, 1884-02-02
THEATRICAL CATS
Queer Feline Franks Which Have
Interrupted Performances
When Mary Anderson Trenbled--
Clara Norris Presence or Mind
IA Rail OF Cats In
sFanehon.s


IL Is n common custom TO nave cats ABOUT
the theatre. In fact. where is there one in
the country that does not possess a monster
Maltese which occasionally plays queer
pranks before the footlightsi At the Peoples,
In this city, is a gray cat which, having
caught her all Of rats and mice, not unfre-
quently strolls into thu stage in the midst OF
q performance, and nsver failing to serve the
gallery gods, receives their applause and the
twittering of the ladies in the dress-circle
with a plaintivs meow.
The Last TINA Mary Anderson was at the
Grand, In the potion scene Of Romeo and
juliet" a black cat perched on a shifting
scene glared down upon her, as II threatening
To spring. Her voice trembled 30 that she
could scarcely a~rticulate, and the audience
thought it was subdned emotion bursting
forth Promptsr, call-boys and scene-
showers tried to shove his catship down, but
there he aat, like Patience on a monument
smiling at Grief, till the prompters bell
called tho curtain down.
Barry Sullivan WINS once playing -Hamlet"
In Liverpool, when in the ghost scone a cat
appeared and insisted on rubbing her back
against the ghosts legs. or course, the audi
snco yelled, and the scene was ruined. When
E l. Davenport vas playing his first en-
gagement at the Walnut Street, Philadelphia,
soma one. as he was saying the lines of Ham
AZ aAAAk oA4 ~
outrageous fortune" flung a cat from the
gallery Mt him. 1t grszed the actor, and,
landing on its feet, escaped to the green
room.
When Clara Morris was once playing "Ca-
mile" at Woods theatre, in this city, she had
a cat experience. In tho last act she rises
from her lounge and staggers TO the mirror.
Sho regards her sunken checks and wasted
form and says: -Ah, how changed l am. But
the doctor has promised TO cure me. / will
have patience" While speaking these lines
tho actress was Mortified to see in the mirror
the reflection OF a cat which wns purring a
tow feet behind her. She saw in a moment
that something must DO done before the audi
encs should take In tho situation, or the en-
tire effect Of the scene would be lost She
turned shortly round and took the cat gently
In her arms, and with tears In her eyes, ex-
claimed: 1Poor pussy, how soft and warm Is
your beautiful fur. 1t Is many weeks, is 1t
notf since l held you like this In those arms
Some one else may soon take my place. All,
pussy, you viii not nave your mistress with
you long" With these words she walked to
the wing and let tho cat 60. Tho audience
supposed she was only speaking the lines of
tho piece. and the scene passed of without
further incident. r
But the most ludicrous cat theatrical story
oAAt " a. III At1 ALtlllItt Ntn VI
leans, in its paimy days whom fat old Bon De
Bar was manager. He was annoyed by cats
passing across the stage during the perform
ances. The place was infested with rata
and three large toms were kept busy all the
season looking after them. Useful as they
were, 1t was necessary that they be sup
pressed. They had been allowed so
much license that hardly a night
passed but they would. with arched
backs and measured tread, move
across the stoge and turn tho deepest tragedy
into the verisst farce. De Bar ordered that
they be banishsd TO the flies during the per
formance, and should be brought down only
for purposes of business. The stage carpen-
tar made a kind Of tenement for them by
throwing an old, -~dlapidated scene across
what, in theatrical psrlance, Is known as the
gridiron; that is, the frame which holds the
scenes In position. Here the cats roamed at
pleasure, and seemed pleased with their new
quarter They multiplied rapidly. and were
nightly visited by cats from the nsighbor.
hood, TO whom they kept aopen" house. One
night there was an unusually large assen.
blage, and, their weight bsing greater than
could b supported ~ The rotten old =cene
that formed the platform for their promenad.
ing, the canvas parted, and In the midst Of
the most pathetic sceDs In -FanchonH down
they came, heller skelter, pell-msl. 1t fairly
rainsd cats. The nstonishment of tho audi
snce, which was ignorant Of tho cause Of the
mishap, may we'll be imagined, as well as thu
uproarous merriment that greeted such q
performances. Several OF the actors wert
severely scratched, aud there was 4 run or
tho property man for hesh-colored court
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