Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-27
sUPERsTITIoNs OF ACTORS.
Omens Regarded by Stage People rs PG
tending Good and Rad Luck.

Omens Regarded by Stage People as Por-
tending Good and Rad Luck.
| New York News,
The superstitions of players are many
and various, and are astonishing by reason
of their simplicity. Once at a pleasant
afternoon conversation, MIR. Boucicault
made series OF curious revelations. He
remarked especially upon tho supersti
tions of ballet dancers. Every grade OF
the ballet in England and upon the CONT
nent is slave to superstition. For ir.
stance, in his "Babi and Bijou," pre-.
micro danscusc and twenty coryphees re-
belled at the full dress rehearsal because
the scene in which they had to dance was
entirely in blue. without any adOrnments
OF silver. Blue is an unlucky color among
players all the world over, silver being its
only saving relief. In the English thea
tres, to trip on entering on the scene on
the first night of a play is sure sign OF
success. TO receive Il bouquet ut the stage
door before the play begins is an omen OF
failure.
In America, too, some strange super
stitious prevail. When 1.-The Black
Crook was ready for production at
Niblo's Garden, under the management of
Mr.. Wheatley, Mr.. Jarrett and Mr.. Palmer,
GIC WdS HCItOlS StUOuL H..
Everything depended upon its success.
view tho situation as calmly as his
partners did. The theatre was allilightetl
up, the carpenters had "set" the first
two scenes, the ballet and dramatic peo-
pie were dressing, the dOorkeepers
stood at their posts, and Flanagan, the jan
itor, had his hands on the bolts ready to
throw open the stained glass doors that
kept out the clamorOus crowd that had
gathered in the hallway. Mr.. Wheatley,
standing beside the gate with his partners,
gave the signal for opening the doors,
and the rush began. The first person
who reached the ticket-taker was q
lady accompanied by little boy.
Mr.. Wheatley leaned over the rail and
thrust her outside, at the same time
pushing man, the next in turn, inside
the railing. Then, raising his hat politely
to the lady, he apolOgized and escorted her
to the usher himself. 'It would never do,"
he aftcrward said to friend, "to allow a
woman to be the first to enter tho theatre
on first night. It's unlucky. Let a man
in first and you are all right" The
"Crook" was very successful, md no
argument could convince Mr.. Wheatley
that he had not saved it by thrusting a
man in first.
A few more words ON the subject. In
America, as in England, the player had
superstitiOus objection to rehearsals on
Sunday. During the rchearsals of LEO
and Lotus" at Niblo's Garden there were
two Sunday night rehearsals, and at each
it was found necessary to lock the doors at
II o'clock p. m. to keep the dancing girls
from running away. Some of them
got out of the green-room window into
Crosby street, climbed over the iron rail-
ings and escaped. 1t is believed that sala
ries will not be paid regularly during the
run of piece rehearsed on Sundays, or
that the piece itself will be failure, or
that death will occur in the company.
This was predicted at the Sunday rehear
sails of the ''Crook," and the croakings of
the ballet girls were verified by the sudden
death Of a soubrette. At the Grand opera
house during Mr.. Fisk's term of manage
ment Sunday rehearsals were enforced in
spite of the protests of the company. When
the great spectacular, "Lalla Rookh, was |
there were three Sunday reI re-
and the birds of ill-omen were |
loud in their predictions of disaster. Mr.. |
Fisk was shot and killed before the fourth
Sunday night revel, and the piece, al
though magnifcently presented to the
public did not prove remunerative.