Smyrna times., 1897-04-14
HAPPENED IN 'FRONT.'.
PLAYERS TELL OF FUNNY ExPERI-
ENCEs THEY HAVE HAD.


Eject Upon Actors of Interruptions From
the Audience-The Man Who sneezed.
May Irwin and 'The Widow Jones',
Wanted Burr Mcintosh to sssoaI, Him. -
Players are affected almost as deeply
by happenings in the audience as is the
audience by happenings on the stage.
Sometimes they are moved to wrath, but
more frequently to laughter. Occasion
ally they are frightened out of their
lines
a man sat in an aisle seat, three rows
from the front, at a performance of Gel
Captain" the other night. He was a fat
man, and he gave a sneeze suddenly-a
terrific sneeze. 1t was followed by an.
other that shook the plumes on the big
hats Of the women around and made the
lights flicker. The audience suspended
attention and looked at the sneezer. and
the players paused just as he snorted
out third sneeze that ended in high
note such as seldom had been heard in
those parts, though the Metropolitan
Opera House is near by. El Captain
stretched out his long arms toward the
man, rolled his big eyes heavenward
and said in a sepulchral voice:
Heaven bless you, sir
This brought the audience back to the
stage with roar. and in second the
performance was running on at high
pressure, while the fat man chuckled
over the fact that for a brief space he
had been the star of the evening. A few
minutes later a Sun reporter asked Mr..
Hopper how he was affected by the
funny things that happen in the audi
ence. After getting a grip on El Capt.
tan's nose and throwing down a cup of
hot coffee, as he does between acts, he
answered:
American audiences are not demon
strative, and as a rule things don't hap
pen in front OF course the man who
sneezed tonight couldn't help it, but he
made such blasting success of it that
it affected the whole house and there
fore the players. If an actor is PLAYING
a part where he can say something, it
is the best thing to dc, for it makes them
all laugh and keeps them from noticing
pause.
May Irwin is an actress with whom
even metropolitan audiences take Iiber-
ties. People have habit of calling to
me from the audience when they want
me to sing a special song or to recite
something" she said the other evening.
Gone night a man in the body of the
house called out to me to recite 'Hia-
watha. He took me off my feet for a
minute. l couldn't remember a line of
it, but called back: 1 will if you'll
give me my cue. I've forgotten how it
starts. He gave me the first line, and
shouted it for him
When l was playing the Widow
Jones one night during the kissing
scene between Rice and myself a man
shouted, I'D like to lie i'll your place,
Mr.. Rice | would. Rice and I were
both convulsed, and the audience roared.
When the piece is funny, it often adds
to the humorous situation for some one
in front to do something unusual
never shall forget an experience
had while playing the Widow in Gin
cinnati, though Of course it isn't art for
an actor TO see anything that goes on in
front or to recognize anybody i'll the au-
diencC, and l never do don't think.
One night, as was saying, in the city
of cinders and beer, noticed the queer
est looking old woman down in front.
She looked like farmers wife, and she
kept peering up at me over her glasses.
She didn't laugh once, and in all my
life never saw human being take a
play so seriously. She was with another
woman who was equally serious. Final
ly the old woman jumped up and, peer
ing at me over her glasses and shaking
her finger i'll my face, said, with a rasp-
ing, western twang:
Well, you don't look one bit like
her.
81 was fustercd, but 1 managed to
gasp:
Like whom?
"'Like the Widow Jones', she an
swered.
well, am, said l.
." I don't believe a word you're say
in, said she, for 1 know'd the Widow
Jones and her husban' nigh on to 20
years ago. 1 stood up with 'em when
they was hitched; and you don't look like
her She went off from these parts, and
heerd she was a widow and that Jones
was dead, and then l heerd she was at
this the-ater, and l cum to see. You ain t
the Widow Jones, and just want to say
one thing more-I don't see how you
dare to take other peoples names and
use 'em.
With that she fOunced out, but the
next day when Iappeared at a rehearsal
she was On hand to give me another
blast l explained to her how it was.
She'd never seen play before and had
come 20 miles to see her old friend, the
Widow Jones. There was time when
such things frightened the life out of
Inc, but I've learned to turn them to
good account "
Perhaps there is not another man on
the stage so phlegmatic as Burr MoIn-
tosh during unusual occurrences in
front. He lays his GOODNESS all to the
training he got On the football field
when he was at Princeton.
Il find unce unexpected things hap
pen on the stage than in the audience, )"
said Mr.. Mcintosh. However, the first
night we opened in AT Piney Ridge 1
got a piece of advice from the front
said to the villain, You lef' the colo
nel's baby up thar, an you brung yo'
own down heah. And his lines follow:
You lie. instantly make movement
as if to strike him; but, remembering
that ladies are present, my arm drops TO
my side. A man i'll front was so infuri-
ated with the heartless villain that he
called out to me: Soak him, Jackl Hit
him good one for hunk, and then he
Missed like mad gander. New York
Sun.