The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
HAPPENINGS IN FRONT.
THEIR EFFECT UPON PLAYERS he
MIND THE FOOTLIGUTS.

tne NthEe-h suthtNt EfFtuFhnhhNcu
Players arc affected almost ns deeply by hap
penings.. in the audience as Is the audience by
happenings on the stage. Sometimes they are
moved to wrath. but more frequently to laugh
ter. Occasionally they. are frightened out Of
heir lines.
A man sat In an aisle seat. three rows from
thc-front, at q performance OF 'El Captain tho
other night. lie was n fat man. and he gave q
snecZe suddenly: a terrific snoeze. II was fol-
10 we'd by another that shook the planes on
the big hats of tho women around and made
tho lights flicker. The audience suspended at
tention and looked Mt tho sneezer. and the
players paused just as he snortcd out a third
sneeze that ended in n high note such as sell
dom had been heard In those parts. though the
Metropolitan Opera House is nearby. III Capt
tan stretched out his long arms toward the
man. rolled his big eyes h~cavenward. and said
In a scpulchral voice:
Heaven bless YOU. SIR"
This brought the audience back to the stage
with a roar. and in q second the performance
was running on at high pressure, wh1ao tho
fat man chuckled over the fact that for q brief
space no had boon the star OF the evening A
few minutes late: n SuN reporter asked Mr..
Hopper how he was affected by tho funny
things that hnppen in the audiences. After
getting a grip on III Captains nose. and
throwing DO Nh n CUP q. not COUco as ne uOes
between acts. he answered.:
American audiences nro not dsmonstra-
tive. and. rs n rule. things don't happen In
front. or coLrte. tho man who sneozcd to-
NIGHT couldn't help it. bu. he made such q
blasting success OF 1t tina; IL affected the whole
house. and therefore the players. II an actor
Is PLAYING u tart where lie san say something,
1t IL the best thing to do. for I. makes them all
laugh. and keeps them from noticing n pause.
I remember one night when | was playing Mt
Paliner's Theatre. when we lighted something
suspended from tho scenery by n%.strinR the
flames ran up the string. and In n minute the
audience was all excitement. We hal to
ring The curtain down. ard. as they couldn't
see. tho people were more frightened than
ever. Everybody raw that there would be n
panic n something wasn't done. and tho ,oo-
pie behind the scenes began 10 say. Hopper.
for Gods sake say sonethlnG! You can al
ways CAB. Get en- quiet | ran out In front
and shouted:
There f. absolutely no danger. I assure
you. You all know that ! I'm dead stuck on
myself. ana II there was any danger OF my
getting sinQcd even I'd burn the wind
Another ni=ht during that same season II
seemed TO: me as IL all The fire engines In tho
city were going by. People began to leave
the theatre right and left. The bells were
j~angling until it was depfeninE. and l re-
marked rather impatiently. Mother. Just wait
dinner until | finish this, and I'll come Not
another person left hs seat. An actor can't
afford TO be disconnected by such things.
There was a man who used IN be'about here,
however. that certainly affected Inc and got 20
he unpleasant. to say the least Of It. lie WAS a
IA fellow. and ALWAYS wore a boys hat. lie
kept n hotel In the CatSkIlls. As soon as my
company would.opon he'd come down for the
II
se"Non "'u 'o"e 80 - -.
a scat ou' pau MS huin'>sIon. u y sass,
little hat up or the rail, and took his stand
oaeN Va ~: 80 .u",hIn. -, 30
laugh. lhcre was soh''H'"S " W
laughter that struck the people. and soon they
all would begin to look hack at him. and ext
- - ~ - tn laughing A. him. Laughter
Coo "a s'"'' !" !" ""S"'"S e" "'"' .
Is a. often contagious rs tears, ana MS was
ccr,aluly thu most contagious lsuEh 1 over
- ia a.nu. 60 ho lron, ma "a. I,rsh,,,
h'l'u' no '""' " ~ INV" % - Is"'n
man. That wa funny Tor "a while'-out he got
and ,.o,lI I,,.L IN ,o,,ll, ma. m, opai,nce
""' win ~" $50 -
man in the foye err doubled up over tho pro-
granme table. lie had every appearance or
hayi-g eaten - reck OF green apples. with the
natural result. but when Mr.. Mccormick
"'''Oh, no: lin Just dead with laughing at that
lnugi.in man. Ny sides nched so | couldn't
stand IL another mln ltH. had Ia let out
" Ater that We got rid NJ tho hotel Keeper.
for We lIiN't Ike 10 run the risk OF his making
n-onle si,E.
''Tncn here was n chan n the family circle
every nt,ht. and he AWAY. started tho applause
too curly. or course. applause "a stimulating
when IL comes nj the riEht time. aud !. an
actors efforts nro received warmly and cor.
0mlIy IA. usiurall: give-n better peri
In short. TIC nudiru,c uuconsCtuusiy does It's
share In maxim. tie perfurmpnce enjoyable.
hui this chan dd more han his share. Tho
ma rtrrmrnt nually hal to tell him tina, wc
l,duI wait him, but lie dilUt seem 20 mind,
Tor Lo wrote 10 my manager. Mr. stevens.
and asked II he didn't want To hire him To 20
round with Hopper to lead the Clalue. lie
Mas not engaged.
''One of tho tunnics, thing. that over han.
p.ncd I'm an audience when WAS playing took
place AT tho Columb!a Theatre Ia Chicago.
All the persons ia the gallery. men and wo-
men. began to shout at tie women In the or
chcsirn 10 take oil their hats. " was amusing,
because Il cYery woman In the orchestra had
worn IA hat 30 feet hiru thr gallery gods would
,till have hpd a perfect view Of the stage. Hut
they howlr ana hisscL and booted and ha.
rnngued untirnnly three women In the orrhe--
ira kent tnrr Gut, on. TT IL didn't syfirfy
the CALLER, gods, aud they kent nj il until an
audirTce vim uncovered heads faced me. II
~ unnecessary to state that tho performance
stopped while the row was going O". How did