Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-18
THE THEATERs.
Theatrical, Dramatic, PantOmimie and
Other Squibs-Amusements
in the City.

The story is told Of Fox, the inimitable
clown, thathe spent ten years in Ireland
practising the feat of swallowing big
Dotatoe, which was thrown at his mouth
by an expert standing ten feet away. 1t
was this early practice which gave his
mouth such wonderful lateral powers.
At first the big potato was thrown at the
front of his mouth, and when he came
to be proficient at catching it that way,
then the left and then the right side was
taken, and finally it was thrown at his
mouth from behind. The time having
arrived when he could twist his mouth
round to the back of his head, and catch
the murphy nine times in ten, he
considered himself tOlerably competent,
as far as that member was concerned, to
take the part of a clown. The eye move
ment was learned from Ben Butler. We
see the result of this early and severe
training at the Operahouse every night.
Talking about Fox, the clown,
brings to mind many ludicrOus
things that have transpired on
the stage. Mrs. Fanny Kemble in her
Journal Of Her Tour iIs america, gives
an amusing account of a performance
of the last scene of Romeo and Juliet,
not as it seemed to the spectators, but as
it really was, with the whispered COM
municatiOn of the actors. Romeo" at
the words, "Quick, let me snatch thee
to thy Romeo's arms,n pOunced upon
his playfellOw, plucked her up in his
arms "like an uncomfortable bundle,
and staggered down the stage with her.
" Juliet whispers, "Oh, you've got me
up horribly, That'H never do; let me
down. Pray let me downr But "RO-
meo" proceeds from the acting version
of the play, be it understood;
There, breathe vital spirit on my lips,
And call thee back, my soul, TO life and
love"
outlet" continues to whisper: "Pray,
put me down; you'll certainly throw me
down if you don't set me on the ground
directly" In the midst of "cruel fate, "
his dagger fell out of his dress. L, en-
bracing him tenderly, erammed it back
again, because knew [ should want it
at the end. The performance then went
on:
RoHEo-Tear not thy heart strings thusl
They break! they crack! Juliet!
Dies "Juliet" ito corpseJ " Am
smothering your" Corpse: " Not at
all. But could you, do you think, be-so
kind as to put my wig on again for me?
1t has fallen off" " Juliet " Ito corpse
" Pm afraid 1 can't, but I'll throw my
muslin vail over it. You have broken
the phial, haven't you?" Corpse
nodded Juliet Ito corpse: "Where's
your dagger" Corpse Ito " Juliet ~
81 Pom my soul, don't know"
The elephant of the Hiinlptg D1tBlptg
at the Grand iOperahouse, was over
looked yesterday. We ought to have
mentioned that this celebrated and Wig
orOus animal was bumped out of Siam
by order of the King seventy-fve years
ago, and dumped here in Memphis on
Monday. That is how he comes to be
styled "Humpt and Dumpt;" hence
HuBlpty DUnpty. This isan etOmolOgi-
cal study of our own get up, specially
for the benefit of school children that
win attend the matinee Saturday.
1t may be remarked in this article
that the entertainment known as the
Efi6erRicon, now holding forth at the
Assembly Hail. is an unique sort of thing
that is not based upon any theatrical
rules nor system of thespianism. Il
is an Independent, original per-
fOrmance, altogether combining q
number of aesthetical and visible
studies very agreeable to the constitu-
ton of man. There is a vein of instTuc-
ton running through it, in the shape Of
a panorama of the most wonderful
places in Ireland. This panorama serves
as so many scenes for varied style OF
entertainment, in which music, singing,
dancing and more pretentiOus theatrical
performances come in, the whole max
ing a most pleasing variety. Mac
showed to a good house last night, and
will have a matinee to-day at two
o. losk. The announcement will be
found in the advertising columns.
There is a marked improvement 60
ing on all over the cOuntry-thaU is, do
ing away with "boxes." They were an
nuisance. There could not
be a more uncomfortable place than
box. The situation gave the behOlder
view into the wings, which revealed
half the machinery, showed all the
tricks of the stage, and Invested the per-
Torrance of all its charming illusion.
Besides this, the prompter's voice was
quite audible most of the time, owing to
echo produced by the sides of the box;
and all the stage whispering among the
actors, not part of the performance, were
readily heard. Young, the actor, used
to relate, that on one occasion, when
playing the hero of The GGBlester to the
"Hon. Mrs. Beverly of Sarah Siddons,
ne was so overcome with the passion Of
he: acting as to be quite unable to pro-
coed with his part. There was a
long pause, during which the prompt
er several times repeated the words
which Beverly" should speak
Then Mrs. SiddOns, coming up to
her fellOw-actOr, put the tips of
her fingers on his shoulders, and said in
a low voice: ''Mr. Young, recollect
yourself" Yet probably from the front
OF the house nothing was seen or heard
of this. In the same way tie players
will sometimes prompt each other
through whole SC snes, interchange re-
marks as to necessary adjustment of
dress, or instructions as to business
to be gone through, without exciting
the attention Of the audience. Kean's
pathetic whisper, ~ am dying; speak
to them for me" when, playing for the
last time, he sank into the arms of his
son, was probably not heard half across
the orchestra.
Frank Mayo, that great dramatic ris-
ing star, still rising though long time
up, appeared again as "Davy Crockett
last night in the new play of that time.
His style and action deserve the same
commendable notice that we considered
just yesterday. The support becomes
more mellow and graceful, more natu-
raj and easy. The heavy rain fall Oper-
ated against the auditorium very mark
eddy; but the house was, nevertheless.
well patronized, and the performance
gave much satisfaction.
DRY GOODS