Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-10-29
OFF THE STAGE.

LII SUPER. l. suppose you KNOW
what that is I? If you don't, and ain t
Electrically inclined, I'll tell you. A
super'si one of them as takes the small
parts in the play, where the "busi-
ness is important and the "cackle y
particular. That's a super. When
Shakespeare wrote GA man in his time
plays many parts he must have had a
super in his eye. if supers was invented
In those days, which / suppose they
was, or Shakespeare amt the man I
took him for. Bless you, our role is
unlimited-we does everything. Why,
in one piece sonletin1essI take a matter
of half a dozen parts, ii not moro.
Say Hamlet is put up first I'm a
guard a-walking on the ramparts of the
castle; then I'm courtier attending
on the king; then I'm a recorder
(which amt got nothing to do with the
law, as thought at one time, but per-
forms on sort of fute): then I'm a
sailor arter that mute at OpheIid's
funeral then I'm soldier again, OF a
courtier, as the ease may be. And
there | am. A super's more Important
than anybody may think = hl1
[ gets a shilling night, and finds
my own color, which, being a saving
man, [ usually manages to scrape
enough up from the waste in the paint
ing-room-for In the matter of lime and
ochre artists is prodigals and if I'm
hard up for black-for a eyebrow or a
moustache, for instance-I gets the
needful from the chimney-pipe Of the
stove. in the property-room. / have
worked my way up to the topIof my
profession in my line, which is heavy
lead of supers.; and I've occasion to
know that at particular times, say the
first night of new piece, Pm looked
up to by the management to carry this
play, and Igenerally contrives TO satisfy
the most sangu1nary expectationss I'm
proud of my profession. [ amt only
actor for the sake of the filthy, lucre
(Which L suppose means COIN, but, for
the literature and art-'speciailys the
art. I've studied it; you mayn't think
so, but it, fact. gI84A( I'll
I've served under Edmund Kean,
William Macready, and all the stars
since. I once fell out with Mr.. Mac
ready because 7 co1ldn't remember
where to stand at a certain cue. He
was very particular about his situa-
tions ;oBand one day at rehearsal [
couldn't think where I ought to be, and
made the same mistake SO often that
I got fustered. I was young at the
time and rather sudden /; SO when Mr..
Macready, almost out of patience, says,
''Stand here, you dolt II pointing to a
place on the stage, [ take a piece of
chalk out of my pocket and makes a
mark on the floor just where he wanted
me to be- and there stood looking as
cool as a railway clerk, though all the
while / was as frightened as a amateur.
If Mr.. Ms eyes at that identical mo-
ment had been daggers, I shouldn't
have been telling you this here. /
never went on with Mr.. Macready after
that Edmund Kean was different.
His way of doing things was just the
same off and on. If you didn't please
him, you know'd it. [ had to take a
goblet of wine on to him one time, and
[ forgot my cue and kept him waiting.
When | did go on he was regular boil
lsg over with rage. He catches me by
the collar of my coat and the roomy
part of my breeches, and pitches me
slap off the stage. But he wasn't bad
sort; for after he was done he comes
up to me and says he's very sorry for
hurting me, and asked me what I'd
have to drink.
I've been married, and had one child
"a girl-and I'm a widower. I was
married young, like most professionals
She was in the third row of the ballet,
and inclined to be stout; but she did
not last long, poor soul! She had an
apoplectic fit one night. and died in
my arms in the green room [ was
very cut up at the time, because she
was as good wife as ever wore ring.
My darter Was as GOO Hooking GIRL as
YOU'D meet anywhere quite different
from her mother-not in the beautv
line, because she was nice LOOKING. too.
but IN size. Rose was very thin. She
followed in the same steps as. nv old
woman; and [ got her an engagement
at our theatre. OF course she fell in
love-girls always do at that age. sew.
enteen with as rising young fellow
as "a wish to see. was proud of Rose.
and l was glad it turned out so; and
what's more, he wasn't ashamed of me.
although was only a super, which
made me proud of him, too He was
cry jealous of Rose. and wanted to