National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-08-29
THE "SUPER'Sv STORY.

II Before begin, I wishes to say few
4 worls--a sort of prologue-likc to my
y Little drama. amt a-writing this my
self. | couldn't, | was never teached.
n went TO a school once, certainly; but
E that wasonlya Sunday one, so O. course
writing and III of them games is foreign
languages to me. A, swell gent is a
taking everything rs l says down, in
bar parlor Of n pnbiicnext the theatre.
He says he's on the press, and had
stood three-penn 'orth Of Irish hot; and
there you have us, he-the swell gent
a-writing as speaks. and me a-talking
and drinking. Heres your very good
healthD Now the overture is over, and
up goes the curtain.
I'm super. | suppose you knows
what that is. If you don't, and aint
! Electrically inclined, I'll tell you. A
supers one of them as takes the small
parts in play, where the " business J"
is important and the "cackle amt par
tcular. That's a super
When Shakespeare wrote " A 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 | took him for. Bless you!
our role is unlimited-we does every
thing. Why, in one piece sometimes !
takes a matter of half dozen parts, if
not more Say Hamlet" is put up
first, I'm n guard a-walking on the ram
parts of the castle ; then I'm courtier
attending on the king; then I'm
recorder (Which aint got nothing to do
with the law, rs | thought at one time,
bnt performs on sort of flute y then
I'm a sailor; arter that a mute at
0pheiia's funeral then I'm soldier
again, or courtier, as the case may be.
And there | am. A super's moreimpor-
tant than anybody may think. Send
king on without his court, and where
would he be? Let Richard the Third
enter without his army at his back, and
ned be hissed off for certain. A play
Is like that bundle of sticks business
taken all of lump it's firm part EN-
and it's all up. just you take away the
,supers from play, and an audience of
ba6blers wouldn't put up with it. g..
gets shilling night, and finds my
own color, which, being a saving man, [
usually manages to scrape enough up
OF the waste in the paint room-for in
The matter of lime and ochre artists is
prodlgals ; and if Tn hard up for black
--ior eyebrow or moustache, for in
Hance-l gets the. needful from the
cnlmney pipe Of the stove in the proper
ty-room.
| made my first appearance at the
AaeIphl Gardens, at the age of six, as n
frog IN the pantomime, which was an
immense success, and I've been a-going
on with great ecat (as once heard our
-eaolng man say ever since. I've work
eu my way up to the top of my profes-
SION In my line, which is heavy lead of
ssapers and I've occasion to know that
q, particular times-say the first night
y, VA new piece-Tm looked up to by the
and rnadl91sement to carry the play through;
moa. nuu generally contrives to satisfy the
~ T Sangulnary expectations.
In proud of my profession. l amt |
ITuiy a actor for the sake of the fifty
bn.s, b, (which L suppose means conn.,
~, gu' ior the literature and art-specialy |
u ;"e art. I've studied it-really studied
n, you mayn't think so, but it's fact.
."iany the night I've stood at the
wings" when the stage manager
"vieh nowhere near, a-listeping to the
pph piay And in most stock pieces L know
rart: mere the points ought to be and if
wee fHls to make 'em-which he in
,;@aiaoiy do-I'm disgusted in proper
WI. uyr, We served under Edmund Kean,
"aulam Macready, and all the stars
n o. L once fell out with Mr.. Ma
,iteauy, nty, because 1 couldn't remember
Were ,ra to stand at certain cue. He
s ans very particular about his situations;
fnu FL one day, at rehearsal, I couldn't
llh tbn where l ought to be, and made
anstne saine mistake SO often that l got
ra,I'a l was young at the time and
LII sudden; so when Mr.. Macready,
bara out OF patience, says" Stand
.ba , You dolt !" pointing to place on
rnv NV seage, takes piece of chalk out of
bs pocket and makes X Just where
,e oot: wanted me to be and there stood
tGboAlng tbo as cool as a railway clerk, all
tae tapu "hile was as frightened as anna
caI caIf. III Mr.. M. Is Ewes at that identi-
nj nj mon baoment had been daggers, 1 Ishould-
neva nave been telling you this here. 1
hat, SsDt On with Mr.. Macready after
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