The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
Actors and Auditors.


A singular phase of the theatrical ex-
istence is the passionate fondness
evinced by members of that calling for
attending entertainments themselves.
Apostles of most other professions and
trades gladly sink the shop when they
are fairly out of it. The lawyer off duty
does not frequent the courts. The ed
itor is not continually hanging around
other Offices when not confined in his
own. Doctors do not rest themselves
by visiting the patients of other doctors
But the actor or actress, of high or low
degree, when not directly busted on the
glaring side of the footlights, is sure to
be found in the auditorium. The most
persistent theatre-goers in the world are
theatrical people.
Mrs. Chanfrau reached Chicago one
afternoon last week. She had Travelled
straight through from New York, and,
after twenty-four hours rest, was to
push on to San Francisco. But she was
one of McVicker's audience that night,
and sat the play through. Her business
manager passed all of the same evening
at the Academy Mr.. and Mrs. Edwin
Adams arrived in that city three or four
days before that gentleman's engage
ment was to begin. They attended the
theatres every night and matinee, and
were among the most eager and atten-
tive of the spectators.
1t is so always, everywhere. The wife
of theatrical manager may be seen in
the audience night after night, month
in and month out. A shoemaker's wife
does not follow her hege to his shop
every day. Clergymen's wives are not
regular companions of their husbands
on pastoral calls-it might be prudent
if they were. The actor of a regular
company, when not cast for duty, can
invariably be seen in the front of the
house or that of a rival establishment
And the puzzle of it all is, they grow as
excited, often, over the fortunes of the
players as the greenest of the auditors.
They guffaw with the comedian, scowl
with the villain, and rub away a sheep
ish tear or two at the woes of the dis
tracted maiden. One would think that
the work on the stage would seem the
dreariest of routine to them, but it
does not, else are they better actors !
when looking at play than when per-
forming in it.
Notable performers never lose an OPP |
portunity of witnessing their great CO.
temporaries. Booth is q frequent Wis
itor to the theatre when Fechter and /
Adams play. Mrs. Bowers chases after
Charlotte Cushman every chance she
can get. Salvini was an earnest student
of Booths Iago in Baltimore, and ap-
plauded unstintedly. Indeed, the
most lavish, as we'll as the most dis
of applause comes from
professional actors and actresses in the
audience. The numbskulls who are
always rattling their brogans and per-
cussing their paws inopportunely, are
never members of the dramatic or oper-
attic calling. You do not hear actors haw-
haw when Joe Jefferson, in plaiItive
broken English, wonders If " dere is
alive round here?" CLARA
Louise Kellogg waits until her sister
song bird has finished her aria before
breaking in with applause.
This love of attending places of
on the part of amusement
people, is one of the best proofs of the
permanent attractiveness of the stage.
They never tire of seat in the audi
ence, fully as they understand the un-
reality of all that is enacting on the
boards. How, then, can the casual
heatre-frequenters ever weary of the
which, to them, have so !
much of veritability? Critics may af-
fect 6JaSe, and wonder at the verdancy
which can eternally accept the crude
sham as real. But what are they going !
% do with the lifelong disciples of the
Ealing, who make as enthusiastic spec
ators as the Tawest pumpkin in the
audience?