At the age of 12, in 1881, she became the leading woman, playing Ophelia, Juliet, Portia, Lady Macbeth, Lady Anne in "Richard III", and other important roles, and remained with the Bandmann company until 1884. A year of study in Germany followed. Upon her return in 1885 she joined a repertoire company in California, playing the leading female roles in a number of modern plays, among them the "Galley Slave", "Called Back", "Two Orphans", "Woman Against Woman", "Captain Swift", "Colleen Bawn", "Arrah na Pogue", "Jim the Penman", "The Silver King", "Uncle Tom's Cabin", "The Still Alarm", "Peril", "Divorce", and "The Private Secretary".