The Benton weekly record., 1880-02-13
SECRETS OF TEE STAGE.

It SESEEGAs BE AEAEt SiAA&EEs
4 a Glimpse OF Noted Actors And Ac
tresses Behind the Curtain
: Cosby Notes Abeut sssltars,ss
Their Drinks, Habits
q and Manners.
With actors, as they appear before tn
! foot-lights, the public are more or less &C
quainted. But of their conduct behind til
: : scenes, their general temperament an'
behavior, much less is known And ye
songstresses, actresses and actors e1ercis
! such an edefinable charm over the masse
that any curiosity concerning their privat'
life is pardonable Each star has SOM
different quality from his brother artist
Each has his own peculiarities and foibles
It is the purpose Of this article to roll III
the drop curtain and display the artists be
hind the scenes as they appear in converse
and intercourse with ordinary mortals
First,
CLARA MORRIS,
the greatest emotional actress in tie coun-
try. There is scarcely a patron of the
theatre who does not know, or who has not
Iseen this artistic and witnessed some Of hel
presentations. Accounts Of her i'll health
have been published time and again in the
newspapers, and the general impression is
that she is peevish and irritable behiud the
scenes. Such, however, is not the case
Clara Morris, when not suffering from
sickness, is gay and volatile, even when
enacting such depressing roles as Miss
Moulton. She will come off the stage af-
ter a most exacting and pathetic scene, and
Immediately engage III animated and witty
conversation. She will laugh and joke as
| if full of animal spirits. AS a teller of
funny stories and anecdotes she is unex-
celled. .@=
OF course Clara Morris is thus only
when free from complaint. At other times
she has been carried from the wings at the
termination of an act in an almost fainting
condition, and morphine has been hypoder-
micaily injected to enable her to continue
the performance. In her dealings with her
company and the subordinates on the stage
she is pleasant. She superintends her own
rehearsels and demands strict attention.
She is very particular as to stage business.
But with all this she is extremely popular
with tie profession.
MARY ANDERSON,
the young tragedienne, is another univer-
sally admired actress. Although she feels
everything she utters while acting, and
imagines herself to be the character she is !
personating, she is yet 50 buoyant, SO full
of life an animal spirits, that she will leave
the stage after a terribly straining act in
Meg Merrilies," and her dressing room
will reverberate with her joyous laughter.
She is pleasant and kind-hearted in the
extreme, and is great foyorite with her
subordinates. AT times, however, she is a
little higIl-tempered. Generosity is one of
her qualities. She has an intense love for
her profession, and everything else is sub
ordinated to that one desire. She has no
time to waste with young men, old men
Or any other men. She is very af1able in
hel, intercourse, and is a good conversa-
5ionalist, although, perhaps, a little in
clined to be too voIuble.
ADELAIDE NELSON
s just the reverse of Mary Anderson. The
character she plays affects her disposition
10Th before and after the rise Of the cur
ain. After some Of her trying scenes she
caves the boards in d most depressed and {
exhausted state. Between the acts she
Irinks champagne and smokes cigarettes. 8
She is particularly sweet on ali the Roneos, {
md tells each one that he is the best that !
syeT played the part with her. |
There is little sincerity in her at /
IL 7son the contrary sfIc Is quitv tire up- I
,osite. With the ladies She is not popular, !
Is she is a wee bit cranky and disagree
ble. But the men OF course adore her, and {
he is an immense fayorite with them. !
She has rather pernicious habit Of Keep
ng her company waiting for her an hour /.
" two at rehearsal. Mary Anderson is
lWays prompt and on time. Except at the :
asst rehearsal Nelson sends substitute. .
Anderson attends all her rehearsals, and is !:
lways the first one on the stage. Ander- ,
on acts at rehearsals the same as she does
,efore the foot-lights at night. Nelson :
walks through it, She scarcely uses her
'oice at all, but whispers her part in order
0 save her vocal organ for the actual per- >
Perhaps this is pardonable, as !;
er voice is not strong. Nelson is very
'igh-tempered and disagreeable if things
10 not go right. Infaet, it said that q good
ound oath has been heard to fall from her :
retty mouth when yeSed by some more
han ordinary misilap. d !,
MoDJEsKA, K
'oun*ess Of Bozenta, is perhaps the most Y
ighlyF cultured and intellectual actress on :
he stage, She Is an excellent linguist and y
tell Eersed iii German, French and Eng
sh literature. She never reads news G
apers except those which her manager, $
larry Sargent, allows her to see. This is
one on account of her sensitiyeness to d
ewspaper criticism. She is somewhat d
airy i'll her manner, rather affected, and q
Eitl1 a particular fondness for lap-dogs. 9
he has a son who is over twenty.
FANNY DAVENPORT.
rinks champagne and beer behind the
Genes. She is generally liked by every d
ody and has q very lively disposition; is =
enerous to the extreme. Although noted =
u her magnificent toilettes On the stage, I
fl she is exceedingly slovenlg III her at v
re. She is kind to every one about her,
I'D particularly friendly to newspaper '
len. She is adapted to comedy, but she Y
elights in and is always eager to play
.ageiy. Although !; large, big woman is
hysically, she is as weak as q dish-rag, d
nd always suffers from the strain Of her +
el.formance. Although Weighing over 2
No hundred pounds, she is very anxious h
play . u1ief.n She makes a very l}uzom Il
ellie Of Verona. =
JANAJsGHEE. y
Jallausellek is truly German in heri Q
lstes and disposition. She is. particularly i,
idIcted TO sauer kraut and sausagsis, and a
n elatffs quantities oflager beer, which is I
ways. sent to her behind the scenes She i
very kind to her people, and is u VOL 81
AN Of wonderful talent, Her husband IS 4
Il. Pii iillllasssWho is the opposite Of his wife b
aisfsdsgfEsn. He Is intrusive, aud s
5akes himself di$likea at the theatres bE h
lterfering with matters with which he s.
rs 10 concern. He i very close-fstea. y
CLARA LOUISE KELIeaa 4
intensely 3iisag greeable behind the scenes. I
e, i x,;slit.af7 ,...,,x.Fslt a,.te1 Ii