National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-20

player. ~ hsvsar Ct ~ words; / must gag n, =
l. eoafessioa not unftsqusutiy . b svsehsafd
IN the theatre. Incledol. thevllngsv, WI -
been IN early lifs sailsf{ sisrs mast < ahs
royal navy SetseiosSior ~ fsqusnt q
nenery upoA he stage IN Il Pine thslyprd
~cSaeNhays satls@ y thAsgrsgn
~. a eee1ADosary I'D w1l1bs e hinf fAs
seen neYsf vamRo usob tAseEsloal tseleaee!,
w. inpliss the sebsti> Zion Of yoar ewn vrda
ane Moo Whsa theeath@S ars AsgotaeA vnp'
Nc ssquiso tome ssst, 6eot taaet; ID lnels.
o1tAee ocs(peelea - 1900 70
ned thSs esauinS salt. wttsf simplicity (which
the sfttaces Of setinr we're inssrnountabls ain.
s1ltiss." Inelsdon had, howsvef, mailing
resource vhsn dimenlty of his Kind occurred a
him, and loss Of memory, and Therefore Of speech
interrupted his performances. He forthwith com
msuesd verse Of one Of hismost popular ballads
Ths amsssmsnt Of his fslloW-actcrs Ct this pro
essdi,s vsa % ~ Arse sdoptien, v9y Ersst
tndssl. ~Ths truth 4. I fhegst ny part, sir," IN
slsdoa frankly orphaned to the psrplsxed man
agsr, "and I could not catch thseus. Iassurs you
ID, that ~ agitation ns - great that I VA
compelled - intrsdnss . vuese Of sBlaek-eysd
Susan In order 70 gain time end recover
myself" Long Afterwards, when the occupants
Of the srssoFsoa ecald hear Insledon'l
exquisite voice upon the stage, they were won't Il
ask sanh ether, lsushingly, as he singing hi
music. Or d he merely reeollseting his wordsf"
That excellent comedian, the late Drinkwatez
Asadows ussd to rebate .
cuRf6Us aAoaINa RxfKAIRNo1
Of his early life - strolling player. 1t was as
Warwick, during the raos week. He was to play
Henry Noesland, tn the "Heif- st-LAH." part b
had mover previously performed, sad Of which,
Indeed, be knew uttls or nothing. There Wa %
rehearsal; the company was ton pleasure bound, "
md desired to sttsnd The races With the rest Of
wasWtsk1hirs. Nc book Of tie play was obtain
sbls. A study Of the prompt book had ben prom
ised but the promptsr was not to b found; he was
probably ct the races, md lii book with hin.
The representative ofHenry Mofeland could only
consult with the actor who was to play Stssdfast;
for upon StsadfAst's cooperation Moreland's
scenes chiefly depend. "Dont bother about n, !"
said Stsadfsst "Never mind the book; IN come
down early to the house, and - were not wanted
till the third not, We osn easily 30 over our scenes
quietly together before We 30 on. We shall be all
right, never fear. It's race night; the house will
b full and noisy. Little Of the play viii b heard,
and We need not bs over and above particular
- to the 'syls,'" (syllsbles.) r. .-..-,- p.
But steadfast came down to the theatre very
late, instead Of early, and troubled with thick
ness Of speech and an unstesdiness Of gait that
closely ressmbled the symptoms Of intoxication.
"Sobsr!" he said, In reply to some insinuation Of
his eomrsde, ....-ts a..-
"I'H SOBER As JUDGE.
I've been running TO got hero In time, and that's
sgitstsd me. I shall b al right when I'm on.
Take care Of yourself, and don't ffst about me-"
The curtain WIS up, and they had TO face the foot
lights. Morslaad waited for Stsadfast to begin.
Stssdfast wss casing vseantly about him, silent
save for irresponsible hiooups. The audience
grew impatient, Misses Sseams audible, and IN
apple Or two was hurled upon the stage. More
land, who had gathered something Of the subject
Of the scsne found II absolutely necessary to say
something. and began to gag: "wsll, Stssdfsst,"
aside to him: 'Stand still can't youf'D ''here We
are In England; nay, moro. IN London, its metrop-
oils where industry aolrshss and idlsnsss ID pun
ished." A pause for thought and reply, with lit
tie result. proud London, what wealth." An
other pause and . hiccup from Steadfast. "Whst
constant hustle, what activity In thy strsetsT'
No remark could be extracted from Steadfast; Il
was necessary to proceed. "And now, Steadfast,
my inestimable friend, that may ind my father
and my Caroline we'll and happy il the dearest,
the sole aspiration Of ny heart" Stsadfast stared
and staggered, then suddenly enchanting guttu-
rally, "Amen!" resled from the stage, quickly
followed By Henry Morelsnd, amid the dsrision
and hissss Of the spectators. ... ....
s.TRKAr you cRUELLYr
said Stsadfast incoherently, in the wings. "Noth-
ing Of the sort. You quite ooofounded me with
your correctness. You told me you didn't know
your words. and I'll be hanged II were not 1stter
perfect It won't Oh cspitally, my dear boy, %
now lets 70 over our next scene" But the man.
agsr deemed Il advisable to omit from the play al
further reference to Morsland and Steadfast.
To performers who gag either wantonly, or by
resson Of imperfect recollection their parts sw
things are more distressing than knowledge that
some one among the audisnes T. in possession ofs
book Of the play to be represented. Even the
apt to Be diseoncsrsd when he hears the hutter Of
leaves being turned over In the thsstsr, and dis
covers that his speech - are being followed, line
for line and word for word, BY critics armed with
the authors text. On such occasions his memory
% much inclined to rlsy him false, and . sudden
nervousness will ofton mar his best efforts. But,
10 the gagEing player, sense that his sins and
failings are in this way liable to strict note and
discovery, ID grisvously depressing. Some years
ago strolling company visited small town
md eourageously undertook to represent
m admired comedy, with which they could boast
bat the very faintest acquaintance. Scarcely an
actor, indeed, knew syllable Of bis part. It was
and that the performance must be 'sgot through"
anyhow. But the manager, cycling and counting
his house through the usual peephols in the cur
tain, perceived gentleman in the boxes holding
IN his hands printed copy of the play. The
alarm Of the company became extreme. A panic
Afflicted them, and their powers Of gag were para
lyzed. They refused to confront the footlights.
The audience grew impatient; the hddlers were
weary Of repeating their tunes. Still the curtain
lid not rise. At length the manager presented
himself with dolsful, apologstic face. sowing
TO An unfortunate accident" he said, "ths CON-
pany had LEFT behind them the prompt-book Of the
play. The performance they had announced
,ould not, therefore, be presented, unless" and
here the speech was especially pointed to the gen.
leman in the boxes, "any one kmong the audience
" . happy chance happened to have brought to
he theatre copy Of the comedy" The gentle
nan rose and said his book was much at the ser
rics Of the manager, and It was accordingly
handed to him. Tho players forthwith recovered
heir spirits; exposure Of their deficiencies was
10 longer possible, and the perform.
lnce passed of to the satisfaction Of
1t has been suggested that gag is leniently ana
wen favorably considered by audiences; and It
hould be added that dramatists often connive At
ne interpretations Of the theatre. For popular
,ctors characters are prepared in outline, rs 1t
we're, Win IOOlu LUZ lu0 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. W W
added in representation.
"oxLY TELL NE THE SITUATIONS;
never mind shout the 'cackle,'" an established
comedian will observe to his author "I'll NIL It
,ut,'" or ~ shall be able to jerk IL tn,' and
make something Of the part" tits to BE- feared,
indeed, that gag has secured . hold upon the
Itsgs, such - neither time NOR teaching can
loosen. More than century ago, In tho epilogus
10 supplied to Murphy's comedy, Garrick wrote:
actors who act what our writer's have writ
Pray stick to your part and spare your own wit;
For when with your own you unbrtdie your tongue,
III hold ten to one you are ''ali In the wronyH'
But this with other cautioning Of like effect, has
walled but little. Tho really popular actor gains
| height above the reach Of censure. He has So
.ured . verdict that is scarcely to be impeached
u Influenced by exceptional criticism. Still, 1t
nay be worth while to urge upon him the import
Incs Of moderation, not % much for his own arts
,ake-on that head ovor-indulgsnce may have
made him obdurate-but In regard to his play-fel-
ows Of interior standing. He 10 their exemplar;
lis sins are their excuses; and the license Of one
hus vitistes the general system Of representa-
ion.
HOW oAooIKo PArs.
But that ga8ginx pays Is evident from the libe-