Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-05-12
STAGE KISSES.
EXPERT TESTIMONY FROM ACTORS WHO
HAVE TO DO 1T.
The Fraped Olinging, Bernhard S0ubrstts and Other
Kissss-Thsy Aren't Quite 50 Nice as They
Look, Boys, After All.
Nfln York Prfss.

|
ing there is in a stage kiss. Whether this
man and woman who passionately en-
brace each other on the stage and press
burning kisses on each others lips are in
the slightest degree carried away by their
feelings. Whether they really kiss each
other or only pretend to.
This subject presents more than would
appear at first sight, as there can be no
doubt that actors and actresses destroy
more stage Illusion by clumsily pretending
to kiss, when it is palpable to even the
most sbort-sighted person in the audience
that their lips do not meet, than in any
other way. The theme presents opportu'
mites for many interesting notes and COM
ment, besides possessing degree of im-
portance, for the reason that it opens up
field which has hitherto escaped discus
sion.
Emma Abbott gained national reputa-
ton by her stage kiss, and the peculiar
methods of other players more prominent
have been widely commented on. A num-
Der of leading actors, in the daily routine
of whose work the stage kiss, by reason OF
its frequency, plays an important part,
have kindly contributed entertaining and
amusing interviews on the subject.
II never kiss woman on the stage I'M
less it's absolutely necessary" says Kyrle
n he lima. oh q
as they do in Antony and Cleopatra,
which read: of many thousand kisses
the poor last 1 lay upon thy lips where
the words make the action absolutely nee
essary, or else the situation Of the play
must demand it. / mean by this that l
never of my own volition introduce kiss
into the business Of piece
'This is not any false idea of delicacy
or sentiment upon the subject, as l have
none. A stage kiss from my standpoint Is
simply piece of stage business-ilke re-
moving the hat, getting up or sitting
down-nothing more, and think that Is
the view most players take oft. My OBJ
lection to the stage kiss is purely prac-
teal one.
"a stage kiss is much more delicate
operation than is generally supposed, and
what is more to the point do not con-
slider it effective from the front. L have
often heard it said that very few actors
could successfully play lovers part, ana
in the connection we are speaking OF TINS
seems particularly appropriate when sp-
piled to stage kissing.
"Where kissing is absolutely necessary /
believe kiss should be exchanged. l
know of no instance where an actress has
refused to allow her stage lover to kiss her
on the lips. The action has no significance
in itself, and none is attached toit by SEN
sible people. There may, 1t is true, have
been lovers in real life who were also
lovers on the stage, but they are very few
and far between.
80 far as my own personal experience
is concerned / can safely say that have
never experienced any sensation whatever
caused by kissing on the stage any of the
numerous actresses l have played with,
and don't believe any man who is really
an actor ever has
! MAURICE BARRYMORE SAYS:
81 thoroughly appreciate the difference
between the kiss of passion and the kiss OF
peace, and the still more widely defined
| limit between these two and the kiss OF in
difference. This latter completely defines
the stage kiss, which is nothing more than
the iuxtaposition OF the lips of the two PEG
pie who meet every night to 90 through a
certain formula, and then 60 their separate
ways without wasting as much as thought
on each other.
81 hope it will not cause the cynical to
smile when say that it does not make the
slightest difference whether the young
lady to be kissed is pretty or not Toe
mere fact of having to kiss her would rob
the operation OF any pleasure that it might
otherwise possess. Aside fiom this, un-
ike the personality Of the famous Egyp-
tian queen, custom would quickly stale
the variety. If you will imagine kissing
the same woman two OF three times a
night for about 300 nights, and in the
presence of 1000 or ], 800 people, you will
readily understand that the process be
comes decidedly automatic.
''In most cases kisses are not exchanged
at all. The motions are gone through and
the audience does not know the difference.
As general thing, when stage kiss is a
requisite part OF the business you will find
the actor turn the lady he is playing with
SO that her back will be toward the audi
ence. When he stOops to kiss her it is not
possible for the audience to see whether he
has or not.
1.-THE apparent intensity of a stage kiss
must be graded according to the situation
II am plsing a lovers part and am tax
ing leave of my sweetheart to return in az
hour the kiss | give, or pretend to give
will be thing light as air and not bali
second in duration.
"Should we be parting for long period
the kiss would naturally be of the long
drawn out, clingiDg order. Even there
long drawn out, apparently passionate
kisses are seldom bona fide.
"Do actresses ever object to being kissed
on the stage? Why, Lord bless you they
are only women, and there is no telling
what they will object to-"
John Brand tells his experience as fol-
lows: Whenever the play calls for kiss
on the stage generally kiss the lady am
playing with. That is. if The lady does
not object This is generally not the case
with stage kisses Most of them are but
feigned. The two people go through the
form of kissing, but their lips never meet
In many cases the male portion of the au-
dience envies the actor for what the actor
does not receive.
81 am, Of course, perfectly aware OF the
fine distinction between the kiss of passion
and the kiss of peace. cannot cite Gaze
where two people on the stage who were
actually in love with each other had to ex-
change kisses every night, bat have no
doubt that plenty of such cases actually
exist. 1 have never been in that pleasant
relation to any lady played with myself,
and cannot, therefore, attempt to state
with lust what degree of fervor this inter