Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-04-25
KISSING ON THE STAGE.
How Actors and Actresses Simulate sweet
Oscillation Behind the Footlishts.
NslV Tork SGr.

NeW LWH o$1"
This ia a sweet subisct. Il is danger
ous one. Like "Ostler Joe" it may shock
some one to read about, even If The ALSO
lutte indulgence of kissing does not shock
them at all. The kisses of the stage look
infinitely better than they are. They are
bona 6de instances of appearances being
kept up at all hazards. To the amateur
thestsrgoiug there is something magnetic
and tsntslizing in Juliet kiss, and q touch
Of realism in the graceful arms OF Clara
Morris when she embraces the children IN
Miss Mutton" and her eager, passionate
kisses fall upon their little faces.
The Juliets and Romeos CT the stage sp-
pear to the novice to bs having gushing
time, without let or hindrsncs" but then
the novoiee, looking from the orchestra
seats, does not see the lips covered with
ysrmillion and realize that Romeo would
inst as soon kiss the leader OF the orches
trs. and rather do it than take all that paint
in addition to his own that does not bear
the least texture or flavor of the natural,
straight kiss. Upon this point the actor
can say, For this are We actors, TO seem
to be what we are not, but what our friends
would have u.s." A great deal OF nsuse
sting comment has found its Eay into print
about stage kissing, when really the art is
much more difficult to perfect than the
newspaper and lobby dude have spy idea
of.
To kiss with the look of an ardent lover
the woman he would not kiss for bis whole
weeks salary is no small bit OF acting. 10
kiss with fervent, tender Womsnlluss1 the
man che would see in the depths OF He'll
Gate rather than toueh his lips is stroke
of stage diplomacy that ought to bs rever.
euced by the lovers of art. To really keep
from the real caress and Hiss when It may
chance that stage lovers are real lovers 10
footlight heroism.
Generally the stage kiss is blank cart
ridge, and sometimes an ingenious effort
on the part of the actors TO see how really
near they can appear to meet at two lip
avenue and not meet at ell Some one
ssid ouce, "Bernhsrdt's oscillation is a con-
vulsivs hug, accompanied by kiss that
seems TO come from Just back OF the spine,
but which hss no explosion to 1t. Mary
Andersou's kisses" said the same writer
are delivered at temperature below zero
about forty degrees, generally. Adelaide
Nelson was accused OF kissing her Romeo
STRAIGHT in the mouth. even it she sezed y
glass of water as soon az possible aud gar,
glsd il behind the scenes. This vas hard
shot at the Romeos The Abbot kiss has
beeoms O standard bit Of current h:era
ture. What il Just ID no man seems quite
wiling to define. One could fancy deal
of temptation lowering around the mouth
os Adelins Patti; she boasts OF its color,
and SAWS she "can make up aud siOg with
ont the use Of carmine OF vermilion on her
Ess." which fact iusensiGs5 the temptation
and fascination OF that feature.
The actors who sse Csst for lovers are
often most disagreeable to each other, and
never recognizes one another off the stage
People who SEQ their stage caresses could
hardly believe in the fact Of such positive
sntsgonism. -,
There sre some reasons, strong IS hie
itsen, that would forbid genuine kissing on
the stage, even it were permitted. One Is
tobacco. aud another cosmetics.
1t is q nice bit Of work 10 love aud klss
naturally on theSstsge Those who are
mssetrs OF the art off the stage, when con
Quoting the pretty business on their own
reservation. are often the pores. lovers
One of the most graceful Of stage lovers
vas Edwin Adams Harry Montague was
another. Kyrle BslleT, the new man at
Walack's, is an expert in this liue Of art,
both On and of tee stage, He is the hGs
band of thai charming French artistic. En-
yeuie Lagrsnd, and the father OF her beau
tiful children. Beecher and Theodore ~
ton we're realistic actors in the srt OF kiss
ing aud loving in their palmy days; good
many svs living who could testify to III:
fact Thinking it all over, the woods are
fnlI Of them"