Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-01-21

n new American comedy that the manager
WA to produce on the next night.
"What on earth shall tor lie asked.
"pay the part Yourself A. ioyt does in
such an emergency or "et NrWgag.
"Whosp New.NyY
"Hc' friend Of mine ont of Il position
met him today very mach frayed.
Bring him to me-
NpWgAg was overwhelmed when ! tsd
him of the opportunity.
81 never acted in straight comedy" he
said. 81 can't doit. might as well try to
play Juliet"
ale wants You only to speak the lines,
thnt'sall. You're quick study, you know.
Come on"
had almost to drng the man to the
manager. Ike allowed himself, in semi
stupefied condition, to b" engaged. lie took
the part, sat ND all night in his boarding
house room and learned it, went to rchc0r-
sal almost letter perfect in the morning,
ana ncrvously prepared to face the ordeal
of the evening.
At 6 ocloc; he wished to 20 to the man
agcr and give up the part.
81 can never do it," he walled to me. II
haven't had time 10 form conception of it
and get up byplay. You see, it's au eccCn-
trio character p1rt-a man from the country
whom everybody takes for IL fool, hut VINO
shows up strongly At tha last. ! can't'--
ooh! don't act it, You're only engaged
in the emergency. You know. Simply 20
Oh and say your lines and come of. "
"Tnat, all | can do, he said with IA du
bious shake Of the head. III only Id had
timeto study it,"
American plays have taken foothold and
l,i.
two previous successes. drew typical
first nigh; audience" Npwzag. having
abandoned al idea of riahinG hit or of
acting the part any further than the mere
delivery @. the speeches ,YVht, was no longer
iuurli,atcly nervous. When he FIST Gu
tered he was trillc frightened and his mn
avodablc lack oi prepared stage business
made Kim awkward and embarrassed for
Il time I'lr lWk Vardn'Ss remained, bat
the embarrassment eventually passed
away lie spoke III his natural voice and
retained Lis actual manner When the ac
ton required Linn to laugh, he did SO, ex-
hiiitjns his characteristic perfunctory
smile.
He received . special call before the cur
tain aGterthc ,hil Hct lie had no bought
that it wa. meant for him until the stage
manager pushed him out from the wings.
Lie came back looking distressed.
".Arr tu.'y -;uying me?' lac asked the
st9sr m0rHGrr.
1'ue paper, agreed next day that one Of
the iiita Of TAG performance was made by
Ntw%ag in an old part which he had con
criJcd il Il >riMngiy ORIGINAL way and i'm.
PER, oaated with wonderful finish and sub
tie drullcrv'
"W ilHt does it mcunT' he g;,spcd
enlightened him:
"My boy You simply played yourself.
Did it never occur to YOU that in your own
person you re uneonsciou~ly one of the
drole-t men you ever saw
"l}ut | didn't a"t.''
"You didn't. And take my advice
dontr'
And he doesn't. Upon the reputation Of
his success in that comedy he ARRANGED
with another manager to appear in play
written especially for him. He is ii pros
porous star low. Whatever his play or
part, he always presents tie same person.
atty on the stage; and he mas made that
= csonall'y dear to many theater gocrs
lie does not rppcar too Frequently or too
long in any one place hence he il warmly
Welcomed wherever and whenever he re-
turns. lie is cl1ssed among leading act 0rS;
ana the ordinary person does not stop
sufficiently long to observe that he is 10
actor at all
"This isn't exactly art" he said to me
the q; her nj ght, witha tirge of self rcbukc,
"but it's .ucreseh
And the history Of Newe3g l., the history
Of maiiy.-k. \. Stephens in Philadelphia
Press.