Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-09-04
PQWarfill AcfinR

The little old theatre at Albany, N.
l., mas been tho scene of many curious
theatrical stories. On one occasion.
MI: Edwin Forrest, the American ira
gedian, then young man. and more
famous for his muscle than his oenina-
gave 2 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 rehcarsals Mr.. Forrest
found great deal of fault with the
supers who condescended to play the
minions. They were too tame; they
didn't lay hold of him; they wouldn't
60 in rs if it we're real fight. Mr..
F. stOrmed and threatened; the snpcrs
sulked and consulted. At last the cap
tain of the supers inquired, in his local
slang. eyer want this to be q bully
fight, chi" 81 d." replied Mr.. For
rest. "All right" rejoined the Cap
tain, and the rehearsal quietly pro-
ceeded. In the evening the little
theatre was crowded, and Mr.. Forrest
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 pugilistic attitude and
struck blow straight from the shout
der upon the prominent nose of the
Roman hero; another raised him about
six inches from the stage by q we'll
directed kick, and the others made
ready to rush in for 4 decisive
fH1A
broad chest heaving with rage, his
great eyes flashing fire, his sturdy legs
planted like columns upon the stage,
then came the few minutes of powerful
acting, at the end of which one super
was seen sticking hea1foremost in the
bass drum in the orchestra, four we're
having their wounds dressed in the
green room, and one; finding himself
in the flies, rushed out upon the, re OF
of the theater and stouted '*Fire 1" ut
the top of his voice, while Mr., Forrest,
called before the curtain, bowed his
thanks pantingly to the applauding aui-
dience, who looked upon the whole
affair as part of the piece, and chad
never seen Forrest act so splendidly."
Upon another occasion, however, the
powerful acting was upon the part of
the supers. For the sake of poetic
justice let us hope that they were the
same supers. The hero was Mr.. Geo.
Jones, afterwards known az the Count
Johannes. MI. Jones was impersonat-
ing the theatrical British sailor Grams
formed, of course, into the theatrical
Yankee sailor) who fights broad sword
combat with four pirates and secures
q lovely damsel in distress. By some
means or other Mr.: Jones had Offend
ed the free and independent supers
who played the pirates, and the result
was material alteration in the denoue-
ment of tile drama. The lovely damsel
was in distress the four pirates were
about to bind her and bear her away
to their secret cave; the feelings Of
the excited audience were wrought up
to the highest pitch, when suddenly
Mr.. Jones (as the Yankee tar) dashed
upon the scene, threw himself before
the unhappy damsel, Furnishing his
cutlass and shouted, "Come on, viii
lains! One Yankee sailor is more than
a match for feur such lubberly 81 arks ="
II guess not, =" replied one of the nj
rates, and the four of them coolly took
the astonished Jones by his legs and
arms, and, in spite of his desperate
struggles, carried him bodily off the
stage, locked him in the property
closet, and returning bore off the
maiden to their mountain cavern be-
hind the scenes The curtain fell