The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-11-28
FATAL REALISM ON THE STAGE

Isay People Have Lost Their Lives While
Attempting the Realistic Drama
Such piece Of realism on the stage
as that which occurred in q London the.
ater the other day, where one actor in .
duel scene inflicted, through a mishap,
p mortal wound upon one of his stage
comrades, is by no means infrequent.
Accidents, fatal and serious, humorous
and tragic, constantly occur in stage
land, and many an actor can show
scars received In the mimic strife. The
traditions of the stage are full Of Sc
rious and comic tragedies.
| One such is said to have occurred at
La Scala, Milan, in the presence of roy
atty itself. 1t was 1t the finale of q
production Of Fra Diavolo," then tho
| chief operatic sensation. In the clos
ing act the captured bandit chief is led
up a rocky path on his way to prison.
He turns to battle with his guards,
when Lorenzo orders his troops to fire,
and Fra Diavolo dies. On this partic-
ular night the picturesque bandit, who
had always made q traditional fall, so
that he would remain the central fig
ure of the tableau on which the curtain
descended, introduced what appeared
to the audience some new business. He
gave one short, despairing shriek, and
then fell forward from his elevation in
to the very midst of the chorus of sol
diers and villagers.
When the members OF the company
ram to pick up the singer he was dead.
A bullet had pierced his heort. In the
confusion one of the soldiers, a beard
less youth, and recent addition to tho
chorus, quietly passed out Of the the
ater. He was pursued and arrested
two days later, when the romantic dis
covery was made that the young sol-
dier was, in fact, beautiful girl in love
with the tenor. They had quarreled
some time before, and, unknown to him,
the girl joined the chorus Of La Scala,
loaded the property gun with deadly
bullet and thus introduced some start
ling realism on the italian stage.
If statistics Of theatrical accidents
were compiled it would be curious to
note the large number Of Mishaps
which happen in the performance of
Romeo and Juliet" More than ono
well-known actor bears on his face and
body the marks and scars inflicted by
rapiers in the quarrel scene in the IA
nous tragedy. A few years ago, at .
performance Of Romeo and Juliet" in
Manchester, England. the conclusion Of
the play was tragic indeed. The actors
were amateurs. All were greatly ex-
cited, and the two Representatives Of
Mercutio and Tybalt fought with an
unhappy realism. A purely accidental
thrust by Mereutio caused Tybalt to
fall to the floor, and before the-as5ai-
enee understood what was the matter
the unfortunate Tybalt had expired.
Fortunately for the Mercutio Of the
performance. coroner's jury returned
verdict OF death by misadventure."
William Terriss once had narrow
escape from death in the representa-
ton of this tragedy. 81 had a little
experience, he says, ''in the run OF
Romeo and Juliet when produced by
Miss Mary Anderson, which taught me
to beware of stage weapons. I was
once playing Romeo TO the Juliet of the
late Adelaide Nelson, at the Haymar-
ket, when 1 equipped myself with
dagger sharp as razor. At one of the
dress rehearsals Miss Nelson noticed
this weapon and earnestly entreated
me TO substitute blunted weapon for
il. / did so, and thanked her for her
suggestion During the Lyceum run Of
Romeo and Juliet forgot her wise
counsel. and the result was that fell
on my own dagger, which was so sharp
that it pierced me in the side. Since
then have taken the lesson to heart
N. Y Tribune