Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-09-23
NoBILITYoN THE sTAaE


worked?" Then, seeing the reporters
look of utter innocence, he explained
what he meant by ''the Prince of Wales
racket"
"You see" said he, sever since the
advent of Mrs. Langtry, the much-ad-
vertised favorite Of
His Royal Highness,
on the American stage, it has become
more or less the fashion for actresses
coming to this country to parade some
acquaintance with the Prince as a
means Of thrusting themselves before
the publia. There is no doubt that the
notoriety which Mrs. Langtry had Sc
cured over in England IS a royal favor
tie and q court beauty did much to
arouse public curiosity here, and while
she was never q success as an actress,
yet she made money as q side show for
curious men aud women 10 stare at"
"And you think other ladies are GO
ing In for the same sort OF cheap notori-
ETY. !' said the reporter.
Yes, look at the importation of the
Prince of Wales own stock company
from the London Gaiety Theatre in the
Strand, under the management of the
famous John Hollingshead, a crony of
the Prince.
The LRBtry Tune
with variations is to be played over
again. Already the papers have notices
OF the dainty doves from the Gaiety.
The Gaiety is perhaps the chief loating
place and night resort for ~aristocratic
and royal noodles who have the entree
Of the green-rOOln and free license to
ramble behind the scenes among the
'~Gaises,' carrying on their flirtatiOus
without let or hinderance."
You have been on the other side?"
asked the reporter.
"Oh, yes; and speak from experience.
The Gaiety girls are known as the Prince
of Wales set. When his Royal High
Hess comes to the theatre incog., they
Ogle the darling, play to him as the one
person in the house. You see, they
know that he can fling around them the
halo of royal approval and stamp them
as the rage. They know that his prince
ly word OF praise is sufficient to disarm
the sting of criticism and set them on
tue uISu TOdu 10 lOTtuue.
"And do you think
These Women Imagine
thut the favOritism of the Prince will be
all opel sesame to public favor here?"
Why shouldn't they? Professional
circles are being constantly recru ted
with dancers, variety actresses, burles-
que cOntOrtiOnists and poor vOcalists,
who have in ONE degree found favor
with the Prince, and received at some
time or other a whiffof royal patronage.
This royal acquaintance is then intro
duced to certain circles, their stepping.
stone to notoriety, and they are sharp
enough to use 1t for all it's worth. Only
the other day q morning paper gave a
long interview with q dizzy actress, who
had spent q whole afternoon with the
Queens son. There was very little
about her dramatic talents, but a full
some adulation Of his royal nib5. So
familiar were these two innocents, that
when the actress said sir to him, he
said: Come now, cut that, you know.
Gail me Princey,' aud the burlesque &C
tresS and the heir apparent to the EGG
lish throne sat down and had q good
tine. Then she gave him a song and
dance, winding up with outlets and
brown stout, and
This jolly spree
in . private house in London between q
couple of actresses and a couple OF
Princes for that German BOBBY Prince
Leichtenstein was also present is made
part of the advertising programme for a
second. class actress when she comes to
the States. This was just the game that
Mrs. LAngtry worked. Aside from her
liaison with the Prince Of Wales, and
her notOriety as o court beauty, and the
TACT that she allied herself to q society
dude here, who lavished upon her
wealth and luxury, there was nothing
in her, in a theatrical sense, which
would draw q house, and yet she went
home with thousands Of American dol
lars. Why, then, should We wonder at
her sisters Boosting Of f~lirtatiOns with
royal or aristocratic patrons as an ad-
vertising scheme"
you've seen that Kate Vaughn, who
was the woman in the case some time
ago, in q divorce scrape, between Colo
mel WELLESLEY and his wife, is coming
with the Gaiety company?" said
tie reporter.
"Yes, and "a they have since married,
and the Colonel has succeed to the fam
ily title, we shall be treated to an exhi-
bition of nobility in tights. These pro-
fessioual marriages with members otthe
English %aristocracy are becoming daily
more common, and what is still more
n markable, the m selected are
not, as a rule, great artists, but these
weak.Headed Lords
and BOBBY Princes are smitten with the
charms of high-kickers or brazen stage
beauties. In the train Of the Prince OF
Wales is always a horde of aristocratic
bapgers-on, who ape their royal master
and employ their time in making
mashes among the giddy stage demoi-
selles."
"Do you think that Kate Vaughn
will prove an attractions"
nOh, yes. She is quite a dexterous
dancer; she has studied the art of high
kicking, and what she lacks as an &C.
tress she makes upfor in show and dash,
and, surely, the sight of q real live Eng
Iish peeress, displaying her limbs, shape
~ or otherwise, night alter nlght upon
the stage, will be sufficient to draw a
gefIAl0 CTOWu. WAN up AouiSo oAN
gentlemen; here we have a veritable
English Duchess I'm Tights
why, it will be a theatrical sensation!
Then, too, the aroma of scandal which
hangs over the whole affair, and the fact
that her husband, a real Lsrd, who has
held high official positions in the Eng
lish military service, is her press agent,
all this savOrs of the nOtoriety which
pays"
"Is il not 3 queer taste that permits
this sort Of saerilege Of the dramatic
STAGE"
"Yes it is, for these eurioslties are sell
dom good or even fair artists. The man
ager, however, is easily able to create a
fictitious public interest In his show by
blsre aud noise, especially in the case
of a woman with such associations.
Marrying q Lord, Of course, don't make
an actress out of q stick, but aristocrstic
.o-o;sb h;1oS O OOO.1 daAl of the rough.