Young actors can wait years to study lines – other than those at the unemployment office. Meryl Streep cuts to the front. Since this Yale-bred, coolly blond actress brushed away drama-school ivy just three years ago, she has hurtled to a nonstop succession of stage / screen / TV roles – including an Emmy-triumph in Holocaust, five plum movies, and next month’s star part as the looking-glass heroine in Elizabeth Swados’ Alice in Wonderland. Why do producers want Meryl? Every Meryl Streep performance – from a lead in Brecht to a cameo in Shakespeare – bristles with energy made special by Meryl’s wit and measured sexuality, her patrician features and Rapunzel-length hair. Meryl takes none of her star-climb for granted. “Every time I get a job, I’m surprised and delighted”.