The Press., 1898-07-14
HAPPENED IN FRONT.
PLAYERS TELL OF FUNNY EXPERT
 ENCES THEY HAVE HAD. '.s


 ENCES THEY HAVE HAD. 'f .. ERect Upon Actors of Interruptions From
 the Audience-The Man Who Sneezed. May Irwin and 'sThe Widow Jones.'
 Wanted Burr Mcintosh to 'sSoak 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. @t--.,
 A man sat in an aisle seat, three rows from the front, at performance of "El Capitan'' the other night. He was fat man, and he gave sneeze suddenly-a terrific sneeze. It 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 meeze that ended in 8 high note such as seldom had been heard in those parts, though the Metropolitan Opera House is near by. Ell Capitan stretched out his long arms toward the man, rolled his big eyes heavenward and said in 8 sepulchral voice:
 Heaven bless you, sir"
 This brought the audience back to the stage with a roar. and in 8 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 MT. Hopper how he was affected by the funny things that happen in the audi ence. After getting 8 grip on Ell Capi- 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 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 a pause"
 May Irwin is an actress with whom even metropolitan audiences take hber- 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 "One night 8 man in the body of the house called out to me to recite 'Hia- watha. He took me of my feet for a minute. couldn't remember line of it, but called back: T will if you Il give me my cue. I've forgotten how it starts. He gave me the first line, and tshonted 1t for him. =. = <. s As' 's~'s-- aas.s When | was playing the Widow Jones one night, during the kissing scene between Rice and myself 8 man shouted, I'd like to be in your place, MT. Rice. would Rice and I were both convulsed, and the audience roared. When the piece is funny, it often adds l to the humorous situation for some one in front to do something unusual
 | "I never shall forget an experience had while playing the Widow in Gin cinnati, though of course it isn't art .fol an actor to see anything that goes on in front or to recognize anybody in the au- dience, and never dol don't think. One night, as I was saying, in the city of cinders and beer, noticed the queer. est looking old woman down in front l 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 [ 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 in my face. said, with rasp ing, western twang:
 "'Well. you don't look one bit like her.
 "I was fustered, but I managed tt gasp:
 "'Like whom?' "
 "'Like the Widow Jones'. she an swered. ,
 "'Well. am, said l. I
 "T don't believe a word you re say in, said she, for know'd the Widow Jones and her husban' nigh on to 2( years ago I stood up with lem whel they was hitched, and you don t look lik' her. She went off from these parts; anC heerd she was a widow and that Jone was dead, and then I heerd she was a this the-ater, and I cum to see. You aim the Widow Jones, and just want to say one thing more-I don't see how yo1 dare to take other peoples names ant use 'em.' 5
 with that she f1ounced out, but th' next day when appeared at 8 rehearsa she was on hand to give me anothe, blast. I explained to her how it was She'd never seen play before and hat come go miles to see her old friend, thu Widow Jones. There was time whe1 such things frightened the life out o me, but I've learned to turn them t good account" Perhaps there is not another man o1 the stage so phlegmatic as Burr McIn tosh during unusual occurrences il front He lays his coolness all to th' training he got on the football fielt i, when he was at Princeton. s
 'I find more unexpected things hap pen on the stage than in the audience, , said MT. Mcintosh. However, the frs night we opened in At Piney Ridge' got a piece of advice from the front {
 said to ths 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 a movemen as if to strike him; but. remembering that ladies are present, my arm drops t my side. A man in front was so infuri ated with the heartless villain that h called out to me: Soak him, Jackl Hi him good one for hunk, and then h missed like mad gander. New Yorl Sun.