Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-07-19
Actors Laugh and Joke Though
Their Hsarts Break.
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NoOthCCPCN toOhCu at INC o1NAV0o w ~ ~<e
pointed TO the manager.
"Ifs directed to the stage door" said the
messenger as he delivered it, but they
wouldn't let me pass there"
The reporter saw, asths manager glanced
at the name on the envelope, that it was for
one of the principals in the play. The
manager called an usher and gave him the
telegram, saying; See that thisEets to Mis'
after her last scene in the last act.
Mind you, not before"
Please put the time i was delayed ct
the door" requested the messenger.
"All right my boy" said the manager.
"But let me tell you one thing. Never try
to deliver Q telegram 81 the stage door of
well reeaiated theatre. You're sure to be
sent to the manager; for any doorkeepef
Who d allow telegram to be given to any
one concerned in the representation, be-
fore the curtain is down on the last oct,
MOULD get the grand bounce"
Don't you permit kilograms TO be delived,
cd to actors before the pertormance is overg
mo; nor letters either. The rule has to
DO adhered to by managers, or they would
often be embarrassed"
Glow so2'
"Well, take this telegram as an axample..
1t may contain information that some close
relative-fsther or mother perhaps-of the
actress to whom It's addressed is very sick,
or has met with some terrible accident, or
is dead. Suppose it did and l allowed it to
be handed to the actress now. She would
probably be Frustrated and unable to 20 on
with the part. 1t would be necessary to
stop the performance Should any m;stor.
rune have befallen any one dear to her l.
shall sympathize deeply with her. but the
performance must 60 on. We managers
and actors are the servants of the public,
and no matter what our private griefs may
be managers have to work, and actors have
TO smile if their part requires it. Look at
poor DAILY, who directed every detail in the
production of a new play while his two boys
lay dead at home"
That's sad enough" said the reporter;
but, after all, it doesn't seem as sad as the
ot OF an actor who is merry and making
others laugh, unconscious that death has
strit ken down some one near and dear.
"Yes, you reright. The very unconscious
ness of his act ons make the circum-
.tances appear all the sadder. One Of
The ssddest cases I've heard Of was that OF
a prominent conf. opera singer, who went
through dsshing role, while We held in
our Office the telegram which announced
that her husband had committed suicide. "
Then, actors often have to appear i'm
mediately after sad occurrences, which
would drive other people into retirement,
ion't theyT
Yes, very often, and especially those in
the lower ran ks Of the profession, whose lot
is unenviable at its best. remember we'll
the case of poor young woman l had IN
one of my companies few years ago, VINO
had been deserted by reckless husband,
and whose sole Joy in life was o little boy
She played small soubrette parts. When.
ever her duties took her on the road the
child went with her. Nomother could have
been more devoted to her boy. and no boy
more devoted to his mother. They were In
separable. One night the woman came to
he theatre very pale. Her boy was very
sick, she said The next three or -four nights
her face told ssdder and sadder story
On Saturday at the matinee, l knew from
her looks that the boy must be in very
Dad way. She arrived promptly for the
evening performance. Her lips were com
pressed, and her face wore look OF great
determination. Ii was evident that her
nervous system was at . tremendous ten
sion. One of the stage hands told me,
when l went behindths seems, that the little
COY had died soon after the matinee. Well
everything went all right TIL she came to
comic sony. In the midst Of that she broke
down, and ran weeping from the stage
"Didn' you have to stop the playY
Yes, and refund the money from the box
Jfice. had no under study for the part,
,r you may be sure she wouldn't have been
.biiged to appear at all after her boy wa
AIKEN down. know Of another case where
woman singing ina travelling comic opera
,ompasy got q telegram a. her hotel just as
he was getting ready TO start for the theatre
announcing that her husband, awefknown
,ctor in the West bad committed suicide.
Yet she had to go on the stage and act her
part She's plsy:sgin this city nov No.
ong ago popular comedian undertook the
production Of anew play in Boston The
al eht of the perfornance he came to the
theatre leaving at home dead child nod o
!; sife to whom be had hidden what they bad
thought last farewell, as the doctor bad
told him she hadn't two hours TO live. The
olay was miserable silure. Il seemed 40
though the come dian might be driven mad
by nisfortune. But to his unspeaksbls joy
he found his wife still living on his return
hena By what the doctor pronounced .
miraf 10 she recovered, but neither she nor
be has forgotten tire misery Of their pAstin8
that night The leading man Of Mary An
devsen's company went on the stage OF o
Washington theatre under the same ciBouus
sta,oes. Daringthe performance tefessems
came form Baltimore that bis wife was imr
proving. Just. before he went on :for his
best saeue in tie last act . telegram. was
handed to him. He opened it hastily ex-
peesine even better news. He saw TIM an
nouacement of bis w;fss death two hours
earlier. Just. then his cue came, and he
vent On the stage. Hseesasthat almost the
last, words OF bis wife were instructions that
telezrams containing words Of cheer should
be ssnt to him up to q certain time. when
she tbought the performance would 30 over
and that not till then should the Telegram
Announcing her death be transmated 70
him. By some osers;ghs the last aespstea
wa sent half an hour too soon. Bsconid
90 on and tell you dozens of equally sd
cases--hcE the hives Of comedians Are- short
e,ed BY domestic ariefi how women leave
festive banquet scenes fer the death bed Of
. k,.ha nd ,or child