New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
A LESSON IN ACTING.
BY TWO VISIBLE AND ONE INVISIBLE
ACTORS.
ACTORS.

l.. a sofa and table covered with books.
Chairs and another table and footstool r.
Miss w. Oldfeld discovered on sofa l.. read
ing; puts down her book.
Miss Old.-What an odd girl my niece is, to
be sure, So wilful, SO whimsical, so uncertain.
One fancies she has been caught with the right
fly, but no-she breaks away. perhaps with the
hook in her mouth-whc tell? and Is off
into deep water, whsking her little tail and
leaping after every fly that passes, Who
viii ever land her? GA pause The
hereditary gft for acting in family takes
The strangest form in Rates daily life. At this
mOmont-how is II shown? She has a cold; but
she goes through al elaborate performance to
try to persuade me that she is quite unfit to re-
hcarsc with the particular young man-there
are several Of them. these flies. some real. some
artihcial-whOse vocation it is C. buzz about
Kate Poor young fools | wish ] could make
her suffer as she makes them wish i could
teach her a lesson but how? What amuse-
ment she can find in lying in bed and pretending
to be voiccless ! can't divine! 1t must be the
Unborn love of actng-it can be nothing else
(The door l.. Is opened, just ajar)
Kate speaking through door. but unseen)-
Aunt Whom are you talking to?
Miss Old.-To myself Not being an Ibsen
heroine suppose have right to talk 10 my
self IL like? And dc like. Thinking aloud
may not be usual but it is dramatic; and
AIN nothing if not dramatic, Kate.
(Enter servant, door r. Mr. Jarvis" Is an
nounced. He enters.)
rrhe door l.. Is gently closed)
Jarvis (bowing)-I have come here to rehearse
nv scene with Miss Oldfeld-for the private
theatricals at Brandenburg House. docking
round) Is she?- Is Miss Oldfeld? =
Miss w OIL am Miss Oldfeld-Mss Voting
ton Oldneld Ny niece is Miss Kate Odheld. i
am afraid it is quite out OF the question for her
To rehearse to-day. She says she has a very
bad cold In point Of fact, she is in bed
jim bed? How Dreadful What are we to
do? The performance is on Friday, and we
haven't had a rehearsal
Miss w O-It is unfortunato-very You are
acting Claude Melnotte to her Lady of Lyons, ]
think?
J-CIaudc Melnotte? Oh dear, no, =
Miss O-I beg your pardon-no. that is for
the Charity Bazaar remember Yours is the
screen scene in the School for Scandal is 1t
not?
j. tpiqued)-I did not know Mis- Kate Old
field had so much on hand. Ours is the bal-
conv scene from Romeo and Juliet"
Miss O-Of course! How stupid ] suppose
you know your part? l suppose you can So
through your Romeo backward?
] tsniling,-Romeo is not backward young
man. is he? Yes ! believe am letter perfect
Still to act the balcony scene without rehearsal
is-rather rsky-dont you know? But perhaps
you don't know. This sort Of thing wants a lit
tie preparation. However perfect one may be,
II IL az well to run the scene through.
Miss O.-Really! UIalf aside Shakespeare
would run you through, if he heard YOU
il beg your pardon? You see. there's lot
Of business advancing. retiring, trying TO reach
Juljet's hand blowing kisses. all that sort OF
thing Don't you think that-pe. wrapped
M in flanneIs with a comforter round her head,
Miss OldfeId-Mss Kate Oidfed- might
Miss w Ono, don't will ask her-but
7 doubt her doing it. She says her nose is so
red and
J-She doesn't act with her nose
Miss w O-She sneezes-and her voice is very
hoarse
II have some loZenges in my pocket
Miss W. O-And then her eyes-streaming.
I-She needn't look at me-and won't look
at her.
Miss w O.-How are you to play Romeo and
inlet" without looking at each other? No pas
son-no heat-every apphcatIon--
laughing and interrupting)-Cold app!ca
+,ons are always recommended now by the
facpltv And on the night. you Will see
.hau no hot enough Why, when ! act, my
,.o ouickens-my brain thrObs-my hand Is on
fire,
MI