The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-18
ABOUT STAGE FRIGHT.
FAMOUS MEN AND WOMEN WHO
CAN'T GET OVER NERVOUSNESS.

selves-John 3. Coughs Trouble
Mark Twain and Novelist Cable on
the Platform.
Copyright. 1881
NEW YORK, March 16-"Stage fright
Yes, indeed know what it is. tremble
like leaf in a gale every night before 60
on the stage"
So said pretty Sadie Martinez as she
curled up in big chair in her dressing
room while waiting for her turn to go on
the stage.
''And on first night" she went on,
II an so nervous can't sit STILL"
The pretty soubrette's experience is the
experience of others. Charming Lillian
| Russell, she of the lambs wool tights, the
ideal Of the gilded youth Of Gotham, is a
great sufferer from stage fright"
81 am never sure of my voice." she ex-
plains, until after have sunga verse. The
high notes seem TO frighten me, and if the
audience does not respond quickly, l am
quite unstrung."
Mime. Patti, who has sung In all lands
and who. one would think should be proof
against nervousness, experiences the same
difficulty as Miss Russell.
when I once put my foot on the stage
L feel at home" says Mrs. Langtry, "but
c MT help feeling nervous while waiting
for the curtain to go up, and for my turn
to GOMEZ
"My heart goes thumpety-thump for the
nrst ten minutes after l get on the STAGE
says Clara Morris, "but after that am all
right"
The experience of these queens Of the
stage is not at all different from that of
leading actors. From Edwin Booth down
they are all troubled the same way. John
Mackay, the comedian, had such a bad at
tack of stage fright while ago that he ran
away from tho theater and no performance
could he given.
1t is the same with ministers, lawyers and
orators. You can see the nervous twtching
liz Chauncey NJ. Depew's face until after he
is is called upon to speak. The moment he
gets on his feet he is all right, aud can talk
like windmill on a spree. DR.. Taimage is
not free from it. and Col. Bob Ingecsoll is
not at all sure Of himself until after he has
uttered his FIRST dozen sentences. The wear
and tear Of the nerves, the thought Of pos
sible failure, is sometimes almost overpow-
ering, The old csmpaignerS are as badly
Off as tile beginners. Mayor Grant of New
York is good public speaker, aud hss had
plenty OF experience but it is pitifui TO see
him before he begins. lie fre,s and fidgets,
his hands toy with his watch chain, or are
despair. A young man who was playing
In hard luck in Monaco was seated beside a
veteran of the game, who was also in hard
luck. The young man sGOre like a pirate,
and tore around like a wild tear. But the
veteran sat still and not d muscle of his
face changed. He kept his left hand in his
breast anc seemed the least concerned of
any man in the room, although his losses
we're enormous.
chow can you stand it?n the young man
finally asked. "Are you made Of ironl"
The veteran slowly drew bis hand out
from lis breast. His fingers were wet with
the blood that came from the wounds
which his nails had cut in the flesh He
was suffering from stage fright, in another
form, only he managed tn concealit.
Maj Pond has probably handled more
lecturers and singers by the lycelm system
than any othor man in the country, among
them having been Henry Ward Beecher,
Joseph Parker Of London; John B. Cough,
Canon Farrar, Anna Dickinson aud any
number of others. be chatted about this
matter of stage fright quite freely the
other day, and while disclaiming any
knowledge of its effect upon actors, he said
it was his experience that a large proportion
of lecturers aud concert singers suffer
from it.
''Some persons are certainly 80 constitu-
ted as to become demoraliZ d. temporarily
at least, upon facing an audience" he said.
Il know young lady," continued Maj.
Pond, "who has thorough musical educa-
ton, and has one of the purest and best
voices l ever heard, which is saying a good
deal. She would make a sensation if she
could be got to conquer her fear of an audi
ence. But she can't do it, and brilliant
musical career may be spoiled because of
the failing.
'But the man most subject to stage
fright whom | ever met" said Maj. Pond,
twas John B. Cough Outside his regu-
lar lectures he could not talk to any audi
ence. He would b eak down completely.
saw him placed in a most embar RAISING
position when | was with hi n in London.
1--WE were at the church of DR.. Parker
and the latter observing Mr.. Cough in the
audience called him to the pulpit ID in'r)-
duced him to the congregation. M.
Cough was simply stunned with fright, and
all that he could do was to stammer out
some incoherent words OF apology. He
was always the same His fear of an
audience would never let him thiak on his
feet.
"Then there was Henry Ward Beecher,"
continued the veteran manager. 81 had q
long association with him in our lecturing
tours. With all his great abilities he al
ways suffered before facing an audience.
His embarrassment usually continued until
he had got fairly started, and then it was
forgotten. He was always so. He had a
peculiar fashion of holding one hand partly
behind him, and pulling Oh his coat vita
it. When tuRt hand came out it was a
sign that the embarrassment had passed
awav.
"There were two famous men who repre-
sented the two extremes. They were
Canon Farrar aud Canon Charles Kingsley.
The first could speak readily. thinking on
his feet, without embarrassment. But
Canon Kingsley could not make the sim
plest address without manuscript.
SD. r. Locke, the humorist, better known
as Petroleum v Nasty, was always afraid
of an audience, and lie could never tell
what TO do with his hands when on the plat
form. But he never really succeeded as a
lecturer
ANNA Dickinson was always more or
less nervous before facing an audience, al
though Mrs. Mary Livernore, who is the
most popular Of the women lecturers to-day
has very little Of that feeling"
docs the feeling of fright affect singers
SO much" asked.
"Well. scarcely" was the reply. miss
Emma Thursby used e. be very nervous
before facing an audience. SO did Miss
Clara Louise Kellogg. The latter seemed
to have an idea that sudden pain was the
remedy for an attack of fright She would
sometimes insist upon having someone
bend one Of her fingers sharply back in the
belief tuat the pain would make her forget
her fright