The Republican journal., 1877-05-24
Stage Fright and Courage.

A word or two upon what is termed stage
fright" 1t sometimes affects old as well as young
actors, OF peculiar temperament. Some say that
such sensltiveness argues fine Sensbity, and is
a sigh vi genius They err. 1t argues neither
The yerlcst brute OF d man is likely TO be ap
pallcd in presence Of critical audience, as IL gen
tleman of the most refined and modest nature,
Confidence in ones own abilities belief in them
-emholdens alike an exalted genius a stupid
Ounce. 4 sagc-fright is most often an indication
OF fear of ridicule. and not sign of genius,
but Of moral cowardice If such diffidence is a
sign Of genius. the world is largely peopled with
those who have it; and we should beg all our
most gifted public speakers, in any profession
VINO cannot be gcuiuScS, because they are obtlse
enough to be self fposScssed,-to retire from the
public hearing and make room for the tmorous,
sensitive creatures whose moral coWarlicc is 4
sign that they are great geni,lses- great that
they should be forced to come forward and en-
tighten and delight all, in place of those ordi-
nary persons who are vulgu enough not to be
scared out of their wits by that conglomerate di-
vinity yclept ''an audience"
1t is difficult to draw the lines between moral
and physical courage so termed. Many are born
with Superstitious antipathieS, which in spite OF
their reason overwhem them with dread, when
they are confronted with objects or circumstances
To which they have inherent aversion. The diI
frrent effects which the presence Of a large body
of spectators has upon different minds, are not
easily accounted for. By such presence some
are inspired to eloquence and deeds of heroSm,
while others stupeted and made speechcss
and faint hearted. The magnetism which one
mind or assemblage Of minds has upon another
has doubtless much to do with the strange terror
occasloned when they meet. People of known
intelligence fortitude and courage are known to
be horror stricken at the presence Of cat or
mouse flnc-spun, sensitive natures invite such
pafalvZlng impressions; and also III the coarscSi
natures there lurk unaccountable antipahies which
produce similar results sometimes causing the vic
tin to swoon and even to expire.
The case OF Palmer the old time actor, who
fell and died. after uttering the words There is
another and better world, was an instance Of over
wrought senSbity intensified by the anguish Of
the scene: and when. at her last appearance on
the stage, as "Rosalind" i'll AS lou Like It, the
celebrated Margaret Wolingtou, while delivering
the epilogfe, suddenly became specchleSs, threw
up her hands and shrieked, and WAS at once borne
from the scene amid the compassionate cIlcS of
the audience, the terror which thus proStrutcd her
evidently resulted from the too long magnetic
oyerstraining of her remarkable organizations
which then received the preliminary summons
from the mimic scene she had ;" long cherished
and adorned. She did not recover and de, soon
afterwards. similar magnetic influence caused
Mrs. SiddonS to faint away upon the stage. and by
the same power she frequently sent some OF her
audience into Mysteries.
None of us can account for the undeiinabc ter
rorS which overnaser certain minds from appar
emily trivial causes Harry Smith, the popular
actor at the fremont brave uud expert
swordsman once fled from the theatre at The on
set of the elder Booth in the last scene Of hichard
III, Edwin Forest, more than thirty five wears
ago, rctreatcd when pursued with Il knife by an
actor named LennoX: and vet subsequently this
same lcnuoX. on receiving GLASS of water in ms
face, from III actGr whom he had luSultrd, nnjr rv
piled by saving, There: you've done ii now
Such Inconsistencies of character are remarkable
and Of world wide and every day occurrence. alld
they defy the most aStutc student of human LII
turc to account for them.
Marryatt's army officer. Dragging fellow, provrd
brave on the occasion Of Il sudden midnight alarlu
though he had been suspected of cowarlicr hr
cause he was Il boaStcr Some public speakers ar'
charmlnglv cool before an audience. although
known to be physically timorous while Others
would shrink from uttrriug word to them. al
though physically as courageous rs need be- ln
Billy Wilson's Iouavr regiment of New York tity
roughs, there were men who were noted rs valiant
tistcuH lighters and yet proved cowardly Oh the
battlefield; and per contra. many who boldly
faced death i'll the field, proved puslllanmou>
when engaged in some pu&iliStic encounter. Mix"
Walsh one Of the editors of the Boston Herald,
about the year 1913, announced to deliver
address in Faneuil Hall; but he got a kind Of
stage fright and dared not face Il FancWl Hal
audience, though he was bold as any speaker when.
ever called upon to address IA turbulent crowd in
New York, Boston Commercial Bulletin,