Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-08

stories About the Tricks, Mishaps, and
Jokes that Relieve the M0notOny Of
Acting.

stories About the Tricks. Mishaps. and
Jokes that Relieve the MOnotony of
Acting.
From the New York Sun.
ACTORS and actresses have good deal of
fun among themselves on the stage" said
veteran actor. 80 long as they don't let the
audience know what liberties they are taking
no especial wrong is done, though guying is
strongly discOuntenanced by good managers
Generally the best fun is quite impromptu but
sometimes joke is carefully planned before
hand. Two ofthe prearranged kind have been
played on Billy Florence, himself an invetcrate
guyer. In the picnic scene in The Mighty Dol
lar he is requested to sing. but. before begin
ming. asks, Has any member got troche?'
A negative reply being received, he pro-
ceeds to do his best without the throat clearer
One night in San Francisco, when he put this
question, every member of the company rose
walked solemnly to the fOOtlights and offered
him box of troches Nearly everybody has
seen The Mighty Dollar, and knows that when
Florence is asked if he sings he replies: Those
who lave heard me say don't He, however
yields to solicitation and begins to MARBLE, but
in SO execrable a fashion that after few notes
the players cough him down. A Job was put up
and when the usual cue for the coughs came
not a sound was heard. Florence struggled
along. but didn't know the song well. and was
NeI! UNEASY ne looked around, SHOOK his foot,
and made signs behind his back, but no one no.
ticed him. He had to sing to the end of the
verse, and then we applauded him and asked for
an encore.
"Al the Thornes are ever on the lookout for
fun and are not very particular that audiences
shall not see that they are not sticking to the
text. Edwin. now starring in The Black Flag
is the most incOrrigible. When his father was
lessee OF Nbo's business was very bad and the
old gentleman was known to be in financial
straits. THE adv of the LAX o. no otfrn
ton, with Mr.. ThOrne as frederick Dha. and Ed
win as Fitzj0mes. When Roderick gave the line
I am Roderick Dtu.' Edwin responded, Yes,
Mr.. ThOrne. and your rents due, too. A piece
the principal role. The early acts showed it was
going to he dead failure. At a certain point
character had to rush on and shout, Five hun
dred dollars for the Spy Thorne. who was
concealed behind rock, arose and cried.
Its yours-copyright manuscript and parts!
That was the end of the performance. The late
Charles X. Thorne would stand and whisper
1unny stories into an actors ear when the poor
fellow had the most serious speeches to make
Owen Fawcett was generally his match They
were playing The Two Orphans at the Union
Square. Thorne being the Cherolier and Fawcett
the valet. Picard. In the garnet scene Thorne
had to threaten that he would throw Picard out
of the window. and Picard prayed that his mas
ter would remember how high the window was
from the ground. One night Thorne made the
usual threat. What's the matter with the door:'
replied Fawcett. quick as flash, and the audi
ence shouted. The next night ThOrne, deter
mined not to be caught, said in one breath, I
will throw you out of that window. and there is
nothing the matter with the door,
stage fright. continued the veteran, "often
causes some funny effects Edwin FORESTS
tremendous voice and fierce manner used to
alarm the utility people and supers, and many
are the stories told of him. One Of the best is of
a super who had to do little bit of business and
couldn't manage it to the stars satisfaction.
i'm fyr-i0 iv, kl<,.l u.
sired way. and then grOwled out, why can't
You do 1t as I do? Because answered the
super. ii could should begetting your salary
instead OF twenty-five cents night.' Forrest
was once about to play MetdmOra. and at a par
ticuar point desired to turn and find a utility
man standing close beside him. The cue for the
utility man was to be. The tomahawk of the red
man is buried at the white mans hearthstOne'
Several times the cue was given but the pOOr
man never got there in time. He gave positive
assurance. however. that it would be all right at
night. The moment arrived, and Forrest thun-
dered the speech with all his might Then he
turned, but the man was missing. When For
rest was in his dressing room after the act the
face OF the culprlt appeared through an opening
Just wide enough to admit it. Il am very sorry,
MIR. Forrest but l really didn't hear you give
the cue Any other excuse would have drawn
from Forrest a torrent of abuse, but this as
founded him. Taking out SIS bill, he gave it
to the man with the words, Didn't hear me?
Well. go and see an ear doctor in the morning.
"When eating has to be done On the stage
there is a great temptation to play tricks with
the food During the run of Henry " at
Booths Bishop. as Pistol had to eat leek
every night. 1t was made from an apple. But
once Thorne. who was the F2uehe9 gave him
real onion. and he had to struggle with it,
though the tears cOursed down his fat cheeks
When Sellers has the dish of turnips brought
IN there are always two peeled apples on the
dish. Raymond can't bear a turnip. 1t is
poison to him. An actor removed the apples
nItYhf nd Row nn6h had <r ,<r
the real thing. You can bet there was war
after the curtain fell. Matt Snyder, now stage
manager fol Robson and Crane, is an inveterate
practical joker. He was sitting one day at a
matinee performance Of Uncle Tom Fos-
berg. who is exceedingly tall, was playing
George Harris. When he came to the speech
in which he declares that at the worst he can
earn six feet of free soil, Snyder arose and said
very politely, excuse me = Mr.. FOsberg seven
Thank you, Mr.. Snyder, seven, returned Eos
berg. and went on gravely with his lines.
''The boys got even with Snyder last season
when he was playing In 40 with Rankin Sny-
der acted the bibulous General who has to take
three or four drinks OF whisky during the last
act. Cold tea was the substitute all along but
at the end of the season the boys got some awful
Jersey lightning and handed three stiff drinks to
him. Snyder smelt them, but had to drink. The
cruelest part of the joke was that, after drink
ing the whisky, water is offered to him. and he
has to refuse it with disgust. That night he would
have given IS to cool his throat. but Rankin was
watching him. and he had to do the regular buSi-
ness. When people get up and go out during q
scene It is, of course, very annoying. variety
man said to party Of young men who were NOV
ing rather nOisily from their seats recently Pray
don't get up; I'll have the drinks sent in to you
They didn't 90. Pistols that have been forgot
ten. or that have refused to go of, have caused
innumerable troubles to actors. This year, in
Chicago BOuccault forgot the pistol which he
has to fire from behind the barrel in the last act
OF the 'Shaughraun.' Arte ONeal and Korru
kincheua engaged in their desperate struggle,
but no pistol came to the relief Of the virtuOus
maiden in distress. Those spectators nearest the
front heard this whispered dialogue:
Where's the pistol?'
I've forgotten it,
What shall we dor
Hit him. and ne must fall
"Arte raised her pretty little hand and knocked
out the villain with one blow But the actor
who had to come on and feel the wounded man
was not prepared for the change. and his refer
ence to the supposed bullet wound brought
down the house,
Patti Kissed Him.
From the Chicago News letter.
The osculatOry process between Governor Crit
tenden and the peerless Patti was teegraphed