Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-06-30

| blast and the curtain rose. My first instinct
| was to get out of sight for fear some friend
| in the audience might recognize me, but a
| moments reflection convinced me that no
| one would look at me and that I might as
well possess my soul with peace.
Behind me was the river with it's patent
| swan-power railway. Across the stage stood
Lohengrin waiting his cue. Telramund has
said or sung his accusation and Elsa, with
! her train of white robed maidens, swept by
me on the stage. In the swing of the music
l was beginning to feel the stage illusion al
| most as much as I would in front when a
harsh voice broke the spell. A sound of
subdued swearing came from behind me.
The swan was on strike and refused to move.
But just in time the carpenters got him
started and Lohengrin sailed into sight amid
the plaudits of the audience Then a fat
knight, who had previously obscured my
view of the principals, passed me his mighty
sword, took my banner and went forward to
form the lists. The combat followed, and
Telramund having been vanquished in short
order, my assistance was next required with
the board upon which Lohengrin and Elsa
are raised in triumph.
However delicate and frail Miss Juch may
look to the audience, can affirm from per-
sonal experience that she is of a good, sub
stantial weight. Then the curtain went
down, while the theater rang with applause.
AS it rose in response to the encore Candi-
dus said to Juch: "They want us to do it
over" She snapped out, "No, no." and the
first act of "Lohengrin" was past.
In the next act 1 became tonsured monk
and walked in procession with my arms
| meekly crossed. After that I had nothing
to do until the end; SO I loafed about and
struck me was the un-American character of
the company. Attention has been called to
the lack of real Americans among the prin-
cipals, but it was heralded forth with great
acclaim that the minor people-the rank and
6fe-were nearly all natives. About the
stage heard much chat among the minor
people-musicians, chorus singers, hgurantes
but very, very little in anything that could
| be called English except by an extensive ex-
ereise of the Imagination. There was a great
deal of German, some French, more Italian
and little of some other tongue that I was
unable to recognize, but that was neither
Scandinavian nor Spanish. The person who
directed the placing of the supes spoke with
SO strong accent that he would have been
more Ineligible to me had he spoke German
| pure and simple. If there are such numbers
of Americans in the company as advertised,
| it must be chiefly by grace of the laws for
the naturalization of minor children.
The last act came on; Iohengrin told his
| story with due effect and parted from Elsa
with due grief. AS they took their last en-
brace Candidus grinned behind his beard,
while Juch turned her face partly from the
audience and said, "Don't twist my back
bone SO much" !" in her most pathetic style.
The swan was transformed, Lohengrin sailed
away, the curtain dropped and the whole
company stampeded for the dressing rooms.
AS turned down the stairs Candidus and
Hastreiter were just behind me. To him she
remarked in German: ''Well, Pm glad the
things over" He assented with a laugh
| mingled with yawn. 1 turned into our
cavern, stripped off my costume and issued
forth into the night. So ended my first ex-
perience as a supe.