Page:Sketches of representative women of New England.djvu/645

490 she was very often taken from the chorus and given some small part, only one or two lines, yet an honor for a girl not sixteen and with only a few months' experience.

In May, 1896, she accompanied the Castle Square Opera Company to Philadelphia, and sang with them at the Grand Opera House for a year and a half. While there she became understudy to Miss Clara Lane, and was often called upon to sing her rôles without so much as a rehearsal to give herself confidence.

Miss Quinlan's first appearance in New York was at the American Theatre, January 17, 1898. in "The Lily of Killarney," taking the part of Anne Shute. During the following summer she played one of the two principals in "Red, White, and Blue," a war drama, with Mr. Raymond Hitchcock, creating the character of Hetty Hall, a little American girl, the company making a tour of the small cities around New York.

This was followed by "Shenandoah" at the Academy of Music, where she character- ized Junie Buckthorne, the General's daughter, until in the summer of 1901 she rejoined the Castle Square Opera Company at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago, Ill. She sang in Chicago two seasons.

Miss Quinlan has sung in over one hundred and twenty-five operas, and has played all the principal soubrettc parts in the same. She made her first distinct success as Broni Slava in the "Beggar Student," and became an especial favorite as Pitti Sing in the "Mikado" while in Chicago. She is also a piquant come- dienne, and with her pretty voice and pleasing stage manner has made astonishing progress toward marked fame since her appearance in the comic opera, "Tarantella," as Junie, in 1901.

The next year she was given the part of Annette in the cast of "King Dodo," and during the season of 1902-1903 she pleased every one as Chiquita at the Tremont Theatre in Boston and Wallack's Theatre, New York. She has always been under the management of the Castle Scjuare Opera Company, and has rendered them several important services, which naturally advanced her in their estimation and in her profession.

Once in Philadelphia, while "The Princess Bonnie" was being sung, Kitty Clover lost her voice in a most unexpected manner, and could not sing a note. Miss Quinlan immediately grasped the situation, and, although in student costume, came to the front of the stage, and, placing her arms around the voiceless songstress, sang the solo, transposing the words to give proper meaning to her rendition. Another time, in "Mignon," the prima donna, who sang the part of Filina, did not answer her cue, and after a hurried search could not be found. Miss Quinlan stepped into the gap, singing the lines to perfection, and again saved the evening. This latter act proved to be her emancipation from the chorus.

Miss Quinlan is not a member of any societies or clubs, but a most devoted parishioner of the Roman Catholic church. Her voice has had constant care and cultivation since the day she first entered the chorus. It has been trained under Franklyn Smith, of Boston, Mr. Frederic Bruegger, of Chicago, and Mr. Karl Brenneman, of New York.

LARA MARCELLE GREENE (Mrs. Wyer Greene), author, a native of the Pine Tree State, residing in Portland, was born in Bucksport, and was there reared and educated, being successively pupil and teacher in the seminary at that place. From childhood she has been a lover of books, and many a student acknowledges a debt of gratitude to her for her wise advice and direction as to their choice of books. She relinquished the cares of the school-room when she became the wife of a Portland merchant, Mr. Wyer Greene, and has since resided in that city. Mr. and Mrs. Greene have a son and daughter, the latter a fine musician. For a number of years there have appeared in several magazines stories and verses from Mrs. Greene's pen that show marked talent. A volume of her poems, published a few years ago, was received with favor. Her health, never robust, has, however, at times made literary work impossible for her. Mrs. Greene is a member of some of the literary clubs in Port-