The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-08-24
ACTORS AND HOODOOs
WOE TO A PLAY WHOSE FIRST NIGHT
SEES A YELLOW FLAGEOLET.

oEEo rELLOW FLAGcOLEI.
The In Itself Harmless Instrument Exer-
cises n Peculiar Fatality when In n The
ter Orchestra at n Dress Rehearsal OF
at the Initial Performance.
THAT play oan never succeed, )" said an
old time manager in an up town cafe sew
eral nights ago. ut is pity, too, for lisa
good play and a good company. wish
that had not seen the dress rehearsal"
You're getting old, colonel, and you
only see success in the past" said leading
man.
"That is where you are wrong" replied
the manager. II know good thing when
! see 1t, and this play is good thing, but
1t began with hoodoo, and 1t will surely
fail"
"Hoodoos are tommyroti There is nc
such thing as a hoodoo that can harm any
play"
Around the table were half dozen actors
and men interested in theatrical affairs.
Few men in New York know more about
the history Of the American stage for the
ipast few years than tho manager who spoke.
Booth, jefferson, Barrett and Irving have
all claimed him as their friend, and his
"reminiscences Of the stage make him the
center figure in any after t. play gather
ling Of actors.
Nov, colonel" said the leading man wheI
the glasses had been filled, you were talk
ing about hoodoos on the stage. don't
believe in them. When play is a failure
1t is easy to explain it by saying it had {
lhoodoo."
"Well," said the colonel, factors til,
world over are a superstitious lot. Ever
!, Henry Irving brought his horseshoe to THU
country when he first came here. didn't
believe in hoodoos and that sort of thinl
. when was young. don't like to accepi
Z them now, but / am forced to by expert
q ence.
Have you ever known the yellow flageo
let to fail in wrecking play2 Now, yot
!. laugh at that. think that, as rule, Their
q is no harm in yellow flageolet in itself
q but there is peculiar fatality in the cir
a cumstances that bring it into a theater or
Ia chestra at a dress rehearsal or on an open
! ing night. There was yellow flageole
70 in the orchestra today, and that is why
say that the piece is doomed. Yes, that
: right; laugh If you will, but my cxperienc
\. is long one, and l think am sane man
: Any old manager in this country will tel
,r you that a yellow flagcolet is sure to wrecl
,r any company. Circus men won't have then
n in their bands could tell you many in
h cidents to illustrate what l say. Perhap
you remember that when The Junior Part
NJ ner' was put on, every one said it was &c
NJ ing to be n big success. Everything point
ed that way, but it opened with yello,
N flageolet in the orchestra, and then Mrs
NJ Mckee Rankin's troubles began. That
q. q fact. have known stage managers, an
sensible men, too, who would refuse TO rim
!. up the curtain until tho yellow lageolt
n. was driven out of the orchestra"
m "That is Just as absurd said the ligh
comedy man, las the cheese that the Ita
nj ian ballet girls in the Crystal slipper ker
"a in their dressing rooms. know the eifet
of that mascot, for | was in the compan,
II, Every time went on the stage or near h
dressing rooms thought of Hunters Poir
and the gashouse district. Couldn't pc
=, suade those girls to throw away this chess
IL They believed that as long as they kept
they would be sure OF an engagement. II
1, cheese had been given TO them in Italy I
~ rotect them from harm. Each girl had
small piece of it-loud cheese it was, too
IN rolled up in paper in her trunk To be SUI
:, of protection they took it to their dressin
l,a rooms. Eddie Foy nearly choked becau,
Oh inc smell Oh thae cneese; haaie new
re uid IKE comic opera, anu thao cheese Sc
ng tleu MN; ! coula ohly snow the'n what
no cou,u 10 III haly Gun pa'y' hu woulu sa
ayl anu eseape ironi ents hol,ipie iIaii'
M cheese IN zoo deiic'te lor TINS WORE al
way 1use Wl',, uhtll = eee inVo tne .lesil
ok ana wear swaliow 'ailS ahu smoke cig
rettes on we stage anu pun my cum
ur now, colohel, speah'he apoue tne hoouoo
tnat Is my experience WIN -, mascot,
he OF so',o re'.aoni sun wy ie,'u,le i9 y,
ais ac.ors aie na.utaily s W. IS
by hups II - pec'use .ueir ny y one u mar
Of ventures, anu sonle'1.nes we nose liisi
ed iiincanS ehinR may ie'," 70 iaisu ., VI 81
cess. fropaoly gool ueal OIL inc suPe
st. SUTTON - ussuliicu Nlose peopie h IA,
rol uash OF tna1 N 'neiii' "hetner ehey WIN a
as inio - OF iioe' 70 YOU IeniSti1ei Mn'
ief nose Soshlah lii,ie 'itr hiV ~ "aiiacK
M Diplomacy as lho oouis' a. HicAa'
ng. you IeInehloer' 1ie 'iot ul TINS play nan
Jh wy psIIu'iie a,''v sre Gount 'ss'' ua'
or noso CoSni useu " Sel'a'h ptriul,e
in .nat LlSnt' nne sue Iti'Noa pis nv ma
on hearu tna' sue oiNa.S us,s 'llls peii'il
of now no matte, "HaV tNV pay may w.
Gourse ~ Is oI'y woman ,i. la,iGy, ana }
, a nave heara tha1 -nIeS NoSnlati "ou
he a'her Iose hef nSru'"oo WAN heI P'
luhie, Iu',l "iso mas eIiiii M ita' h'
IRIS sue ni'ue MGR iFsV BIe"U M sue "3Fe
liz, pair u eIoes oi peculiar P"t'erh' Iat