Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-13
BEHiND TmE SCENES.
a Very Interesting InteEvEew with
Clara NaOrris-The GccasioH 81
Miss Eytinge's Hatred or
Exer-rhe DIFFICULTY al
the CALIFORNIA;
Thenter.

Cincinnati Enquirer: after the CONVEX
sation had run in general channels tor some
time, our young man inquired aOouI MISS
Morus's recent California engagements. he
was Informed that they had been emlnently
satisfactory IN pecuniary as well as artistic
point of view. You had some little trouble
with Miss Rose Eytinge, did you mott? sug-
gested our scribe. Not Z particle with Miss
Eytinge,' was the reply, and then Miss Nor
ris intimated that that was a subject on
which she intended to keep her lips sealed
u the present. However, after time, she
consented to explain the affair, which she
did substantially as follows: ! never met
Miss Eytinge personally bat once, and that
was in the geeen-room OF . theater IN New
York, and she was very CORDIAL and loving TO
me then, indeed. Afterward. how
ever, l heard of her having said
many bitter and cruel things of me,
to which never made any
response or reply, not deeminG them worthy
! of my notice. The Friday before left San
| Francisco | was bUsily engaged IN packing
| up, and felt tired. In the evening Mr. Har-
riott, my husband, asked me 10 go 10 the
| theater, saying that 1t would brighten me up.
| | told him that did not think ! would 60,
as | hal seen everything that vas teins
played, when be replied: No, you have not
| seen Miss Eyhnge. Let's go and see her.
| Hurry up, too, for It is late, and by the time
you have dressed and got to the the2ter the
| 1rSG act Will DS over. L SalU ADtt hUuitl
| 90 and see Miss Eytinge, and that as l knew
East Lynne perfectly, would hare no dill
| Guilty in following tle thread OF tee story
| without having seen the opening act. 1t IS
part of the unNritten law OF the profession
| that an artist visiting the performance OF an
other must present her with dorl tribute
or Offering, if possible, and on my way to the
| theater bought bouquet, not intending 10
| throw 1t to Miss EytiDge, but TO send 1t arou.d
| to her. On arriving at the door oil the theatet
| | heard what l thought to be Lady Isabel 5
| voice but on entering the house there was
long pause, and, as | could not sec the STAGE
| | said to Freddie: ''Scme one must be doing
some fine acting to hold them so eutranced.
AS we stepped into the box, Mr.. Cyril Searlei
who was IN it. came oct. shaking hands WITH
Mr. Harriott as he did SO. We were hardly
seated in the box when heard a cOmmotlon
in the parquet, and, looking out, saw two
of the attaches of the house leading man
out of his seat. He appeared to be somewhat
under the influence of liquor, and remarked;
"I'm all right, boys As lie was led out Ct
the house, few persons applauded his ejeC-
ton, but the applause was far from beng
general. Oar box was on the prompt side
| of the house, and as the partition between us
and the stage was a thin one, we soon be
came aware of the fact that there was trouble
| behind the scenes. Presently Mr. John WI
son, as ''SirFrancis Lewiston, led Miss EytioSc
on the stage, and they seated themselves at a
| tale, and resumed the play. As she walked 10
the table her back was toward me. Sue VEN
on with the performance for some little time
without turning round. As "Sir Francis" lett
the stage she began her s0liOquy, and turning,
saw me in the box. She stammered little
in her lines, and her com placency was not re-
stored by the fact that M. Wilson forgot ms
hat on the table, and was called back tor 4
by a boy in the gallery. The play proceeded
to the end of the act. and then tie confusion
behind the scenes began again. Suddenly
the curtain was hastily pulled back at the side
and Miss Eytinge came before 1t and began q
speech to the audience. Her hrst sentence
did not produce single 'nand, SO she
| changed her tactics, and told how she was q
creature of impulse and wholly unmecLani-
! cal and she claimed that her feelings had
been so outraged By the vile words OF the
! man who had been elected from the house
that she was unable 20 complete the play.
She then retired behind the curtain, and
shortly after Mr.. Wilson came out and an
nounced that Miss EytiTge was sick, and that
she really could not play. Miss Hobrook, q
young lady who played the servant, was IN
duced to undertake to read the part that
should have been played by Mss
At first l was inclined to get up ano
leave the box for my hotel, but upon
thinking the matter over moment saw
that such a course would be dIscourteous t
Miss Hobrook, so | remained until the per
formancs was over. Mss Holbrook read The
lines of'"Lady Isabel SO we'll and lnteih ,ent
y that threw her my bouquet as As nS e2R T5B
the manager of the theater visited her anC
endeavored to get her to finish the play, bu
she declared N language that | viii not re
peat that she would never speak a line IN al
house. She was announced fer a matinee tht
next afternoon, and the manager said to her
''Am l to understand shat you Will not plal
tomorrow" You are to understand, - salt
she, THAT will never play again IN your -
house" Very well" said he; you are
woman, and cannot help myself" The
stage manager was with him, and heard
this conversation. The manager came t.
me, and begged me to help him cut of hi
difficulty, but | declined. He persevered
however, and, finding that he would be com
PEELED to close his house if ! did not COM
to the rescue, l, at half-past one in tn
morning, consented to play ''Naney 81 kes'' Of
Saturday evening. l got copy OF the play
and studied the part from It, and with bu
the rehearsal of two scenes played the part 4
a fine house. So careful was l not to infring
on any right OF Miss Eytinge that / voult
not enter the theater until Miss Eytinge haC
taken every article belonging to her out Of 1t
and | would not use her version of Name
Sykes" but studied my part from the pub
lshed book of the play, while the other char
acters were played from the manuscript edi
ton. So you see did not enter the theatel
II to play until Miss Eyting2 had sworn not f
play another line in il, and | only played IL
re order to do a kind act to manager who wa
al IN distress, and who otherwise would hav,
l. been compelled 10 perform to empty benches
J. Miss Eyhnge has misrepresented me il Cal
l. lfornia and elsewhere about this performance
lie but though solicited again and again to dc
D. so have never given my version of the atm
o until now.