Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-04-28
POWERFUL ACTING.

The little old theatre at Albany, New
York, has been made the scene of many
curious theatrical stories. On one occa-
sion Edwin Forrest, the American trag-
edian, then a young man, and more fa-
nous for his muscle than genius gave
tremendous display of really powerful
acting. He was supposed to represent
Roman warrior, and to be attacked by
six minions Of detested tyrant At
the rehearsals Mr.. Forrest found great
deal Of fault with the supers who conde-
scended to play the minions. They
were too tame. They didn't lay hold of
him. They wouldn't 60 in as if it were
real fight. Mr.. Forrest stormed and
threatened the supers sulked and con-
suited. Atlength the captain of the su-
pers inquired. in his local slang: Eyer
want this to be bully fight, eh ?'' Il
do, replied Mr.. Forrest Cali right, .
rejoined the captain, and the rehearsal
quietly proceeded. In the evening the
little theatre was crowded, and Mr. For
rest was enthusiastically received. When
the fighting scene occurred the great
tragedian took the center of the stage,
and the six minions entered rapidly and
deployed in skirmishing order. At the
cue, ''Seize him !" one minion assumed
a pugilistic attitude, and struck a blow
straight from the shoulder upon the
prominent nose of the Roman hero an
other raised him about six inches from
the stage by a well directed kick, and
the others made ready to rush in for a
decisive tussle. For moment Mr.. For
rest stood astounded, his broad chest
heaving with rage, his great eyes fash
ing fire, his sturdy legs planted like col
umns upon the stage. Then came the
few moments of powerful acting, at the
end of which one super was seen stick
ing head foremost in the bass-drum in
the orchestra. four were dressing their
wounds in the green-room, and one, find
ing himself in the flies, rushed out upon
the roof of the theatre and shouted
'Fire ~ at the top of his voice; while
lo1 lofo L.
bowed his thanks pantingly to the ap.
plausing audience, who looked upon the
whole affair as part Of the piece, and
chad never seen Forrest act so splendid
ly." Upon another occasion, however
the powerful acting was upon the par
of the supers. For the sake of poetic
justice, let us say that they were tn,
same supers. The hero was Mr. Jones
Mr.. Jones was impersonating the theat
rical British sailor transformed, o
course, into the old theatrical Yanke
sailor,) who fights broad-sword com
bat with four pirates, and rescues a love
ly damsel in distress. By some mean
or other Mr. Jones had offended the fire
and Independent supers who played th
pirates, and the result was a materia
alteration in the denoueanent of the dra
ma. The lovely damsel was in distress
the four pirates were about to bind he
and bear her away to their secret cave
the feelings of the excited audience wa
wrought up to the highest pitch, whe
suddenly Mr.. Jones Gas the Yankee tar
dashed upon the scene, threw himsel
before the unhappy damsel, fourishin
his cutlass, and shouting: ''Come- OF
Williams One Yankee sailor is nor
than match for four such lubberl
sharks p 81 guess not, replied on
of the pirates, and the four of them coo
: ly took the gallant but astonished Jone
. by the legs and arms, and, in spite {
his desperate struggles, carried him boo
> lily off the stage, locked him in the prol
erty closet and returning, bore off tt
= maiden to their mountainous cavern b.
l. hind the scenes The curtain fell.