Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-26
MUSIC And The DRAMA.
ADVANTAGES ENJOYED BY DUMB
ANIMAL ACTORS.
"The Sill Alsrm"-An Actress of Spirit
The Provincial Prompter-Gen-
eral Stage Notes.

..The sill Alsrm"-An Actress of Spirit
The Provincial Prompter-Gen-
eral Stage Notes.
Several months ago a COW played her
part for two weeks in one of the Chicago
theaters. All she had to do was to stand
still and be MIXED, and she did that with
perfect success; many human actors do not
half so we'll; angels could do no more.
Lately company of horses has been per-
forming at one of the theaters With the
brilliant performance of the cow to spur
them up and give them ambition, these
equine buskin-wearers bave been ringing
out sweet music from bells, adding up fig
ures and, as the advertisement said, "do-
ing everything but talk" OF course, they
didn't do everything but talk, ~ but adver-
tisers may or do claim the same right to
license as poets. The horses didn't indulge
in "horseplav," wisely leaving that TO GER
| tain human actors who can do nothing
1
things in which they are oyershadowed by
their human confreres, such as smoking
| cigarettes on the stage, writing long fare
well letters after being stabbed through
! the heart and having the top of the head
| blown of, holding in the erect position
| people that have tainted, making long
speeches after being killed by lightning,
and catapulting into one another's arms
after the female says in a B-fiat voice.
| ''Oh, Harry, have loved you since the
day before yesterday"
The horses did none of these things.
Let US be grateful to them, and none the
less grateful because they abstained on
account of sheer inability. For human
actors do not always abstain from attempt
ing what is to them impossible If they
did some of them would be strangers to
grease paint. The COW and the horses
were natural, and clothed in nature after
the manner of many Of the women both
| behind and before the footlights The
stage villain, always with a huge, black
mustache, and always without the power
of repartee, was not with the equine COM
] pany. Neither was the ceatenarian SOU
| brette, nor the everlasting bore, dry and
devoid of wit as a burial permit, who is
dislocated into the role of the funny man.
The world moves on evolutionary prin-
ciples. Time out of mind donkeys have
| been on the stage, the more intelligent be-
| ing hitched to carts and maintaining a
dignifed Quayic silence. The donkey has
usurped the stage long enough, and it is
| full time that the horse should come in for
| histrionic honors. But there are still sew
eral animals that have yet to make first
appearance. In some plays much of the
actors nerve force is wasted in stage
| laughs. In that South American bird
known as the laughing jackass nature has
provided an instrument that can do all
the stage laughing for large company
without straining itself in the least Some
animals could be used to help out the
scenery What could more improve
score of 'possums hanging by their tails
to its branches? The tank dramas could
be greatly improved by having three or
four hungry adult alligators in the COM
pany, to enter when the hero and the
heroine are in the water This would
cause rapid promotion in the company, and
give the subs chance. A polar bear or
two and large iceberg would add color to
| the scene.
| There are many other animals that
might be put on the stage. The great ad-
vantage in dumb animal actors is that
they act naturally. The human actors
that dash off three hundred word note in
two minutes should go to the animals,
consider their ways and be wise.
"THE STILL ALARM"
'The Still Alarm" an American comedy
drama, by Joseph Arthur, which is to be
| produced at the Metropolitan Theater to-
morrow evening, is, without doubt, one of
the most successful American plays ever
produced in this country. For going on
six years it has played to crowded houses
all over the country, and has also been
produced in England, where it made a
great sensation, and after long run at
the Princess Theater it had prosperous
tour through the provinces. 1t is said to
have the most realistic scene ever put on
the stage, in the way of a real steam fire
engine and real horses. The play has for
its motif the fortunes and misfortunes of
New York fireman, and the audience is
worked up to high pitch of excitement
over scene in the Central fire station in
New York, in which a very realistic show
ing is given Of the departure of an engine
to fire. In this scene the iremen slide
down the poles from their beds in an upper
story; two horses rush out to the waiting
engine; harnesses are dropped on their
backs as if by magic ard the steamer is
of. sputtering sparks and smoke as the
| high-mettled steeds at terrific gallop
whirl it ont of the station. Mr.. Harry
Lacy, an excellent actor of reputation,
enacts the role Of the hero fireman, Jack
Manley, and is supported by an admirably
balanced company.
| THE PROVINCIAL PRoMPTER.
| A writer in the London Stage gives his
experience at provincial theater: eff
the play itself was dull, the byplay was
amusing enough. The prompter was an
entertainment in himself. He did not
wait, as he had to do in other countries,
| till necessity arose for his services, but
he took for granted that nobody knew
word of his part, and gabbled every line
straight on, keeping a sentence or two
ahead of the actor. He spoke in a sing
song stage whisper, perfectly audible, |
should think, even at the back of the
house. / had the misfortune to be we'll
forward, and got great deal more of the
prompter than anybody else. What was
maddening at first became novel amuse-
ment when taken philosophically. soon
found myself comparing the prompter's
sonorous prelude with the confused echoes
which followed on the stage. Many of the
effects were very comical. The leading
lady took it most coolly, repeating every
phrase exactly as it came from the wings.
The old father was less phlegmatic, and
made an occasional attempt to get ahead
on his own account. But in doing SO he
only excited the prompter to more vigor-
Gus and more audible initiation. He was
not to be shaken off, anyhow. In the heat
of the contest the actor and he would
grapple together for minute or two, but
the prompter was longer winded and had
the advantage of being able to go straight
ahead. He always came out a winner,
and recovered his normal lead of a sem
tence or a sentence and half"
AN ACTRESS OF SPIRIT.
| During the death scene in the play of
Camille" says the PuxsutawDer (Pa.)
| Spirit Miss Irene Taylor, who had read
the role Of Camille, treated the audience
to.a real exhibition of feeling not on the
l Lo Ix-sn of