Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-20

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The entire dramatic profession regard cross
eyed people with aversion. As q rule, no cross
eyed person could ind employment In o the
atrical company. If the rule happens to have
been relaxed and a cross-eyed stage carpenter
or property man engaged he is liable to be dis
charged the moment the slightest Ill luck be-
falls the company. 1t is also considered an
omen OF failure to have q hunchback In the au-
dience on the first night OF q new play. Certain
theaters are on the blacklist of every manager
OF travelling combinations. Nothing would In
duce him 10 play nis attraction In these thea
tiers unless certain profit was guaranteed him
by their managers. Actors and actresses VINO
regarded as uniucky themselves and as bringing
Ill luck to Others. They are known In the pro-
iession as Jonahs. 1t is next TO impossible Tor
them to obtain engagements, and many an
actor of promising talents has been forced TO
leave the profession because he was regarded
as Jonah. Vice versa, some actors are ooked
upon as mascottes. George Cayvan Is, lot IN.
stance, often spoken of as the Little MascoIte.
II q star has been in many fires he becomes
known as fire fiend," and finds 1t dlmcult 70
lay out his route because managers, many OF
whom are "a superstitious as actors, will not
let him have their theaters. Kate Claxton bad
this difficulty after the Brooklyn theater lire.
Some years alter this event an actor engaged
room at hotel in Evansville As be was
about 70 write his name on the register ne saw
stop at the same hotel with the fire hend, and
gave up his room.
Out tue lnUINlQual SuDerSbfblO0S are lar more
curious than those of a general neture: Who
would think that thoughtful aC.or like Ed
win Booth would care how the room in his
hotel Is numbered, as long as the apartment Is
clean. commodius and comfortable? Yet he
mas SuperstitiOus dread OF sleeping in an odd
mum nin nDeFed room Hence, when his tour Is
are engaged al the same time. Lawrence Bar
rett has n curious prejudice against people who
have many esses in their names, and always
make up his company of people in whose names
that letter does not occur. Some attribute this
prejudice, which is strong enough to be called
a superstition. to the fact that his real name,
the name he bore in humble and grievous cir.
cumstanceS, is O'Shaughnessy.
The superstitions OF comedians are even more
absurd than those of the tragedians named.
John l. Raymond regards a red haired woman
with horror. TO meet q woman with red hair
play he considers an omen OF bad luck. Indeed,
ne VIII actually remain In the house in order
not to run the risk of meeting a red barred
woman j. *. Emmett won't pass person on
the stairs. If he happens to be half way up
night OF stairs and some one is coming down,
ne descends to the loot of the stairs again
ana taxes n fresh start. 1t sometimes hap
pens that he has to turn back several times
before he can ascend the whole flight. He has
owS Se reaS a Of people on his way
luck In meeting gray horse in the morning.
James Lewis, when studying a new part. car
ries an old pony shoe in his pocket. His wife
once proposed to decorate the shoe but Lewis
regarded the proposal with so much alarm
desisted
Actresses are deeply Influenced by supersti-
tion 1t hardly seems possible that anything
could stay the flood of Clara Morris impas-
stoned speech. And yet, if she sees nail
on the stage she refuses TO set foot on the
boards until it has been removed. Fanny
davenport is superstitious about her make
up she will use only one persons cosmet-
les. This favored person is son Of a woman
who made up her face tor her first appearance
Oh the stage as a child. She once changed cos
metics, and the result was the failure of the
american Girl: Ii Ada Rehan sees a pin on
the stage with the head toward her she regards
III as "a sign of i'll luck. The first night of Love
on Clutches at Days she saw a pin on the
stage lying with its head toward her. To this
circumstance she has always attributed the
TACT that another actress in a subordinate part
made greater success than she did with the
leading roe- pin with the point toward her
sue thinks n token of success. Agnes Booth
never allows wig to be dressed on her head,
MIS- Fernandez believes only~in plays with
chlidren's parts in them. Some managers have
super>tliions. John otetsun is so Influenced by
dreams that a dream will sometimes chan ge
his plans entirely.