St. Paul daily globe., 1890-07-07
SAINT PAUL.
TWO HUMoRoUs SITUATIONS.

Paul Jones. the actor, low in st. Paul,
and better known to the public gen
orally as Gaspard in Lies Cloches de
CorneYille." has been on the stage over
thirty years, and during that time has
played with most of the leading actors
of the country. He has wonderful
memory, and some of the stories he tells
of events in connection with the careers
of stage celebrities are extremely inter
eSting. One of these is OF the time
when Barry Sullivan was touring the
English provinces with company play
ing "Richard the Third" Lou Wag-
her, who had figured as Richards OPP
ponent in the duel scene, fell Ill one day
in Sheffield and was totally unable to
play the part that night. Sullivan was
wild. Most of his male support were
cheap men and incapable OF anything
beyond shouting in unison as helmeted
warriors. Something had to be done,
however, and in sheer desperation a
man was selected from the army OF
supes, and Sullivan put in the after
noon drilling him. There was but one
difficulty when the rehearsal had been
completed, which was that the
man insisted, when pierced by the sword
of his adversary, in falling Ill SUCH
position that the curtain descended on
his neck. This occurred several times
and so eXasperated Sullivan that he
called for braSS-headed nail, and drly-
ing it into the stage he bid the fellow
fall with his head close to that nail.
Again the scene was tried over and
the idea worked like charm. When
the curtain went up on the same act at
night though, with the house brilliantly
lighted and packed with people, things
were different. Richards opponent
went through his lines in nervous
way, and when at last thrust through
the heart he should have fallen dead, he
paralyzed Sullivan by hopping about
like chicken in the dark with his eyes
fixed on the stage at his feet.
''De, you idiot, why the deuce don't
YOU die?'' hissed Richard in a stage
whisper.
Pm looking for that brass-headed
nail' was the reply, i'll tone audible
all over the house, and the curtain
descended amid storm of laughter.
A mirth=provoking incident somewhat
similar to the above, occurred some time
ago in Minneapolis. A party of the best
known Young mer in St. Paul had been
having Jolly good time in the SANITY
City on the afternoon OF st. Patrlck1S
day. At the suggestion Of one OF the
cOterie trip was made that evening to
Minneapolis. and box secured at the
Pence opera house, where snap com.
pany was playing ''LOndon by Night"
With the St. Paul crowd was young
man whose talent in the histrionic line
is we'll known, and who is without
doubt the best comedian IN local anna
rtA fl,nf nh
of the order denomiEated tart" In
factit was about the worst show ever
seen by any of the party in either city.
The heavy william of the plot was an
Irishman, and he had celebrated the
day by getting too drunk to stand,
which left the already weak cast
in an almost hopelessly crippled con-
dition. Here again, however, the much
abused supe was called upon to play
the part. BE had never spoken half
dozen words On the stage in his life, but
that couldn't be helped; he was re-
hearSed for an hour, and then went on
to play the villain without an idea OF
what was to be done. The stage man
ager directed him from the wings, how
ever, and he managed to stumble
through the first act in way. In the
second act though, i'll which the hero is
SuppUSbu W DG dlldChCu ny lhO filIoihs
who descends upon him from behind a
pile of stage rocks, the new man forgot
his cue and stood glaring helplessly at
the audience, while the hero. who was
trying to look unconscious of the situa-
tion. whispered loudly. "Come down
and attack me; you've got to stab ME in
the back"
This was repeated a couple of times,
but still the villain stood there shiver-
ing with stage fright, and apparently
unable to move. The stage manager
was tanning the air from the wings; the
situation was getting oppressive, and
litter was heard in the audience. AT
this juncture the st. Paul amateur who
had been giving vent to expressions OF
disgust with the show ever since taking
his seat arose, and leaning out of the
box toward the stage, called aloud;
"Why the devil don't you come down
and attack the gentleman?" No other
climax was necessary. The curtain de-
scended. and the audience went into
convulSions.