The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-27


| the wires that hold on his beard. plants
| the mustache with firm dab on his lip,
| and then makes up O nttie more
In the exciting rush, with every nerve
| on edge Spice in trying TO start the cleo
| tric ian on the left hand bracket. knock
| ed II Off with a bang on the moor. soth-
| eru's foot gave an eloquent niue latter or
| irritation. but without any impatience
in his voice. he said cody as he went
Never mind. Dan will fix it during
| the act"
Here the bell clangs off in way to
make fire horse jump. a moment later
| IL gave another spiteful VIII tho-deuse-
dor't-you-hurry' sort OF snarl. Sothern
leaps for his coat, grabs. his hat and
stick from Spices hands on his way out,
and rushes down the stairs. Seven MIN
utes after he goes on for TINS hfst act ne
exits al the right, and has 10 cross over
10 the other side TO make MS entrance
from the left as the drunken King. lie
goes down four or five steps. turns ana
descends fifteen more, crosses a passage
orchestra, then mounts the same number
G. si1ps on the other sitc There IL
fine of 5000 imposed on anyone who gets
in his way IN this transit
small table with makeup material.
a glass with. ~ trio light in front OF
It, and a small stove are In the corner or
this part of the wings. the space Is so
narrow that two people could not start
IN line. Two or three steps with a small
platform 20 up and lead into the stage.
The faithful Spice was waiting FOR his
master TO appear. The moment he did he
str pped of his coat ana trousers, ana
helped him into the Hussar jacket, an
in n twinkling. Sothern sat down and
gave some touches TO his face 10 repre-
sent the raddled visage OF the drunken
king. wet his hair and plastered II down
upon his forehead; Durn lhis uine ne
has TO utter maudlin remarks and inco-
herent words every now and then. a
moment more and he reels upon ne stage,
the King. This change. including his
passage down and upstairs and across.
consumes less than four minutes.
When he falls senseless they take him
of As they push him in on the little
platform the ACTOR VINO Is dressed ana
made up 10 take his place Is crOunched
down ready TO spring INTO Sdpt ana
Tarlenheim's arms the moment they re-
lease SOthern, and be taken on 10 the
stage. As they release Sothern ne ials
back into the stage-carpenter arms. II
is quite a dramatic little scene. Like
flash he is out OF his Jacket and into MS
suit down on the stone getting on his
beard and arranging his Wig smoothly
then with Wild clutch for MS straw nat
and stick he jumps down the stairs. IN
case he should fail 10 get them or any
thing should hayc belalien them, Dan is
waiting on the other side with another
hat and cane exactly like them.
you see we can't leave anything 70
apropos OF this arrangement
MIR. SOthern's dress for the second act
I'm which he Stimulates the KING. Is very
swell military costume, with brass breast
plate and helmet. IL Is exactly IKE one
the Kaiser wears. lie heq quarter or
an hour to make up and costume HIM
self but there is not moment or II IN
which he IS not as busy as beaver ana
the two young fellows are working Ike
''rhis is quick dressing, isn't it2" he
remarks as he puts the finishing tOucn,
drains a glass Of Ldthia with spoonful
OF Glenlivet in IL, and PUSHES down the
stairs He is on the stage IN the second
act all the time. except about i've min
utes This IL the period or the stage IN
which he has a moments rest. Even here
the ubiquitous Spice meets him win the
hand glass tucked IN his Waiftband.
conge-pot. powder puff and pencil. with
which Mr.. SOthern makes few strokes.
He also calls the attention or the Brit
ish Ambassador 10 a point 10 be observed,
and thOughtfully straig ht-ns out the I'D
bon Of the Turkish Ambassad lrs orders.
All the people who nave just come oi
the stage are crowded IN the wings. Ihe
interval before they return Is too snort
10 do anything In.
After this act there IS a repeu-loh IN
kind Cf the scene already described. Hc
tears Off his things AMI drops them on
the floor. leaving Spice and Dickers 10
collect them. Again the rouging, mare
footing, powder-puffing, and again, the
run from the dressing room 20 the stage.
Before he goes do~n he squirts red
liquid on his white shirt. whore ne Is 10
be stabbed by Hentzan In this act.
This stuff keeps getting away from
me-" he remarked 10 spice. about the
stick OF adhesive paste that he want
ed Break it up into dozens OF pieces,
II always escapes me when I want it,"
Wien Sothern came hurrying in. rs
usual after this thI-d act, he exclaimed
HHU|Ha
quickly I'm so tired can't. lie was
SO tired that he couldn't finish the sen
tonce. The makeup for this act Us for the
poor, wasted king in the prison OF Ienda
As he blocks out red and white patch
es on his face thu effect is little awfu!
until he sOftens IL down with powder.
Then he paints on his face the helpless
kings struggling beard. IN this act he
has 70 make another quick four nlinu Is
change from the king 10 hassendyi.
Spire carried the suit down 10 the stage
I'm the hath-tub. The little table and glass
are set up just where Sothern makes MS
change. There Is the same 'apli IN lnFo.
ana he Is on the stage as Kasseidyu Tor
As he came OF up the little board with
the transverse pieces or scaninng nailed
on it after the affecting parting with tho
Princess Flavia, the sense Of his part
clung TO him until he had nearly reached
the end Of the board II died out as the
color dof from a live coal taken from
the fire.
well, tomorrow IS sunday sald one
of the actors TO him with sympathetic
sieniacanca. But he lightly sprlig on 20
where he could rcer through a little hole
In the scene and view the effect OF the
morning light breaking on the sorroWlul
FIavia. Not until the curtain fell were
his labOrs OVER.
viii any one question that he had
done a good days work, with a matinee
and evening performance cntailine such
a strain iump and hurry? II any one
can. It is because this attempt 10 describe
the work Mr. Sothcn does Off the stage
i'm the .'Pr soner Of Zcnda' has quite fail
ed 10 DO Justice 10 the subject.
JOHN j. ABECKET.