Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-16

Tls Regard fsr Evil Omsn, Among
Actors and Actresses.
.,h.seots,p .Iouahs," and "Fire fisnds'
of the Theatre---Tragedians and
comedians:Equalls as Super
stitious---Curions Whims

among hcIots tnan
ors though the latter are popularity supposed
n he. as q class, the more supersntious'
Rnt as regard sailors. while superstition
No, he prevalent in the forecastle, IN the ON,
cs,s, quarters it usually is not. This Is es-
,,sc;aIir true of the crews of our large ocean
steamers the officers of which are generally
=. > &c liberal education, while such OF the
y ;cers AZ have risen from before the mast
- 70 heeu thrown 80 much in contact with
neonle of broad ideas that they come to re-
I'D "a ridiculous superstitions which for
merly greatly influenced them. But the
entire thestrical profession Is effected ny
superstitiop. 1t Influences equally the su-
per lady and the leading LADY, the stage
hand and the tragedisn. There isn't star
Who is not superstitious.
Supers,itions among sailors and actors
.rs dpe to similar causes. The sailors I'M
ao;nation is quickened by strange cloud
sSapes, the weird shrieks Of the WIND, and
the awful mystery of the sea. Similarly
there il much in the surroundings Of an
actor TO stimulate the imagination. he
lives among the fanclful figures which
others have conjured up around him. bis
Il an imaginative world. He must imagine
that tinsel ia gold, must hear the voices OF
the forest in the stiff branches OF painted
trees, and must stimulate emotions and
speeeh. His imagination is sensitive and
prone to exaggerate incidents 30 trivial that
people not in the theatrical profession would
not take notice Of them,
1t is worth while to note, besides the gu
perstitions of distinguished actors those su-
perstititions which are common to alt mem
bers Of the profession. The entire pro'e--
sion regard cross-eyed people with aversion:
AS rule, no cross eyed person could ind
employment in a theatrical company. II
the rule happens to have been relaxed, and
a cross-eyed stage carpenter or property
man is engaged, he is liable to be discharged
tbs moment the slightest ill-luok befalls the
company. A distinguished actor orce hest
tated in part which he had often played,
and the prompter was obliged to come to
his rescue.
Just as l got to those lines, he said.
Il saw a cross-eyed man in the third
row.
No doubt that was the explanation. 1t
is also an omen of failure to have bunch
back in the audience on the first night Of a
Lew play.
Certain theatres are on the black list of
e ery manager of travelling combinations.
Nothing would induce him TO play his at
traction in these theatres unless certain
p oft was guaranteed him by their mana
sers. Actors aud actresses who have been
connected with several failures are regarded
as unlucky themselves and as bringing i'll
luck to others. They are known in the pro
ssion as Jonahs. It is next to impossible
FIR them to obtain engagements, and many
On actor of promising talents has been
forced to leave the profession because he
was regarded as Jacob. Vice versa, some
actors are looked upon as Mascots. For
instance, one young actress, whose name Is
familiar in this city is often spoken Of as
the Little Mascotte' If star has been
in many fires he becomes known as fire
fend," and finds it difficult to lay out his
route, because managers, many of whom
are as superstitious as actors, Will not let
him have their theatres. Kate Claxton had
this difficulty after the Brooklyn Theatre
fire. Some years after this event an actor
engaged room at hotel in Evansville.
As he was about TO write his name on the
register he saw Kate Claxtons name. He
positively refused to stop at the same hotel
as the fire fend, and gave up his room.
But the individual superstitions are far
more curious than those of a general nature,
Who would think that a thoughtful actor
like Edwin Booth would care how the room
in his hotel is numbered, as long as the
apartment is clean, commodious and COM
Portable? Yet he has superstitioua dread
of sleeping in an odd.rumbered room.
Hence, when his tour is mapped out his
rooms in the hotels en- route are engaged at
the same time. Lawrence Barrett has q
curious prejudice against people
who have many SIS IN their names, and al
ways makes up his company Of people in
whose names that letter does not occur.
Some attribute this prejudice, which is
strong enough to be called a superstition,
to the fact that his real name the name he
bore in humble and grieyous circumstances,
is o Shaughnessy. Poor John Mccullough
would never allow his dresser when dressing
him for new part, to put on garment
over his head. This put the dresser to
great inconvenience but the trsgediau
would never yield point.
The supsrstitions Of comedians are even
more absurd than those of the trsgeiiaus
FAMED, John T Raymond regards red
haired woman with horror. To meet a
woman with red hair in the street on the
day of the production Of q new play he con-
siders an omen of bad luck Indeed, he
will actually remain in the house in order
not TO run the risk OF meeting O red.haired
woman. j. X. Emmett won't pass person
on the stairs. Ifhe happens TO be half way
up flight and some one Is coming down,
be descends to the foot of the stairs again
and takes fresh start 1t sometimes
happens that he has to turn back several
times before he can ascend the whole flight.
He has the same dread of passing people on
bis way down stairs Nat Goodwin thinks
there is great luck in meeting gray horse
in the morning. James Lewis, when study
ing new part, carries an old pony shoe in
his pocket. His wife once proposed to dec
crate the shoe, but Lewis regarded the pro-
posal with 80 much alarm and protested so
yehemently that she desisted. Lewis never
sits down to q game of poker without the
pony shoe N bis pocket He found this
shoe years ago sad has ever SAGE regarded
It as stalismsn.
Tenn Whiaen owes his superstition to bis |
Of music. If he has musical |
in fats, the scene will prove fail
ire; if the music is in sharps, he is sure Of
Iuccess.
Actresses are deeply influenced by super
tition. It hardly seems possible that any
hing could stay the food of Clara Morris's
speech. And yet, if she sees a
lail on the stage, she refuses to set
DOT on the boards until it has
een removed. Fanny Davenport
) superstitious about her makeup. She
I'LL use only one persons cosmetics. This
avored person is the son of the woman who
made up her face for her first appearance
n the stage as child. She once changed
osmetics, and the result was the failure of
be American Girl" Since that time no
over I'm earth could Influenza har "a