The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-08
THE DOCTOR WAS SLOW.
But Romeo Managed 10 Set Him
Right Before the Audience.


A stage wait was responsible for a de-
lightfully amusing incident in Chicago
few years ago. 1t occurred one evening
while Margaret Mather was playing
Romeo and Juliet" The play had gone
along very smoothly up to the scene where
Romeo, having returned from exile to
learn Of Juliets suppositious death. had
made up his mind to commit suicide at
her tomb. Accordingly he goes TO the
apothecary's to purchase the poison with
which to shuttle off He proceeded to de-
liver the lines which preceded the ap-
pearance of the man of drugs. and gave
the cue for the latter's entrance but some
how or other the apothecary did not come
on.
Here was an opportunity for the young
actor to distinguish himself by a quick
witted dealing with an awkward situation.
He had to bridge a gap until the cavader-
Gus old medicine man made his appear
ance; so forming instantaneously his plan,
he looked into the wings where stage
hand stood grinning and supplemented
] Shakespeare's text, as follows: "Ah, here
comes the doctor; but how slowly he
walks. one would imagine there was no
need of hurrying." Here a pause ensued,
and then, to gain more time, he contin-
ued: Now he has actually stopped to talk
with a lady What can he have to say to
/ her? All, at last he is once more on his
/ way" Another pause. "Well, WELL now
/ he has stopped TO talk to a man. Why.
/ the doctor seems TO know every one.
/ Here he comes again, thank heaven!
At this moment the doctor" entered the
stage from the opposite side. For an in
] -.
/ he greeted the apothecary: "Ah, doctor,
here you are at last; but how in the world
did you get around the corner so quickly?''
OF course the audience caught on and
enjoyed these delightful interpola tons I'M
mensely, but the act was spoiled, for the
remainder of it, the tomb scene not ex-
cepted, was punctuated by audible snick-
ers from the amused audience.
A very laughable m4shap occurred in
/ England a short time ago. during a per-
/ Torrance of a play called THE Lily of
! Killarney" In one of the acts there was
| a cave scene where the william had dragged
! the heroine on to a rock for the purpose
/ of throwing her into the sea. AS soon as
/ the dastardly deed was accomplished, and
/ the victim was struggling in the raging
| waters Represented by three borders) the
rock, as If Disguised with the entire bust
/ ness, sank out of sight into the dark tank
! sea, leaving the murderer standing nigh
] anu UIy upon d lOAI-itBSGQ AdDlt. MY les
4 the hero, who was now to appear and
! rescue the drowning girl, tried to save the
scene by making a spirited leap into the
water But his effort was not successful,
/ for after he had battled through the sea
/ with the heroine in his arms, having no
rock to cling to- there was nothing left for
/ him to do but to hold on like grim death to
the top Of wave, which he did TIL the
curtain fell on an absolutely demoralized
situation.
Some years ago, great excitement was
created one day en- Edgeware road IN Lon
don, by the appearance of a horse and
] Jockey in fun racing costume, gallopng
madly toward the Marble Arch a hue
and cry was at once raised at such a novel
sight, but all attempts to stop the runaway
were unavailing until the park was reach
ed, when the horse becoming exhausted
the jockey managed to pull him
up. On inquiry It came out that the Jockey
and horse were to have taken part in
Bouctcaults drama of the Flying Scud,"
then being performed at the Alfred theater
but just before going on teh stage the
horse had trod on a bag of torpedoes
used to initiate the cracking of a whip,
and the explosion of them so alarmed the
creature that he bolted out of a side door
leaving the race to be won by dummy
and the curtain to fall on an inglorious
tabeau.
In the opera Robert lie Diable," after
an admirable trio at the close of the
! fifth act, Bertram filings himself through
the trap to return to the abode of dark
ness, while Robert, converted through
Alices prayers, remains on earth to
/ espouse the Princess Isabelle. On one
occasion the romantic Nouritt, who i'm
/ personated Robert, was so carried out of
himself by the situation, that he dived
head formost into the trap after the god
of hell. His fellow-players were greatly
alarmed, thinking he must have been seri-
ously hurt, but as Bertram, who went
through first, had been in no hurry to get
off the mattress underneath, Robert came
plump down upon him, causing that gen.
tleman to use 'sich beautiful langwidge'
as might be quite appropriate for the
place they were supposed to be in, but
certainly not fit for these columns
Irving, Jr., relates with much gusto
the following which occurred at a sec
ond-class theater in London. What the
play was is not stated but at the con-
clusion of the second act the curtain
1 dropped on a victmized and hopeless
heroine who exclaiIns, Abandoned LOST
What is there is left for me?' Before
the drop was more than half way down
on one occasion, and while her pathetic
question was still ringing in the ears Of
1 the audience, an impatient fruit vender
in the pit shouted out, Apples. Oranges!