The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-12-19
POiCelTHL ActjR1.

The little old theatre at Albany, New York,
has been made the scene OF many curious the
atrical stories. On one occasion Mr. Edwin
Forrest, the American tragedan, then a young
man, and more famous for his muscle than his
genius, gave tremendous display of really
powerful acting. He was supposed to repre-
sent Roman warrior, and to be attacked by
six minions of a detested tyrant. At the re-
hearsals Mr.. Forrest found great deal of fault
with the supers who condescendcd to play the
mpions. They were too tame. They didn't
lay hold of him. They wouldn't go in as if it
were a real fight. Mr.. Forrest stormed and
threatened the supers sulked and consen ted.
AT length the captain of the supcrs inquired,
in his local slang, oyer want this to be bully
fight, eh p 81 do replied Mr.. Forrest. GAIL
| right" rejoined the captain, and the rehearsal
quietly proceeded. In the evening the little
| theatre was crowded, and Mr.. Forrest was en-
Enthusiastically received. When the fighting
scene occurred, the great tragedian took the
centre of the stage, and the six minions enter
! ed rapidly and deployed in skirmishing order.
At the cue, "Seize him !" one painion assumed /
pugilistic attitude, and struck blew straight
from tbershculder uSon the prom; ent = "a
the Roman hero another raised hm about 81:
inches from the stage by well directed kick,
| and the others made ready to rush in for de-
cisive tusse. For moment Mr. Forrest stood
astounded, his broad chest heaving with rage,
bis 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 head
foremost in the bass drum in theorchestra, four
were having their wounds dressed in the green
room, and one, finding himself in the flies,
rushed out upon the roof Of the theatre and
shouted, "Fire! !" at the top Of his voice while
Mr.. Forrest, called before the curtain, bowed his
thanks pantingly to the applauding audience,
| who looked upon the whole affair as part of the
piece, and chad never seen Forrest act so splen-
| didly." Upon another occasion, however, the
powerful acting was upon the partof the supers.
For the sake of poetic justice, let us hope that
they were the same supers. The hero was Mr..
| George Jones, afterwards known as the Count
Johannes. Mr.. Jones was impersonating the
| into the theatrical Yankee sailor), who fights a
broadsword combat with four pirates, and res
cues lovely damsel in distress. By some
means or other Mr.. Jones had offended the free
and Independent supers who played the pirates,
and the result was material alteration in the
denoument of the 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 sudden
ly Mr.. Jones Gas the Yankee tar dashed upon
the scene, threw himself before the unhappy
damsel, fourished his cutlass, and shouted,
"Come on, Williams One Yankee sailor is more
than match for four such lubberly sharks y
"I guess not" replied one of the pirates, 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 noun
tain cavern behind the scenes. The curtain
| foil Era Almanac