The Press., 1898-07-14
HAPPENED IN FRONT.
PLAYERS TELL OF FUNNY EXPERT
ENcEs THEY HAVE HAD. q

Effect Upon Actors of Interruptions From
the Audience-The Man Who Sneezed.
May Irwin and 'eThe widow Jones.'
Wanted Burr Mcintosh to ''Soalg 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 performance of lei
Captain" the other night. He was fat
man, and he gave 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 a third sneeze that ended in high
note such as seldom had been heard in
those parts, though the Metropolitan
Opera House is near by. Ell Captain
stretched out his long arms toward the
man, rolled his big eyes heavenward
and said in sepulchral voice:
"Heaven bless you, sir. j"
This brought the audience back to the
stage with roar. and in q 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 Sun reporter asked Mr..
Hopper how he was affected by the
funny things that happen in the audi
ence. After getting a grip ON Ell Capt.
tan's nose and throwing down cup of
hot coffee, as he does between acts, he
answered:
American audiences are not demon
strative, and as 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 do, for it makes them
all laugh and keeps them from noticing
pause. .
May Irwin is an actress with whom
even metropolitan audiences take liber-
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.
Zone night man in the body of the
house called out to me to recite 'Hia-
watha. He took meaoR my feet for q
minute I couldn't remember line Of
it, but / called back: L 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 was playing the Widow
Jones one night, during the kissing
scene between Rice and myself q man
shouted, I'D like to be in your place,
Mr.. Rice. / would. Rice and were
i both convulsed, and the audience roared.
When the piece is funny, it often adds
i to the humorous situation for some one
4 in front TO do something unusual.
Il never shall forget an experience
had while playing the Widow in Gin
cinnati, though of course it ism t art for
an actor to see anything that goes on in
front or to recognize anybody in the au-
dienee, and never dol 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 farmer 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 9
play SO seriously. She was with another
woman who was equally serious. Final
~ the old woman jumped up and, peer
ing at me over her glasses and shaking
her finger in my face, said, with rasp-
ing, western twang:
+" well, you don't look one bit like
her.
st was fustered, but managed tc
gasp:
Like whom?'
"'Like the Widow Jones, she an.
swered.
"'Well, am, said /.
"'I don't believe word you re say
in, said she, for / know'd the Widow
Jones and her husban' nigh on to &C
years ago. / 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 widow and that Jones
was dead, and then heerd she was al
this the-ater, and 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 f1ounced out, but the
next day when appeared at rehearsal
she was on hand to give me another
blast. I 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 a time wheI
such things frightened the life out ot
, me, but I've learned to turn them tx
good account. -
Perhaps there is not another man or
the stage so phlegmatic as Burr MeIn.
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. H.
II find more unexpected things hap
pen on the stage than in the audience, =
said Mr. Mcintosh. However, the first
night we opened in AT Piney Ridge
got piece of advice from the front.
said to this villain, You lef' the colo.
ne1's baby up thar, an you brung 20
own down heah And his lines follow
You Ee instantly make movement
as if TO strike him; but, remembering
that ladies are present, my arm drops tt
my side. "A man in front was so infuri
ated with the heartless villain that he
called out 10 me: Soak him, Jack Hit
him good one for hunk, and then ht
hissed like mad gander. New Yorl
J Sun.