Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-19

SWEET OSCILLATION.
This is a sweet subject 1t is a dan
gerous one. The kisses of the stage look
infinitely better than they are. They are
bona fide instances of appearances being
kept up at all hazards. To the amateur
theatergoer there is smethng magnetic
and taLtalizing in Juliet's kiss, and a
touch of realism in the graceful arms OF
Clara Morris when she embraces the
children in miss Mutton" and her eager
passionate kisses Tell upon their little
faces
The Juliets and ROmeOs of the stage
appear to the novice to be having gush-
ing time, without let or hindrance;" but
then the novice, looking from the orches-
ira seats. does not see the lips covered
with vermillion and realize that Romeo
would Just as soon kiss the leader of the
orchestra, 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."
To kiss with the look of an ardent lover
the woman he would not kiss for his
whole weeks salary is no small bit of
acting. TO kiss with fervent, tender
womanliness the man she would see in
the depths of He'll Gate rather than touch
his lips is a stroke of stage diplomacy
that ought to be reverenced by the lovers
of art. To really keep from the real
caress and kiss when it may chance that
stage lovers are real lovers is footlight
heroism.
Then there is the temptation kiss Poor
human nature is bit Of clay in the
hands of the potter sometimes. These
temptation kisses are terrible. Perhaps
it is a young, tantalizing Rosalind. He
and she are almost strangers; the caste
has thrown them together, and that shame.
less youngster without clothes who laughs
Anthony Comstock in the face has drawn
his bow and sent delicate, downy arrow
through the young mans overchargeC
heart. They are all propriety at rehear
sal-all dignfied and busy behind the
scenes. Then Rosalind comes on in al
her provoking attractiveness 1t is more
than the actor has calculated he would
have to withstand; the lines of his par
are empty sounding words even if the,
are Shakespear's the footlights, thu
orchestra, the audience are abominabl,
previous and numerous; he tries to re
member he is somebody else and not him
self; that this tantalizing image of coque
tv and loveliness is only Rosalind; bu
the fellow is human, and so is RosalinC
after all If he is ambitious he will pra,
tt,A
cast to play in that role the Rosalind ma,
be old enough to be his mothea.
Generally the stage kiss is blank car
fridge, and sometimes an ingenious effor
OF the part of the actors to see how reall,
near they can appear to meet at two.liI
avenue and not meet at all! Some one
said once, "Bernhardt's osculatio mis- 6
eonvulsive hug, accompanied by kis,
that seems to come from just back of the
spine. but which has no explosion to it.
MARY Anderson's KISSES" said tn,
same writer, "are delivered at a temper
AZURE below zero, about forty degrees
generally" Adelaide Nelson was &C
cused of kissing her Romeo straight il
the mouth, even if she seized a glass o
water as soon as possible and gargled i
behind the scenes. This was a hard sho
at the Romeos. 1.-The Abbott klss'' ha
become standard bit of current litera
ture. What it Just is no man seems quit,
able or willing to define. One could fame,
a good deal of temptation lowering arounC
the mouth of Adelina Patti; she boast
OF its color, and says she "can make II,
and sing without the use OF carmine O
vamilon on her lips" when fact intensi
fies the temptation and fascination of tina
feature.
The actors who are cast for lovers are
often most disagreeable to each other
and never recognize one another off of tn
stage. People who see their stage caress
es could hardly believe in the fact of sucl
positive antagonism
There are some reasons, strong as lif,
itself. that would forbid genuine kissing
on the stage. even if it were permitted
One is tobacco, and another cosmetics.
The indulgence of indiscriminate fond
ling, kissing, and similar nonsense is nc
to be found among actors either before O
behind the scenes, but it does flourish i
all the abandon of license. at amateu
church entertainments, sociables, fairs an,
receptions. 1t does not seem to be yer
ullllcult IoT fuau 10 KISS woman IN
play, and half the men in the audienc
would be willing to change places wit
the actor, thinking that individual luck
fellow. Probably the actor would prefe
that they should be in his place if he ha
to give literal kiss.
1t is nice bit of work to love, cares
and kiss naturally on the stage. Thos
who are masters of the art off the stage
when conducting the pretty business o
their own reservation, are often the pool
est lovers. One of the most graceful {
stage lovers was Edwin Adams. Harr
Montague was another. Kyrle Belle u
j., the new man at Wallack's is an expel
in this line of art. both on and off tn
stage. He is the husband of that charm
4, ing French artistic, Eugene Legrand, an
the father OF her beautiful children.
A very popular leading man in one O
the New York city theatres, is noted fo
his lack OF ability and naturalness in giy
ing stage embrace; off the stage he
perfect, however. He generally seize