St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-02
STAGE SUPERSTITION
Some Fact and Philosophy
From the Pen Of Gifted
Lillian Lewis.
Singular Ideas Of Professional
People on Luck and
Ho0doos.
Lines Of Maebeth's Wi tehef
and Open Parasols Are
Tabooed.
Diplomacy" Since the Kill
ing Of Porter, Believed to
Be Fated.

world-distinct and peculiar. The pub
lie at large labOrs under the delusion
that it "knows all about it''-well, it
doesn't, and is not likely to. There is
an esprit de corps-a sort of free-ma-
sorry among these people which
prompts the stage to keep it's domestic
secrets. its moving causes, means ana
results. have been asked half-sneer-
lngly many times if the theatrical pro-
fesslon was not more inclined to super
stitlous beliefs than any other profess
sion was. unhesitatingly answer,
"Yes." In the stage life there are a
thousand phases and beliefs, which do
not appear on the surface, but which
exist. Superstition is one which plays
more or less important part. From
the great artist of worldwide fame to
the humblest property boy or
grip" (scene-shifter), each has his
or her own individual superstitions-
and plenty of them. Many quaint be-
liefS are shared in common, however.
The ''bad luck" certain to ensue imme-
diately from injudiciously walking
under ladder; the number thirteen on
dressing room or chamber door, or on a
trunk or car; or riding on train with
corpse in the baggage car, all certain to
bring speedy disaster; recitlng "Mac-
beth" lines, especially the ones of the
witch cantatiOn, ''dOuble, double, toll
and trouble, FIRE burn and cauldron
bubble," will "hoodoo" the business
and the play. | began my stage career
at the Fifth Avenue tLeater. New York
City, with Miss CIaXton, playing Julie
in 1.-The Two Orphans" After my fort
nights engagement with her / went
down to Booths theater (now torn DOWN
to play small part in the "Corsican
Brothers," Charlie Thorne being
starred" Four ladies and myself were
given large room to dress in the OPEN
dressing for the big masquerade scene,
in the second act, l posed before the
big, full-length mirror. when some one
Il don't know who-began to spout,
''douDle-double toll and" she got no
further; such storm of "Oh, my,
don't! Sh! shl Don't you do that;
you'll 'hoodoo' the play; besides Thorne
is sickl' stopped in blank amaze
ment at their clatter; in this way [ got
my Introduction to ''stage supersti-
tons" Thorne played two nights;
some one was found to Ego On'' for the
part. Thorpe died little later.
The peep-hole of the curtain is like
death, it ''levels all ranks" Everyone
from the prima donna to the chorus girl
takes a .'speer' through it at the
''house." Except those who believe
that looking at the audience through the
peep-hole 'kills" the house, that is.
makes the house small in number.
There are thousands of:professiOnal peo-
pie who could not be argued out of the
belief that the open parasol,
t kind leedng laay S of the rodv
on the stage in New York City the ops
ening night is responsible for the clos
ing of the company and the retirement
of the play. l wouldn't allow an open
umbrella or paraSol to be used in any
play of mine, if 1 had authority to stop
it.
A female "dead-head" is another well
known "hoodoo," if she is allowed to
be the first one in the house. The pos
session of peacock feathers is generally
avoided by the stage folk. Carrying
horse chestnuts is commonly believed
to ward off sickness and bad luck.
Crossing the street between the car
riages of funeral procession is special
ly undesirable. After Montague's death
in California, while playing in ''Diplom-
acy," and the shooting OF Ben Porter in
Texas. while playing a part in the
same play actors looked askance at
an engagement for the piece. An actor,
an old man, too, in New York, had had
part offered him in the play at good
salary. He said to me. II wouldn't ac-
cept the salary or the part. Pm afraid
of the play. It's unlucky and doomed
to bring death to some one in the COM
pany. Eli take good care that it Is not
Madame Modjeska is credited with
being so superstitious that before she
goes OH for each scene she pauses and
crosses herself, Dr. says her "prayers,"
as 1T were. Most professional people
(theatricaD have piece of money as
jewel or an ornament which they wear
or carry as On amulet or fetich-all to
keep off Ill and misfortune-and why
not? Why should not man who has a
hundred lives-each one different in
thought, feeling, purpose-a man who
has the power OF representing at will
nature in all her vagaries, following in
his own person the vicissitudes, fort
unes, hopes and fears of anOther-Why
should he not, if he wishes, shake off
the petty trammels of narrow wOrk-a-
day world which says in its small way,
superstition is unholy, wrong. fit only
for madmen and FOOLS" and let
his mind soar away into realms
OF speculation and pin. his
cares to. certain it is he has
the endorsement of antiquity.
The people who. with the SPHINX
and pyramids which have defied the
ravages of time and modern investiga-
ton and solution of their show" and
''why?"-Were at the same time the
most enlightened of people then inhab-
iting the earth, hut were also the most
SuperStltious.
The common superstition abont good
| or i'll resulting from looking at the new
moon over the right or left shoulder, is
older than the Christian religion. 1t
had its first birthday thousands Of
years ago ia old Egypt; it is old enough
to talk and speak in good American En-
| glish to-day. do not believe that all
people could be superstitious, even if
| they wished to be; little ieaven of
soul is necessary. l once heard Henry
Ward Beecher, say from his pulpit in
Plymouth church, this: AZ do not in
| dorse all that the Revolutionists
| claim, though Pm strongly inclined to,
but l do give this as my own private
| opinion-there are men and women who
| let their lowest and animal natures SUI
| percede their higher intellectual and
| spiritual natures that when they come
to die the flesh reaps corruption-afte
death, nothing -annihilation! People
of this sort superstition could find no
| lodging place in. To be intellIgently
| superstitious you mnst possess some
power to probe, or attempt to probe. the
possibilities, of not only the seen. but
the unseen, existence. To have at
least little of the divinity which
creates desire to know and feel
something outside of our own souls
better spiritually and intellectually
than we are. This impulse of the soul
and will-who can better possess it than
the man or woman. the actor or actress,
whose whole life is spent either con-
sciously in speculative, psychometric
study and mimicry. These super
stitions, though trivial in them
| selves, have deep significance
| to the student who seeks an insight into
| the searchings and the yearnings of the
human mind. They may be the out
| or0xutb 0p vuhof vyo fO-doy in rho iub ~