Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-20
ON AND OFF THE STAGE.
A Prima Donna who sings in the Same
Company with Her ex-Husband and
Bis Wife.

A Prima Donna who sings in the Same
Company with Her eK-Husband and
His Wife.
The on-and- of-the-stage life Of many
professional people is as dIssimilar as are
the company manners and everyday be-
hsyiOr Of many children. A couple that
nightly makes love and whispers bits OF
the tenderest sentiment 10 each other be-
fore the fOotlights is as apt as not to look
some other way when they pass by of the
boards. A case OF this kind and one OF
the most peculiar phases OF theatrical
life were seen in the Academy Opera
Company which played in Savannah
week ago.
Prima donnas are always presumed to be
single. Until few weeks ago, the dashing
prima donna who stars as Miss Jeanne
Winston, in the Academy opera troupe,
was really Mrs. JEANNE Bell. She and her
then husband, the handsome Arthur Bell,
nave been playing in the same companies
Tor good while, she as the star, aud he
as one of the support and stage manager,
and among stage managers Bell is one of
the best. Naturally the star had many
admirers-most all do. Before she was
married, one of Miss Winston's admirers
shot himself on her account while she was
playing in New Orleans.
Bell and his wife PLAYED together night
after night, month in and month out, until
after time they discovered that neither
missed the other very much when apart.
Six or eight months ago they began regis.
terlng at separate hotels and each settled
their own bills. All last summer they re-
NAMED in the same company. Along in
october some time they took train in
baltimore one day and ran over to New
1Ork. Counsel had arranged everything,
and divorce was quietly and quickly
obtained. There mas been a great deal of
curiosity to know upon what grounds the
paper was granted. Thus far the reasons,
II there were any in particular, have
been kept secret. Rumors are plenty, but
are apt to be libelous.
In the afternoon of the day the divorce
was granted, Bell was married to Miss
Annie Carman, who was also member
OF the Academy Opera Company. When
the eX-Wife heard of it two or three days
later her only remark was:
He appeared to be in great hurry"
All the parties had signed with the
manager of the company to play for the
season, and when the troupe started on the
Southern circuit the trio came along.
The company opened in Savannah with
"Boccaccio," JEANNE Winston in the title
role and Arthur Bell as clam bertuccio,"
a grocer. la the second act "BOccaccio''
enters as green country youth and asks:
Are you Lambertucoio, the grocer?'
y am" is the reply.
'BOccaccio" scans him critically for a
moment as If trying to recollect some
thing, and then eXclaims, half aside:
wait! Thin legs, shaky knees, red
nose, stupid features-sure enough, tits
you. So you were described to me-"
Quite long dialogue ensues between
the Two, "BoccacciO" pretending that be
came to pick the grocer's olives. Probably
not half a dozen in the audience were
aware of the peculiar relations existing
between the two characters. II they had
been perhaps the interest in the opera
would have been even greater than it
was.
watch those two closely" whispered
a NEWS representative to friend, at the
same time giving away the secret. The
awkward country lad had just Innocent
ly asked the grocer il "Fiametta'' pretty
Miss Louise Searle) was an angel.
Nonsense, that is my daughter"
'LambertucciO' answers. ''Oh, you can't
make me believe thatv' "BOcccacIo" re-
spends, You are much too ugly to be her
father"
The lines lost none of their sarcasm by
Miss WinstOn's speaking them. When
she pretended to choke on an apple which
she was eating and which was supposed
to be an olive "LambertuccIo," resOrted
to the ancient remedy and thumped his
ex-wile on the back. 1t was noticed
though that he did not hit very hard for
the pert olive boy might have retOrted
with slap.
The name of the present Mrs. Bell did
not appear on the programme, and if she
appeared in the cast it was as one Of the
students in abbreviated costume.
On the stage there is very little dialogue
between the prima donna and the stage
manager. When the company left Sa-
yannah for Augusta Mr.. Bell and his wife
occupied seat on the opposite side of the
Rand three seats behind Miss Winston.
The prima donna paid no attention to her
ex-husband, but sat quietly chatting with
Miss Searle, while asleep in her lap was
her pet dog, TOpsy.