Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-08
WORDS NOT IN THE LINES.
How Actors Catch Applause by Intr
 ducfno Ss(a1a.ss

How Actors Catch Applause by Intro- ducfng sSGags.', From the New York Times
 The harmonies of the opening chorus had died away, and during the bit of inane dia- logue which followed two young men strolled down the aisle and took their seats. There was marked difference in their manners. One looked round him with slightly bored air, and dropped into his seat with weary sigh, as one who should say, ''I know it all. :" The other was tinid and wondering. A the ater seemed to him to be a marvellous place, and he gazed at everything with unspeakable awe. The familiar reader will at once recog- nize these two worthies. The latter was un- doubtedly that masterpiece of inquisitive ness, Ptarmxiander, while the former was his friend and despiser, Josephus. The per formance proceeded and the two gazed upon it, Ptarximander with undisguised joy and Josephus with critical disgust. A fat priest, whom the considerate author had permitted to indulge i'll an unknown quantity of imag- mary wine, lay down upon a rustic settee and was soon snoring and whistling in most un- musical manner. Presently he rolled off his temporary bed and awoke with start. Slow
 ly clambering to his feet he said: ''Oh, what delicious wine that was It
 made me dream that Ben Butler was Presi-
 dent"
 A roar of laughter followed this unexpect- ed interpolation into the life of the eight eenth century, and Josephus, smiling faintly,
 remarked:
 "That's pretty good gag"
 ''What is gag?" asked Ptarximander in a puzzled manner.
 "Good gracious! Is there anything else
 you don't know?'
 "A great deal," responded Ptarximander meekly.
 t'Well, after the show is over I'll give you some points about gags"
 After the performance the two young men adjourned to a neighboring resort and seated themselves at table. After Josephus had consigned about pint of the beverage of the Fatherland to the spot where it would do the most good he began his lecture.
 "A gag, dearly beloved, is an extemporane- ous addition to the text of the play. When ever telling local or national allusion oc- CUTS to an actor he inserts it in that part of the play where there is the best opening for it and that is called a gag. Frequently, my son, these things are spoken on the spur of the moment and are exceedingly funny; but generally they are carefully prepared in ad- vance, like the best jokes of Richard B. Sher- idan. have heard good many telling things said extemporaneously, however"
 ''Such as what?'
 'FThe first one recollect was perpetrated by McKean Buchanan while playing Macbeth in the old Pittsburg theater. He had reached the scene in which the doctor comes to re- port on the condition of Lady Macbeth. He spoke the speech preceding the doctors en- trance and then gave the cue for the doctor to come on An, doctor, how is your pa tientF But the doctor failed to appear. He l was probably in his dressing room playing | poker with the. Second Murderer. Buchanan Il, the stage muttering, and still the doctor | failed to appear. Then Buchanan strode | tragically down to the footlights, and look | ing off the stage in the direction of the l prompter, he said:
 "EWill some one please send for the doc | torp
 ''It brought down the house and ruined | the scene.
 q heard Clara Morris make a pretty good | remark one night when she was playing in | Miss Mutton It was the night before l Christmas, which is always a bad one for | theatres, and the house was not half full. | Marie Wilkins was on the stage with Miss | Morris, and her line was, You know we are l in the midst of the Christmas festivities. Miss Morris looked seornfully around the au- | ditorium and then, turning to Miss Wilkins, | said:
 "'WeI, should say we were
 "The audience saw the point and rewarded | Miss Morris with as big 8 round of applause l as her. best acting drew forth in the course of l that evening. One of the most inveterate | gaggers on the stage is Edwin F. Thorne. He dearly loves to say what he considers good things. Several years ago he leading man at Woods Museum in Philadelphia. The Julia Matthews Opera company was playing there at night, but there was 8 mati- nee every afternoon, at which Thorne ap- peared as Bob Brierly in the 'Ticket-of-Leave Man. John T. Raymond, Charles Walcott, George Hoey, and your accomplished instruc tor went one afternoon to see the performance and occupied front seats. As soon as Thorne came on the stage he spied LIS and made up his mind to give us treat. He waited calm Iy until the scene in the grog shop, where the boy, Sam Willoughby, is cheated at cards Brierly exposes the rogues and warns the boy. To our surprise Ned Thorne finished the speech thus:-
 "'And when you play, play with square men, not with thieves'-and then, walking down to the footlights, and deliberately | pointing at us-'those fellows down there are poker sharps, that's what they are
 'ELater in the play, when Brierly is cap 5ured in the company of thieves, Melter Moss, the comedy man, an lsraelite, follows him off the stage and flashes q lantern in his face every time he turns around. Some crank had been boring Raymond for @ month, trying to sell him play called Only Jew. may be sure Thorne didn't forget it, and as he was going off, followed by Melter Moss, he turned, and, looking pitylngly at Ray mond, said: Only Jew
 Raymond laughed till his sides were sore. heard Henry Peakes and a dreadfully bad actor who was playing the Duke des Ifs in Olivette' make some lively extemporaneous remarks one night, too. It was in the end Of 5he last act and several actors were i'll the heater Peakes saw them, and, as he went 1ff the stage in one of the scenes, he turned 1pon the unfortunate duke and said:
 :" They tell me I'm bad; but oh! you are se-worse-worse
 ''And he strode of, leaving the actors in he house convulsed. But, bless your heart! he poor duke rose to the occasion and made his exit with this speech: He says I m worse than he is! An, if I thought hat were true would hang myself, like iacbeth's banners, on the outer wall
 ''Now those' continued Josephus, 'are enuine gags. They were all spoken the bur of the moment. The best gags, how yer are those which are carefully pre- ared. Comic opera is the place for that ort of business. I remember a verse that sed to be introduced in 'Billee Taylor at he Standard It was at the time when he citizens movement for new street. leaning bill was in progress, and the verse lways aroused storm of applause. It ran 1us
 ''sWhen first came to Amerikay-
 All on account of Eliza
 Our good ship sailed up New York bay;
 All on account of Eliza.
 It's the finest city ever have seen,
 The commissioners keep the streets so clean
 All on account Of Eliza " ttAgain. in Patience Claude. Duval,' )livette, Iolanthe, 'Orpheus,' and other omic operas, these gag verses have been