporter: Then not because jou wore stageMiss Dargon: Struck! Oh, dear no (laughingly), 1 was brought up in the Btricteet Presbyterian family that over settled in America; though I myself ,am a Catholic. Will you believe mo, I was never twelve times at a theatre before I decided, So strict was that dear old house I couldn't even have a romp, The ruler of the household and my guaidian was Mrs General Van Fleet; and dear old Horace (keely, founder of the ' Tribune,' was of the family, (Miss Dargon here seemed to keenly feel past remembrances,) Reporter: That name yon last mentioned is famous amongst journalists. Miss Dargon: He was a man who 39 real worth the world will never know. I remember an amusing incident concerning him. Ho was about the first to whom I made known my choice of profession. All the world knows about his bad handwriting. Ho wrote me a fatherly letter, which I have framed, and will ever preserve. It was full of good advice; one point to which ho particularly drew my attention was persistence—l must have that if I wero to rise in my profession, 1 wrote him l»acktbaton the question of persistence at least ho need have no doubt, as I'd been from five in the evening till two in the morning making out his letter. It caused the dear old man much merriment.

Reporter: Something you have not told mo not have led you to the stage. Miss Dargon i Well, I have already partly indicated that. Of course I had had privato readings, and had gone through the severest study, Professor Howes, tho famous elocutionist, was my _ tutor, and I reduced to practice the principles laid down in Mardock and Russell's Yooal Culture, and in that I had the valuable assistance of Professor Littell, a pupil of Russell's. By these phonetic exercises, or vocal gymnastics, I obtained nine different tones of voice. I can now, while speaking in ordinary tones on the stage, and at the ond of a very long sentence, when the breath is usually exhausted, give expression to a word in the lowest tone.

Reporter: As an exolodent? Miss Dargon; Well, in that way. But why interrogate me on these points? Reporter; Well, it's of interest, and I want some explanation of the wonderful contrast wo havo nightly had hero on the stage of the Royal,

Miss Dargon: Well, there's a life's study of the English language, but other languages must be learnt, It may not be generally known that a thorough development of the powers of the lower part of the chest is essential to elocution, The breath mußt be held in complote control in the throat while speaking. Reporter: In fact, two breaths, so to speak, Miss Dargon: Exactly. But physical exercise is necessary. I have had the severest exercise with broadswords, dumbbells, clubs, and all that. The exeroiso is always to music.

Reporter; Very few prepare themselves in this way. Miss Dargon: Very true ,• but it ought not to he so. And few can ever know what aleading actor has to endure in consequence. There is no sympathy in soul or style, and it would require nothing short of divine energy to be always oblivious of these shortcoming,

Reporter: I was struck with tlje splendid support Ristori always got. In " Marie Antoinette," from the opeuiug remarks in the first act, the interest in word or act, oven in the part of the page, increases from moment to moment, till at last every member of her company seemed animated by the same idea and tho same energy as the great artiste herself.

Miss Dargon: That observation does you credit. Want of sympathy is a cloud over tho greatest, though I have been assisted by the Royal Company to their fullest capabilities. But there was a greater woman than RistoriReporter: Who was than? Miss Dargon; Cushinan, She had a great mind. She was a native of Boston, and was truly a great woman, One of the foremost English oritics-I forget his name-said she would play Macbeth as no being ever played it. Reporter: Who has succeeded her? Miss Dargon: Well, the Amerioan Press have done me the honor of saying Cnshraai's mantle has fallen on me, But I pray yon, say not this, Ido not-I cannot-believe it, high as my aspirations are, Reporter; Where did you first appear on the stage?

Miss Dargon: At Louisville. 1 was then 19. I was as juvenile •woman, and played with George D. Prentice and others. Three months later I was leading woman, and played with Edmund Booth, Jefferson, and ~ others. I afterwards had a company of k mine, as Bistori always had, and our tour 1 through the principal cities, for which there are facilities you have not yet dreamt of m Australia, was a splendid success. We cleared as much as £2OO a night. But I was pleased more at the appreciation which rewarded my efforts on behalf of the higher drama. Reporter; Has that been your aim ? Miss Dargon : My only one. I believed I was doing a great work, When I took up "Queen Mary,""Elizabeth,"" Catherine," or those others the characters were unknowr. f\ They had been brilliautly played before, but ■\my I revived them, "Mario Antoinette," &c, -*" was then before the public, and it was not my aim to play them. Besides, I felt that in playing "Queen Mary," as now written I was doing justico to her memory and aiding truth. I studied Alice Stricklaud and others in this point, and so with "Queen Elizabeth;" and though you press people are daily doing good to the world, I believe I am none the less earnest, if less useful in representing truth as Ido now. fiffl .Reporter: Well, allow me merely toW you that there is but one opinion here of your success. But I felt pretty keenly the fearful expenditure of vital energy'you have to undergo in nightly representing these characters.

Miss Dargon: I must keep to them. It i 3 absolutely necessary for my health, That advice 1 luve had from one of the great English physicians, though ano less eminent N 3 man gives me different advice; but that is ™ since I was injured at the Chicago firo. Maty or Elizabeth—l realiso those charaoiers to the full. I live their parts, and at night I must prostrate myself for an hour before retiring, My last physician said, 'I cannot cure you. You're in the atmosphere of death. It is always death, death, death j" and 'really it is so. The dying scene in ' Elizabeth' must be disastrous. For hours I feel the effect on the spine; and so in the third act of' Mary,' But I have a rest occasionally. Reporter: Well, how about the piece you are noiv playing? Miss Dargon: Ah ?' Judy O'Trot,' Well, this is the third timo I'vo played tho piece in my life. It's a rest for me, for my health is not good, though I have benefitted much by my visit to Australia. You've seen mo in ' Mary' and ' Elizabeth,' and you have seen me in private, Oome and see me as Judy O'Trot and see what a scapegrace Ijt be. But it's tho public that really answer for Judy being produced. It taUcs better at the Royal, and the management must have money—though it is not what I came to Australia for, My private .A income is sufficient for all my requirements, y I never thought of making a profit out of ' my profession. The expenses of my travels will satisfy me, All that I want is appreciation of my efforts in the higher art, I have never hoped for aught else* And taken altogether, the criticisms I have had in the Australian Press are worth £SOOO to me. I have been well treated inMelbonrne, Adelaide, and Sydney. I have had the pleasure of the acquaintance of the best men in your three colonies. And the public havo given me the greatest support, Nowhere in America, except, perhaps, New Orleans, are tho people so quick to recognise good points in acting and so bountiful in their applause, Financially, my visit to Australia nan not been a success, hut otherwise it has been beyond my expectations, and I'll never forget the Australian people, Sydney I like, because it's like the Old Country, The Irish people have not given me the support I might havo expected, The English and Scotoh have; but it's always tho way with our own people. I conclude my engagement in Sydney on Friday, and after staying hero for three weeks go to Melbourne for a season of a month. I may play hero again, 1» perhaps New Zealand en route to AmerioSP

This terminated tho interview, A great deal that was said must not at present bo _. published. There may be a more fitting time, All the public can now do is to pay even at this—the eleventh hour-a tribute to high born genius and recognise tho efforts of a woman whose aspiration is not sordid gain, but the elevation of the mind.