Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-09
STAGE ANECDOTES.
Humorous Incidents in the Career of WeII.Known
Actors.


1sh days belonged to a juvenile dramatic
company, and felt very much inclined
to tread the boards again, If chance
offered. 1t did offer. The actor cast
for Polonius on Webb's benefit night was
unable to play, and Shapleigh undertook
to supply his place. The house was
packed; and the bepaefcaare, and the
friend who had, as the bull put it, "mag.
unanimously volunteered his valuable ser.
vices were received with loud acclama-
tions. The first act went off smoothly
enough, but in the second, when on
Polonius asking "Do you know me, my
lord?' Hamlet replies, Excellent well
you are fishmonger Mrs. Shapleigh,
sitting III front box, exclaimed: "Well,
it amt very pretty of you, Mr.. Webb,
after Tom had been 80 good to you, to
go showing him up in that way; I'd have
you know that a fshmonger, as you
call him, is as good as an actor any dayp
When she ceased a wondering silence fell
upon the audience; and Shapleigh, giving
his wife an assuring nod, said: "It's al
right, Bessie; it's 80 in the book" And
then, understanding matters, the au-
dience vociferously applauded.
1t is not always $50 in the book" II
was not Shakespeare's Romeo that cleo
trlfied western audience with:
Soft what light through yonder window breaks
1t is the east, and Juliet has son
Nor was a dramatist responsible for the
stage-lover telling the object of his at
fections: SIN the past, your have shared
my adversely; and it is my sincere de-
sire that you may in the future share my
posterity."
Much less german to the matter was
Jefferson's first stage speech. He played
the infant in "Pizarro," and when Cora
said to Alonzo: "Sweet child he will
speak soon," she was not prepared for
the instant fulfllment of her prophecy
by the "infant toddling to the foot
lights and asking the leader of the or
chestra why he did not play the fiddle.
Many years afterward the actor was
playing his famous part of Rip Van
Wrinkle at Chicago. and one night went
to the theater tired out by long day s
fishing. When the curtain rose on the
third act it disclosed the white haired
Rip deep In his twenty years nap. Five,
ten minutes elapsed, but he did not
waken. The audience grew impatient.
and the prompter uneasy. He sup
posed the great actor knew what he was
about, but this was carrying the realistic
business little too far. At length the
gallery waxed uproarious, and yelled
their delight at one of their number in
quiring 81 there was going to be nine
teen years more of this snooze business. %
At this point Jefferson snored audibly.
Opening a small trap beneath the stage,
the prompter prodded Rip from below,
only to see the sleepy comedian tumble
in his pocket for an imaginary railway
ticket, and hear him mutter: "Golng
clear through, conductor" This was
too much for the prompter. He went at
Rip with a big pin, and, with loud
shrek, that worthy sat up wide-awake to
the situation.
An actor of no great account except
in his own estimation found his way
upon the stage just after the final morn
ing rehearsal OF pantomine, the first
scene of which had been set again ready
for the evening performance. Heavy
with over-imbibing of beer, he tumbled
into friendly bunk, as he supposed,
and was soon fast asleep. Night came.
The curtain rose upon a tomb, to which,
after little while, the pantomine hero
advanced for the purpose of breathing
out his life. AS he threw himself upon
the tomb it changed into downy couch,
and then he found himself struggling
with big man. The two rolled toward
the foot-hghts, kicking their hardest;
but, stopping In time they disentangled
themselves, and the half-sobered intru-
der upon the scene, quoting from Shak-
speare at the top of his voice. ''Give
me another horse! Bind up my wounds |!
Have mercy, heavens p brought down
the house as he had never down befor e
or was likely to do again.
At the beginning of his theatrical ca
reer Mr.. W. J. Florence, the popular
comedian, played general utility at
the Lyceum theatre, New York, then I'M
der the management of Mr.. John Broug-
ham. Among the new pieces produced
by that gentleman was one that created
no little sensation at its first representa-
ton. 1t was called ga Row at the Lyce-
um Theatre; or Greenroom Secrets. !"
Each member of the company appeared
on the stage as himself or herself, wear
ing everyday costumes, anu the scene
was the green-room of the theatre.
The performance was exceedingly realis-
tic, and went off capitally until the en-
trance of Mrs. Buggins, debutante,
who-as previously arranged after look
ing over the part allotted to her, objected
to the business and insisted upon
having something more tragic.
While she was making matters dis
agreeable on the stage, a stout, middle
aged man, dressed in Quaker garb, rose
in the center of the stalls and exclaimed:
"That woman looks for all the world
like Clementina! Her voice is very
like; the form is the same p After a
while he added: '' It is my wife," and
rushed toward the footlights, shouting:
"Come off the stage, you miserable wo-
man The audience, at first amused,
grew angry, and cries OF ''Put him out !"
s.Sit DOWN. "Police 70 rang through
the house. Up in the third tier, visible
to all, was a red-shirted fireman, who
loudly threatened to give "Old Broad
brim" a sound thrashing if ne attempted
to lay hand on the young woman, and