Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-08
ACTORS AS AUTHORS.
WRITER'S FAMILIAR WITH STAGE LIFE
OFTEN Willy THEIR PROFESSION.


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Only rho.. s,ori.s That Arc True TO Nature
Are Popuinr--Gossip aud Nowsin
Theatrical Circies
We have all read stage-stories az come
time or other. and we have all-at least
those OF as who have some acquaintance
with "llfe behind the scenes --"ondereo
why these stories should not have borne
some resemblance TO the lie ana pro-
rasslon they are Intended to depict. The
reason should be plain. writers OF sport
ing seafar!ng mining. financial. and
other ..soec.aT' novels are generally per
sons intimately acquainted with their
chosen subjects; they have lived among
the surroundings they seek TO portray
and they know the characters they at
tefnpt 70 anaiyze and present. In aadi-
ton to which they devote no inconsiner-
able time 10 the study Of the technicah'les
Of n particular trade or calling In COM
sequence their books are comparatively
faithful: and, as they are written WIN
uuon either the persons chosen az types
or the professions selected as the vehicle
of romance. But this is not the case win
writer's Of stage-stories. They boldly
aftenpt 10 break GrOund which Is 10 them
utterly unknown, and they recNles'y
phlugc headlong into the details Of pro-
fession. the technicalities and customs
Of which are admitted uumasterapie ny
the most learned professors oil the law.
And the outcome of their audacity anu
f,1lhardiness are tales as false 20 chilihc-
fer as they are untrue 10 SURROUND
sngs. and as perniciOus as they are III
pertinent. Stsge-stories. generally speak
ing. are written with a 'puiposa, ana
90 more credit to the writer's dI'ordere"
imagination than their observation.
Yet reprehenslve as the stage-storIes
If outsiders" usually are, how inueh
more so arc the tales written by men
and women who are ACQUAINTED WIN
theatrical life and people, but VINO eager
10 gain a reputation FOR sihdttle'9
AZ any price. deliberately vlify the pro-
fession they were ready enough u EN-
brace. and ascribe 10 # views which tn'y
veu know TO be scarcely existent Inc
public j. ready and willing ID re'o
stories dealing with stage-life why CAN
not il be supplied with such IapuluHi
from pens OF ability? The efforts OF me
actor turned author are often so inc
atricar' in construction and coioTihS
that they are only ineligible ana inter-
esting to those Tin the know anu 50 de-
feat their own end; and the WORKS Oh
amiable fcti0uists who are entirely lgh'-
rant Of the phase Of artistic HE tbey er
roncously describe, are 50 glarihSE iaiao
that. unless they pander to VICIOUS
taste. their publication results In lalIuIc'
There is a great future for the ho'ell,9l
who shall arise and readaby describe the
stage not as II is supposed 70 be, nor as
DO would wish II to become, but SIMPLY
AS II is There Is in theatrical lie 50
much OF theatrical incident and such Ill
vcrsitv of strougly-marked character mat
tho stape-s.orv writer has No occasion 10
draw unon the worn and stereoypel
plate and puppets that form mis- present
stOCk-in-trade.
let staee-stores be true to nature, anu
they will meet with hearty approval from
the theatrical profession, publishers ana
tha general public; but without impair
ti,lltv and "A special knowledge OF their
subject the writer's can no more hope Tor
| success than can the favorte hero VINO
walks on the stage IN an emergency anu
without rehearsal, cleverly cnacts part
he has never before played. Certainly ne
succeeds in enthralling the audience, out
he also succeeds I'm convincing US OF MS
authors stupendous ignorance.
New York Is a great summer-resort-
when tic weather Is cool. There are
| days. however, when the mercury
wriggIes up among the hundreds. and on
these DAYS. aided and abetted by general
| humidity, Gotham's population has nara
time Of Il: if they don't literally sweat
| blood" they come very near II, althoush
| a cynical old-timer says it's only beer.
on one Of these aWfully hot days, every
one who has the price, HES 10 Coney
Island 10 enjoy the breezes from Oh
ocean. 1t has been said that on the TURF
| and under It were the only places where
all men were equal But this saying wa
published long before COney Island was
| discovered. The author never boarded an
| iron steamboat on a hot sunday, pouhd
| for Coney Island, or he would have
| added a third.
one Of these swelterng, scorchng'
blistering hoe days last summer the
writer. i'm company with 5000 other per
spiring mortals. squeezed on one Of these
! boats. and prepared 10 enjoy the only
| thina one can get near a New York resort
| free Of charge-some fresh air. II was
| n motley crowd. indeed. that was present.
| All classes Of humanity-the swell ana
| the rough-women with diamonds, ana
| women with jerseys, stOve-pipe hats.
| straw-hats, and the tough "dicer'
covered the blonde the brunette, ana the
| crop-heads of the red-faced wearers.
| There was evidence Of trying 70 look
| comfortable. even If II was not on the
| level. After getting under way me ny
| Italian" orchestra started 10 play. Inc
| harp. the flute. and the fiddle. with the
| piercing piccoo thrown in, tore In tat
| ters the popular air OF the day. All went
| well for a while. At the lower end Of
| the bay the fresh. delicious ocean breezes
| were felt. and the orchestra struck up the
| isabella Waltz" from ''li92." The
strains had hardly begun when one OF
| the crop-heads with n seedy deer grabbed
| his pig" (P-u street for GRID around
| her tight cardinal Jersey, AMI began Il
| stin-armed waltz. Chairs were Knocked
| down. demure passengers tipped up
| aristocratic toes crushed, and high hats
| stove in-the piccoio warmed an, and
| blew its shflllest; the harp twangel' ana
| the fiddle squealed. and the two dancers
| knicked every body and everything IN
| sight. Finally. the captain, the mate
| and two deckhands laid violent hold oil
| the whlrling pair and stopped them.
| The musicians eased up. and general
| equilibrium was restored. Muttered
| threats subsidized. and after a whispered
| consultation. the chief offender arose, and
| said: ladies and gentlemen, | begs
| yer pardln. but whenever me and me
| gal hears de Isabella waltz, ives got tel
| dance: see? Hope dere was no harm
done! Yours truly Everybody pardoned
| him. but a general order has been issued
| to the various steamboat orche stras Il
| cut out the 1892 music when the boat
Is crowded.
That a woman could write play was
| strenuously denied a few years since
| but now, the time gives ii proof ms
! next season We are promised production
OF play By "GeorEe Fleming" an Ameri-
can lady. whose novels, Mirage am
The Head Of Medusa." created some sur
| a dozen years ago. and moved the lead
| ing critics on both sides Of the Atlantic
10 admiration whilst in England, Lady
| violet GreVile is - furnish the novelty
at the London Criterion, vice that ex-