The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-13
OUR ACTORS.
WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE,
Cincinnati's Three Leading Comedians

WHU IHE1 AttE AND WHAT EHEI AhE.
Cincinnati's Three Leading Comedians.
What a strange fascination there
seems to about the stage and its inhab-
itants. How curious are the uninitiated
to know who this or that actor really is,
and whether he is a good and noble man,
because they CHANGED to see him play
the great patriot "Damon' on q certain
occasion. Probably they would feel fully
persuaded in their own minds that this
same man was villain, should they see
him few evenings later as the crafty,
cunning 'Iago." So prone is mankind
to confound the real and the ideal, that
Colley Cibber speaks Of certain noted
actors in his day who feared to play
''Richard" lest their real characters
might be mistaken tor the one assumed.
But the sensible Colley only took it as a
compliment If people thought him vicious
because he played a vicious fellow to
the life and left his real character to those
better calculated to judge. And SO, on
| the other hand, people generally have the
idea that comedian must be duced
funny fellow, no matter when or where
you find him. II we meet one of them
on the street, no matter how melancholy
he may look, somebody will nudge you
in the ribs and say, half under his
breath, s'There goes the celebrated So
and-so, the great comedian," and then
burst out laughing, and this they would
do were he going to funeral, in fact,
they would be all the more amused. For,
last think OF one of those funny fellows
in the presence Of tnat grim monster,
Death.
Now, as far as our experience goes,
most OF these funny fellows. are not
funny at all, except when they have
| rouge on their face and the full row oil
| foot-iights shining in their eyes. They
| seem to be afraid OF themselves at all
other times, looking as solemn and as
melancholy as an exercised monk. Let
| us take d brief survey OF those we are
| all best acquainted with-CincinnatP
| three leading comedians-Messrs Fiske,
Marble and Craven.
| NOSE FIsKR
ia one of the finest stock comedians in
America, being an actor of the old Mum
den School, shining with especial bril-
lliancy in "Crabtree, or Bob Acres;"
though his s'Proiessor Lexington" In
"Bulls and Bears" is probably the best
thing he has done this season at tile
Grand. Fiske is legitimate comedian,
and though he is always funny, even in
the trashy modern comedies that infest
the stage, shows his true worth as an
artist only in the dramas of Shakespeare,
Sheridan or Congreve. AS companion,
he is apleasant, affable gentleman; talks
very little, and though witty remark OF
some kind or another will escape from
his lips every now and then, one would
never dream OF the immense amount Of
fun that lies in ambush behind that meek
and sober counteNance. But who can
look at Nose Fiske without laughing?
elbow are youW said he, as we were in
all. Yet the laughter would come
we could not keep 1t back, for it
seemed to us as though his next
| expression would be, "'Tis q wicked
world, a wicked world" or say "Glad to
see you; call again next month";" with
the snappishness of his s'Professor Lex
ington." His first appearance in Gin
cinnati was in 1862, at the old National,
with John Wilkes Booth as the star.
Fiske had goneto Jamaica at the begin
!, ming OF The war, and made a tour OF the
principal cities and towns of the island,
singing comic and sentimental songs, ac-
n com ipanying himself on the guitar, and
ON his return voyage had been taken
down with the yellow fever. The jaun-
, dice look had not all left his complexion
when he arrived In the Queen City,
though casual observer would scarcely
have noticed it. The morning after
his arrival he was up bright and early
n and out on the streets for a "constitu-
| tional." AS Fiske says, Kirby Smith had
not heard of his arrival, aud had there
fore marched upon the town by way OF
the Coyington hills. As Flske turned
! the corner Of Sycamore and Fourth he
was brought to halt by sergeant with
squad oi men. SCOT a pass ~ said the
sergeant. WNo, Pm a deadhead,v - said
Il iFiske. .Fall in; we're looking for dead
heads, we are. Forward marchw and
, away they went, Fiske bringing up the
rear, to the tune Of s'The Girl / Left Be-
hind Me-" played on tin whistle and O
snare drum. "When they gotl me
, where they thought 1 would do the
!, most good,u said Fiske, "they put O
: shovel in my hand ana told me to dig
I dug, but by the time / had scooped o
| hole big enough to hide my head in was
!. Ipretty well played. Isquatted down on
the bank and Quietly told the surgeon In
8 charge that feared was about to have
another attack OF the yellow jack
.. nv yellow hands and face and thought j
: was as we'll as ] ever was In my life.
7 received my discharge and was mus
tAred mt in lesa than ten minutaR