The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-24
TEDDY'S STORY.
And the Authors Startling Revelation Of
Stage Realism.

was in the lobby talking to David
Belasco. IT still lacked several minutes
of the hour of performance, yet scores of
| people were being turned away from the
box office by the announcement that every
seat in the house was sold. Ordinarily
Mr. Beasco has pensive, melancholy
| countenance, so TO speak, sicklled o'er py
| the pale cast of thought.
But on this occasion there was some
| thing OF contented twinkle in his eyes.
| alt is the eighteenth week, too" he
said, with amiahle resignation, As one
who struggled with and was not 10 be
| wholly overcome by complementary
eighteenth week and we have taken in
| sl0, coo for seven performances. l can't
understand ii, whereat he shook his
| head apologetically. In the effort TO
| cheer him up we said: "There must have
been many interesting incidents during
| this prosperous season. Couldn't you tell
me "A good story ABOUT Mrs. Carter; some
! thing new. that is worth printing! An
| expression of helplessness fitted over the
| authors face. "A story" he calculated,
"no, | don't remember any. Nothing
has happened. Everything has gone
| along without accident from the first
night. But, he cried ioyfully, 'there is
| Teddy Pieper. He can tell stories OF all
kinds Mr. Pieper was appealed to; "A
| story about Mrs. Carter, said he calmly.
"Wby certainly. Lots OF them. Let me
! think a moment" Whereupon he re-
tired into a corner OF the lobby, placed
his fingers on his brows, RENE ined in an
attitude of deep abstraction for five
minutes, then emerged from meditation
| triump phantly. "a story! Bless you
| Any amount Of them. Absolutely true,
too. Here's one, positive fact. Only
! happened last night. Even Mr.. Belasco
| dolsu't know about 1t yet. Great thing for
the Press. Copied everywhere. Create SEN
sation. Splendid Why, you know what
beautiful hair Mrs. Carter has? Well, last
night one of the chorus girls, hair some
thing like Mrs. Carter's, madly jealous
| of the superior beauty of Mrs. CGrter's
hair, tried TO cut it OFF. There's a story
| for you" There was a story for us. We
laughed, sans intermission, ten minutes
| by the clock at the ingenious press agent
until Mr.. pieper actually blushed. "No.
no, " we said amusedly, "that story won't
| go. III we printed such a yarn seriously
! The Press readers would think their
favorite journal was no cleverer than its
| own esteemed contemporaries. F" "Well, i"
| laughed Belasco, "If Pieper can't make
story, guess there is none to be made. "
Thus disappointed, he writer went be-
| hind the scenes TO shake hands with Mrs.
| Carter. The actress was still on the
! stage, but in the wings were assembled
number OF supers in army uniforms. One
| fellow in ragged suit or gray was espec-
tally picturesque. There was a round
hole in the breast OF his jacket and the
| cloth below its orifice was stained as IL
by some dark liquid, which TO the touch
was stiff and coagulated. "Why, Belas-
COZ we calculated. "You are an appal-
| ling realist. That feels like blood and il
looks as II the man had been shot through
the heart" "Eiist Histp' cried the
author warningly. "For heavens sake
don't say thing like that here-come
aloDg"-and he dragged us hurriedly
away into corner. "Why, man." said
he, excitedly, "it Is blood. That uni
form was taken off a dead soldier at Get
tysburg. But il the super knew it he'd
| get scared and run out of the theater inn
| mediately. All these uniforms are gen
uine. See here" and he picked up jack
Ell with one sleeve missing. "The poor
fellow who wore that had his arm cut off
with a single stroke of the sword. Every
uniform we have Is stained with soldiers
| blood, but wouldn't dare to let my su-
pers know that. They think that the
uniforms we're made to order and stained
and cut, torn and discolored by artitic-
ial means. But they are the real thing.
bought them in Philadelphia from man
who made collection OF war relics. Al
| most every uniform you see on the stage
| once covered a dead man. Blood Well, |
should say SO. Why these things actually
stuck together when / got them Bus,
! Great Scott il the supers knew it they'd
L w
| gszed at David Belasco thoughtfully for
| many minutes and sai i'd, snow, why in
thunder does Teddy Pieper bother about
Mrs. Carter's hairP"
There was time when to step from the
drawing room TO the stage was a signal
for derision among the vulgar. Yet, GER
tain of the most distinguished of modern
actresses have accomplished that feat sue
cessfully. The originator OF the system,
Mrs. Langtry, has not, indeed, accom-
! plished much in drsmatic art. Yet, this
| performance lends a grace and well-bred
| air to the drama to which IL was not form
| erly accustomed. Next in succession to
| the Jersey Lily was Mrs. Potter, who gave
| not only rare personal beauty and dignity
| of carriage to the theater, but also the
fire of tragic genius. Mrs. Langtry has
made most money, but Mrs. Potter has
made most fame, and while the English
society woman is now confined to cheap
theaters, our lovely American will close
and open this and next season at Daly's.
! Mrs Leslie Carter also a member OF aris-
tocratic circles, is in fair way of rival
ling both her sisters. These society
women ere by no meaus curled darlings
OF ease. They have discovered capacity
for hard work that no player born of the
lowest classes can excel What matters it
that, generally considered, they enter
the stage through the door of matrimo-
NAL infelicity. Mrs. Langtry, Mrs. Potter
anu DTS. larler 1Ounu no comfort In we'd
lock and sought IL in dramatic ambition.
Miss Elita Proctor Otis, who has not yet
been married, solaces herself for connu-
bial disappoiDtments in lending her ex-
traOrdinary talents to the Lyceum. To
this quartet OF society women, the stage
and our audiences are much indebted for
refinement OF manner, exquisite taste
! Except IN the case Of Miss Ots) in cos
| tuning, ease in gesture and carriage,
quick Intelligence, remarkable physical
beauty, and ia Airs. Potter and Mrs.
Carter, fine dramatic ability. Their sue
cess has been remark bic. Mrs. LauVtry
is one Of the most prosperous of stars. Mrs.
Potter played five engagements in this
| city last year, opened the season at
| Days, viii close IL this spring and again
| open 10 next fall. Mrs. Carter has carried
the Belasco drama into n success, rival
| led by no Other play this season, and i'm
the entire frohmsn army OF performers
there IL no actor OF k ener intelligence
and finer skill than Miss Otis. There
| fore, II any grande dame OF society is
! disappointed In marriage or the want Of
| IL and "a. trfI TO ff.tug hgr honpfnaaa