The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21

Givers-M1ss Forsyth ana the BOOTS,
and Miss Russell's Annoyance From
aReal Fool
From the New York Sun.
tmay interest the matinee girl and
the front-row devotee to know that the
actors on the stage in most theatres can
see very little of their audiences, for the
sword of fire between the stage and the
auditorium reduces the sea of faces to a
confused indistinct vision. This is wise
provision, for actors are extremely sensi-
tive to the attitude of the audience and
easily disturbed by unusual demonstra-
lions on the part of any individual. A
single person leaving the theater will
sometimes destroy a whole scene.
1t was during the six hundredth pro
duction of 'Erminie" that the pro
longed and enthusiastic applause con-
fused that ever-nervOus actor, Francis
Wilson. to such an extent that he quite
forgot his lines. In vain he appealed TO
his brother tramp, Mr.. Daball, for cue,
for he was dazed as well, and couldn't re
Gala word There was no prompter in
the theather because the piece had run so
long Finally the two Tragedy men"
limped off to the back of the stage and
talked together until they caught line
they could go on with, and the au-
dience laughed approval at the new bit of
business. Afterward the actors found
they had skipped half the scene.
There is always the man who laughs in
the audience. Sometimes he Will quite
wake up cold and dead audience and in
spire the actors TO their best work. OF
course it is only the freshness of the au-
dience that saves the actors life during
the long runs that plays have in New
An old Mo 10 lilya old
No matter how many times you have told
the story, if the listener is new and inter-
eSted YOU enjoy telling it again almost
more than the first time. So the man
who laughs and the woman who weeps
and stirs the lifeless audience to keener
appreciation of the play are God-sends to
the faded players. The odd thing about
it is, if the man laughs too much he kills
the enthusiasm he has aroused. If the
woman, as frequently happens, gets hys-
terical with her weeping and sobs through
the comedy scene because she can't stop,
every woman near hardens ner heart in
disgust, and the leading lady gets few
tears no matter how elOquently she pa
rades her woes. .s
Despite the fact that the audience is not
easily seen by the actor, by holding fan
or book up between the binding lights
and the eyes the actor may distinguish
friends in the audience, and, like David
Garrick, play to one face among the many
Slplifted to the stage. Digby Bell saws
that when an audience is dead and cold
and he begins to get disconnected, he Sc
lects a crOss-eyed man or woman and plays
TO him or her with all his energy. at is
harder TO make cross-eyed person laugh
than a straight-eyed one, you know" ex-
plains the Casino comedian. land when l
see the smiles coming on mans face
while the eyes are looking everywhere
but at me, / know that l am a success.
One night was fooled, though. played
TO a woman crossed in both eyes, and she
squinted besides From the rise of the
curtain to its fall l sought by every power
I knew to eXtort one smile from that
woman. She sat bolt upright like corpse,
and was as chilly as one, never smiling
during the whole performance. ! after
ward found she was deaf and dumb, and
was in charge of a keeper for a mind I'M
balanced
The tipsy man in the audience is an
other element that would be more dis
tracing than it is if relentless fate, in the
form of an Officious usher, did not usually
remove him from the festive scene before
he is well warmed up to his part. The
tipsy man came to the Lyceum theater
one night, took an entire upper box, and
informed the audience that he was the
Duke of Marlborough. 1t was shortly
after Mrs. Hamerley's marriage with the
NOW u6C6dS6Q luke, anu bHe euOFJS OF MS
grace to entertain the audience were so
vigorous that he was quietly called out
between the acts by a turnkey in brass
buttons and helmet. The drunken man
made his zigzag and uncertain way into
the theater where Marie Dressler was
playing one night, and during one of her
recitals took occasion to fall over the seat
In front of him in his drunken sleep The
spirited lady paused in her song and re-
quested the usher to wake that man up
and show him the way to the bar, as he
evidently was thirsty and had forgotten
it. The man was so dazed that he
couldn't understand the message at first
and for some minutes the singer could not
go on, owing to the good-natured applause
of the audience.
OF all distracting, demoralizing features
the crying baby in the audience is most
undesirable Indeed, in hrst-class thea
tiers the baby is not allowed to enter the
theater, as one devoted mother found out
recently when she attempted to gain ad-
mittance to the Lyceum theater. When
she was told that babies were positively
forbidden, she coolly called messenger
boy, sent the baby back home. and enjoyed
the play. At some of the variety theaters
so it is reported, there is a check room for
babies, and along with umbrellas, bun
dies and other truck, the baby is checked
and taken care of while the mother sees
for the enterprising manager, who would
doubtless swell the box receipts by fur
nishing nurses for the babies of mothers
who have no nurses at home. Mr. Soth-
ern and Mr.. Mansfield are both particu-
larry averse to babies, and during one of
his western tours MIR. Sothern refused to
go on because he saw baby in one of the
lower boxes. 1t proved to belong to the
owner of the theater, who had private
door to his box and had Struggled the baby
in that way. The baby's natural protector
refused to have the child put out. Mr..
Sothern refused to speak line until it
was put out. There was scene not down
on the play bills, and a final compromise
in Mr.. Sothern's favor.
But the person in front who attracts
the actors attention is not always a dis
turber of the performance, but sometimes
an inspiration that gives an interest even
TO well-worn part. For two seasons an
unknown lady sent Mr.. Sothern a bunch
of violets at every performance no mat
ter how costly the purple beauties. and
at every performance he wore the flow
ers. But the unknown giver baf1ed every
attempt he make TO discover her ident-
ity. Finally, at matinee in the season
when violets were highest in price and
not generally worn, he saw lady with
bunch in her bodice precisely like the
one he wore in his buttonhole. She came