Evening star., 1897-01-16
T EATRICAL GOSSIP

is SO distinctive that 1t is always making
itself felt, either pleasantly or otherwise
wherever he may be. He is man of bril-
liant and varied attainments. and il report
be true, he possesses a temper as variable
as the wind. Those who know him only by
having seen him upon the stage ard by
what they have read of him have a rather
curious idea Of what he is in private life.
Those who enjoy the pleasure of his
friendship or acquaintance even, know
that he is a gentleman I'm manner and by
education; that he is a warm friend OF
generous impulses. and one of the most de-
lightfui companions imaginable Here in
Washington Me. Mansfield has a large cir
Gle of friends who always try to make his
visits pleasant by social attentions exteni-
ed to himself and his charming WIFE Had
not Mr.. Mansfield become an actor there
IS little doubt that he would long ago have
achieved name for himself as one of the
foremost conversationalists of the time
Inc art OF conversation, We hear fire.
quehtly que enough: Is lost art. That it is
stun alive in MIR. Mansfield, however, all
who have ever sat under the same ma
hogany with him can testify
The possession of q keen sense of humor
mas, however, been danger to Mr.. Mans
neiu, Dut ne mas never used his humor save
in self-defense.
When MIR. Mansfield was playing that
brilliant comedy. Arms and the Man."
during his New York engagement some
one brought up in his presence the name of
the author, George Bernard Shaw .Ah,
yes, said Mr.. Mansfield, some men have
the most glorious luck. There's Shaw. now,
ne is not only successful playwright, a
musical critic, a socialist, a member of the
fabian Society. and possessed of red hair
but he Is also an Irishman."
This summer Mr.. Mansfield was asked IL
he had been to see MIR. Brady's melodrama.
Under the Poiar Star He unused awhile
Then he said: Under the polar star, ahem,
Let me see. Isn't that the play where they
do impossible things on ice?'
Mr.. Mansfield's varied career. first as
painter and then as actor. has given him a
iund OF experience prolific in good stories
SO; so you once lived by painting said "a
friend of his one day. Il once lived in
spite Of painting" was Mr.. Mansfields cor
rectlon. waving satirical comments on
his own early efforts as painter it is still
iact that nearly all of the important
scenery he uses today In his productions is
after designs from his own pencil
Here is story Mr.. Mansfield told lately,
when the conversation had turned to hard
luck experiences:
1t was years ago. he said. when I
was starving, more or less. in London 1
mad reached the pleasant condition of hay-
ing mad nothing to eat that day, and hay-
,lls my iast smiling In my pocket. 1 was
walking along looking somewhat coyetous-
ly into the windows of the various coffee
places and pastry shops 1 passed, when 1
suddenly came upon a friend, a vagabond
,lke myseif, but apparently just then in
much better luck. He was gorgeously ar
rayed In all the black and white spendor
OF evening clothes. He had a dinner irvi-
tauon, he explained, at Lord Cavendish's
OF some place OF that sort. We'd go in
somewhere and have a little sonnet hing on
the strength of IT. We went into one of
those Bodega places that are scattered ali
over London, where you can get very de-
cent glass OF champagne on iraught for
SIX pence. They always have a huge
cheese about, you know, from which Won
can heip yourself, which is the nearest an
| proach to the free lunch that they have
over there. Well. We tucked into the
cheese, or at least 1 know that 1 did and
We had our glass of champagne each
NOW: don't know whether you know il or
not, buti there is probably not a mixture In
.he world that is surer to create hunger
than cheese and champagne T hadn-
needed a hunger. for | had a huge one al,
ready, but after that cheese and cham
Pashe l 1elt positive gnawing. L was men,
ANY ANY sieatng over the shillings worth of
1000 would go forth and feast on when
my friend, shuffiing his hands ueryousIv
from pocket to pocket, turned to me and
sald; say! L am awfully sorry, old man
b pus l seem TO have left my pocketbook at
nome. III you happen to have q shilling
ABOUT you and had the satisfaction Of
paying out my last. shilling for that hun
ser-ralsing cheese and champagne
Madam Janauschek was a remarkable
woman and a wonderful actress wban
nrst, KNEW her. ;. Otis Skinner is ouoted as
| saying. Il first met her during the old
stock sTt cemPaay days of the Walnut Street
Iheater, Philadelphia There were NOT
many women stars then. and Janauschek
was IN her prime. How she frightened me
one night, for ]. was only a youngster in
Iiipse ps gays The play was Macbeth and
l mad been given Seyton to play We had
peen carefully rehearsed and at rehearsal
was ietter-perfect. In those days Janau
scnek was magnificent In her passionate
sren one could fairly see the fire flashing
IRON ner eyes. 1t was my duty to announce
the arrival Of the king and did so before
II received my cue. When the proper time
came madam gave it to me again. but, real
lzaiig the mistake had made the lines fled
and l was speechless. L could feel the
NgHtning flashing from her eyes. and watt
ed Tor the explosion with a very sinking
lear. near. fortunately 1t did not come. The
king came on and the play went on very
ven indeed without my very valuable
assistance. But do not think that during
the engaeement madam ever forgave me-
The. first time l ever really stuck In NV
lines was later in the same season. playinr
with John Mccullough. He was playing
Coriolanus.' and L had very minor part
OIL Roman general We had played the
piece several nights, and everything had
gone well until the night in question 1t
was during a scene had with Mccullough
that my lines went completely out of my
L
SUCH a feeling: the stage seemed IT, whirI
around me. Mccullough picked up my lines
and finished the scene. When L went of
the stage felt as IL l had committed some
awful crime. This feeling gave way to a
sense of the keenest shame which was In
turn succeeded by anger. l was fearfllly
angry and could feel the hot tears stream
Ing down my face as l moved along toward
my dressing room. Suddenly 1 felt a hand
on my shoulder, and heard the great actor
say In the kindliest tone: Feeling bad nv
boy? Don't mind 1t bit. Accidents will
happen to the best of us. Why 1t isn't long
ago that 1 forgot my lines in ..Othello'
and they had to ring the curtain down."
" Mo. Skinner has brother a newspaper
man, and he in turn has a small son. The
boy was a rabid politician during the late
campaign. He organized boys Mckinley
club and spent much of his time upon it
neglecting his lessons, for he drilled ard
marched all the time he was out of school,
and dreamed of it all the hours he was sup
posed to be at his lessons Young Otis was
all a-tfngle with excitement on election
day. and he was sure he could not wait
until Wednesday morning to hear the news
His mother and some ladies of her ac-
quaintance Were to go down town on Tues
day night to hear the returns, and young
Otis besopght her to tell him the news the
minute she got home.
But yeu, Will be asleep"
Then you can wake me up for I must