Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12
BEHIND THE SCENES.
Interesting Gossip About Theatrical
People and Their Ways.
TRIUMPH OF THE TIE-BACK.
First Night and First Nighters-How Amy
Robsart's Life Was Saved-A Variety Hall
Queen in a Felix Costume-Jennie Joyce's
Triumphs-Liked Best In Tights.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
NEW York, September II, 1S9

Weeh- IL Hauc no uiHerence mat DIE waiter
Scott. in deyisng history Of this heroine
closed her career in a pitiful death. Tho dram
atist was bound to bring her out of her troubles
happily. He did this by making the villainous
Varney plan to entice her on a deceitful bridge.
which should fall under her weight and pre-
cipitate her to death. The stage carpenters and
scene painters had done their work well and
presumably rehearsals had seemed TO complete
the preparations. Varney should have blum
deringly gone on the bridge himself and been
killed by the fall which he had intended for
Amy. He was enacted by 10 experienced an
old stager Barton Hill. who strobe out on
the bridge at the proper moment, but down he
didn't so at all. The bridge wouldn't break.
The hand which should have touched Off the
trigger, or i'll some other way loosened the struc-
ture, was somewhere else at the critical june
ture. Narney was ssiounded and not at all
pleased by his escape. He crossed over the
bridge in safety. and his voice WAS heard III
angry eXpostulat;on for an instant. Then he
returned to the center OF tho bridge and de-
lIbcrately threw himself over is side. That
ended the play with roays of laughter. But as
the Narney of the drama was also the stage
manager of the production it is presumed that
some body was fined rather heavily.
NELSON AS AMY IoBsART.'
To speak we'll OF the dead is rule to observe
generally and particularly if the dead person
waSa woman. But Adelaide Nelson. the really
great actress ard whose acting embodied the
very soul of refinement made no attempt IN
her lifetime to conceal hec wckedness. So it
Is not uukind to her memory to give q remin-
iscence. She played Amy iiobsart at Booths
Ihcater about twenty years ago, and the climax
of the drama was essentially the same bridge
scene already described. In her version she
was TO cross the bridge first in safety, and that
episode WAS one of the most thrilling things Ill
the performance. Nelson depicted the woes
OF the gentle Young wife of the Earl of Leices-
ter with the utmost deicacy and patho5 and
enlisted the keenest sympathy of her audience.
SO that when Narney seemed about to murder
her II was with difficulty that some of TIE mere
impulslve spectators RETAINED from giving a
warming cry as she stepped forth on the peril
GUS bridge.
But one night she came to the theater di-
rectly from champagne supper, and continued
to quatf that beverage during the intervals of
the performance As the play progressed 1t
became evident that she intoxicated to the
verge OF incapacitating her. and Manager
Harry Palmer. now dead and gone, was appraised
OF the danger He foresaw that she would not
be able to cross that bridge without tumbIing
over. He told her and advised her to omit
the effort. but she undertook to prove her stead
lness OF gait by walking crack IN the floor.
Although she failed under that test of sobrety.
she still maintained that she could go across
the bridge. Seeing that it was impossible to
restrain her. Palmer sent out hastily to neigh
boring hotel for dozen mattresses and these
were spread underneath the bridge. out of the
audiences sight, but where they would catch
the actress safely if she should fall. And fall
she did, as he had anticipated, and. for once,
at least, the dramatist was frustrated in his
scheme OF tEwarting Sir Walter SCOTS plot and
saving Amy Robsarts life.
PLENTY OF FIRST NIGHTS.
Tla& +ria E,I ,,C.
nights" and to the distraction of first-nighters
three first nights occurred Oh the same night.
This happens often. although managers are be-
ginning to avoidit when the circumstances per-
init. by making their original productions on
some other date than Monday. 1t is popular
mistake to believe that New York audiences at
the tirst performance OF plays in Broadway
theatcrs, at least during the regular season. are
made up to any considerable extent of dead
heads On the contrary, money Is very often
refused at the box Office or that commence
ment evening, and afterward during the reten-
ton of the same entertainment the house cam
not be half filled with paying people. The rea-
son OF this an oma Y Is that We have consider
able body OF men and women who like to see
original productions. We call these folks first
nlShters. They have money enough to crafty
this fad without minding the risk that they
may not get their moneys worth. The general
public waits until it learns from the newspapers
or through friends that performance is IA sue
cess before buying seats. but the first-nighters
don consider that question.
HARD To CHOOSE.
All that perplexes them is TO choose between
several original productions when there are
more than one on the same date. There are
not less than II hundred men who keep their
names on special list at the upper Broadway
theaters, SO that the same two seats are always
r -. L -
first night. If they have not taken advantage
Of this option at that hour the tickets are sold
to late strangers. lhus the initial audiences
continuing these amateur critics besides the
regular critics. have to some extent the same
aspect. The free tickets TO the press number
from fifty to sixty. which il not heavy ag-
Sregate considering that we have twenty-one
daily newspapers, beside those weehlies which
give more or less attention to the drama. All
| the rest oI the house. if the stage offering be
OF real interest and consequence, is to be
sold out long before the demand for seats is
supplied. theatrical people who seek ;,dmis-
sion are put off until later nights. and so it is
that the idea of first night audiences being
! chiefly deadhead is altogether erroneous.
THE TRIUMPH or THE rIE-BAcKs
He was a grabbed old-timer. the gray and
somewhat seedy individual who entert tanned a
group of young fry between the acts at re-
cent first night, but he had an eloquent way Of
hating the naii on the head.
1.-The tie-back skirt Lie said. twill drive
genius out Of the business if We are not care
full"
The opinion was novel and mysterious
Some one asked what he meant BIZ it.
We'll. you saw that magnificent blonde
that paying the leading part here tonight,
didn't you? Yes. Can you give me a clear
idea OF how well she Is playing the part! No,
sir. You haven't thought about it. You
rather think she isn't SO very bad, bat at the
| same time you are unable to say that she has
touched point above the average. People
will ask you tomorrow what you thought of
hc- performance. Quite good, you will an
swer, all the time not knowing whether Won
mean IL CT not Now, do you want me to tell
you why YOU haven't formed any distinct i'm
preston Gb0ut this actress. It's merely be-
| cause -FOUR whole attention has been cs4,tered
upon her tie-back ahirts. / mean what say
precisely. That girl is shaped liho Il Grecan
! goddess, and has got lIo.u of u great dress
| maker That dressm.kcr las clothed her
shortcomings. The skirts she wears are cut
, sui lifted IN the most canning manner. They
| show her on better than tights would As she
! the life of you cease studying The lines of her
| Inquire and pay attention TO .he lines of her
part. You study her SHAPE, whether you
! an artist or - sensuillist. There is use OF
trying TO get away from that tie-back skirt. 1t
Is beautiful, and the woman's acting ID not
great enough to distract your attention from
it.
THE RESULT