The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-11
SOME STAGE STORIES.
FUNNY EXPERIENCES OF FAMOUS Ac-
- TORS AND ACTRESSES, .nysss

compliments Paid to Performers OF Un-
popular Parts by Persons In tho Audi
once-Several Interesting Incidents Re-
lated by o London Newspaper -
Playgoers Of today do not appear to
fall SO easily under the influence of the
power Of the performer or the vividness
of striking situation as in times gone
by. They do not SO quickly lose their
own identity, SO to speak. and become
so absorbed in the drama as to be car
ried away with tho interest of the plot
to such an extent that they feel them
selves not merely spectators, but partici-
pants in real and tangible incident
But when plays deal moro with homely
and natural stories and less with the
fantastic and woman with n past"
GLASS of drama, folks appear to have been
moro emotional and enthusiastic They
forgot the mimic side of the picture
and only saw before them life in minia-
ture, as they understood it. They had
the human note very finely tuned and
developed.
For example, when they were play
ing the almost immortal Green Bush
es' at the Adelphi during ono of its
many revivals, Nine. Celeste. in the
character of Miami, the Indian, had to
shoot her English husband, by whom
she had been deserted. and, after firing
the pistol, woman started up in the
pit and exclaimed in loud voice,
Served him right; it's just like my
monster" This explosion Of insulted
womanhood, produced by the cunning
OF the scene" and Nine Celeste's pow
erful acting, was naturally followed by
burst of laughter from all parts Of
the house.
1t is certain that art frequently pos
sesses more sway over our feelings than
nature herself. 1t was ut the Olympic
theater. in the autumn Of 1874, when
the "Two Orphans" was being acted.
that young lady sitting in the stalls
hurled her opera glasses, with the ex-
clamation, "You beastP' at Mrs. Hunt
ley (La Frochard), who was i'll treating
Mr.. Henry Neville, the crippled Pierre,
i'll the garrett scene. 1t was certainly o
high compliment to that actress power,
though it was dangerous way of send
ing testimonial.
But it was critic who uprose, on
the first night of the late Charles
Reade's drama, "It's Never Too Late to
Mend" at the Princess theater, in
1855, under the management of George
Winning, and vehemently protested
against the fogging business in the Jail
scene, rs being inhuman and untrue to
life. However, it was true to life, and
the discussion that ensued in the papers
tended to crowd the theater nightly for
many months. But audiences did not
always take things too seriously and
were in the habit of expressing them
selves very candidly when occasion
arose.
Even the great Grimaldi could not
invariably rely upon success for his old
wheezes. He was once Missed ut Sadlers
Wells theater after singing his celebrat.
ed comic song (what dull piece it was
to read, by tho way y "Tippitywichet,
and he appealed to the audience. He
had nodded" he said, crowned,
sneezed, choked, gasped, cried, grinned,
grimaced, hiccoughed-he had done all
that could he done by brow, chin,
cheeks, eyes, nose and mouth-and what
more did they want?" "Why, we
want" yawned languid voice from
tho pit, Eve want u new featured
Sometimes it is tho manager who
gives vent to his feelings when sitting
in front. as was the case with Henry
Harris. for many years manager of