The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-02
FESTIV ALL.
Views From
the Stage.
THE GREEN ROOM
And Leisure Moments Of
Stars and Chorus.

1
dreds who listened from the other side
of Mechanics Hall. For beside the aes-
thetic pleasure and the emotional ex-
element which the concerts bring.
there are many amusing and agreeable
experiences which the members of the
chorus enjoy of which the major iy
of festival-goers have no knowledge
experiences which combine to give the
man or woman who sings in the chorus
feeling Of belonging to the festival
Of being the festival, almost-as no
person who simply listens and applauds
In the audience can ever have
Have you ever been behind the
scenes of a Worcester music festival
Probably not, if you are a mere sub
scriber. The joys of behind the
| scenes" belong exclusively to those
who make the festival and to the few,
choice spirits whom business or friend
| ship leads thither. One who knows
only the Mechanics Hall Of lectures
and political rallies feels odd when
first he walks behind and under the
| great structure which is built upon
the stage for the accommodation of
the singers. 1t looks like nothing SO
much as a segment of circus seats A
| network Of slender beams and trusses,
1t seems as if an unruly blast from one
Of the trumpets would tumble it to
| pieces, like card palace: of course it
is really strong enough, and does not
| give when even the largest bass
chambers to his seat. A green cambria
! curtain is decently stretched around
| the skeleton of beams and posts, but
1t Is easy to pick holes in It, literally
as well as metaphorically. Indeed, as
| one of the out-of-toWn critics re-
marked, the veil of the temple was
rent in twain in several places and
II did not require a Sampson to rend
it, either.
| OF course every one knows that the
space at the left of the stage is divided
from the auditorium by portieres. And
behind those portieres? Ah, that's where
/ curious and interesting things take
| place in festival time.
| In the corridor leading to the little room
| where the artists sit when they are moi
on duty most of the notabilities who
come to the festival gather, and
| through it orchestra, musicians and ar.
! lists pass to and from their places
! During the intermissfons, the orches.
ira and chorus debouch into it, unit
| the narrow passage becomes terribly
congeSted, and movement almost al
| impossibility, Chorus and orchestra
form stream of humanity that il
| continuously surging this way and that
| always ebbing or flowing between the
stage and the ante-rooIns. until tht
clarion calls them back to their places
| Nearly every soul in the throng talks
and a buzz-saw is nothing to the babble
| that rises continually from their lips
| First Corners make a mad rush for the
1 ice water, which is close second &c
| the green room in the Affections of the
crowd.
| But, after all, be it ever so humble
| there is no place like-the green room
| (The epithet green" smells delightfully."-
| Of the footlights and rouge pot, doesn't
| IT'D There is nothing theatrical about
this room, which contains a pier glass
a sofa, a few chairs and a marble-tor
| table that would make William Morris
| foam at the mouth. 1t is here the ar
| lists first come when they reach the
| hall, and where they walt between
| their turns" and it is here that the
members of the chorus find their chief
| satisfaction in life during each recess
Here, during the festival, might be seen
| II. Evan Williams sprawled out al
large ease in the only easy chair, fan
ming himself Mrs. Gadsk holding a
| little court at one end of the sofa, with
Miss Anderson the center of a group al
the other; Ffrangeon Davies, pink
4
matedly with Mr. Chadwick and Mr..
| Kneisel; nice little Mr.. Miles pulling
on a pair of new gloves and confiding
to Miss Molka that they are a poor fit;
| Mr.. Tauscher in tow of Henry Wolf
sohn, the New York manager, who has
designs on him, and various officers of
the association busy with the infinite
detail of the festival, and ever, as they
| ile in slow procession past the doors of
1 "a vi of
the chorus fail not to gaze upon the
celebrities corralled there, cranipg their
Inecks and pushing around one another s
| corners in their desire to get a peep at
them, while over it all floats the sweet
discord Of musical instruments that
are being tuned for the next piece.
and the sibilant hubbub of the audi
ence.
| OF them all, none are so gay as the
artists, who guy and jolly each other
and themselves-at a great rate. Mrs.
| Gadsk was always in good spirits, and
| played little mild jokes off on people
who came near her Mr. Tauscher
beamed on the entire company but
particularly on his handsome wife. His
open alteration Of her was almost
funny, although few women will feel
| inclined to laugh at this kind Of wor-
| ship. The role of husband to a popu-
| lar prina donna is a sufficiently deli
cate and arduous one to tax the ability
of any man, and when it is played with
| Mr.. Tauscher's spirit and tact, it
should receive due appreciation "How
do you like her tonight?" he would ask,
solicitously, in broken English do
you think her dress pretty? She was
afraid she not do well--she was hoarse.
| actually suffered while she was sing
| ing, and / tremble now with anxiety
1t is strange that she cannot sing in
her room, but when she get out in the
hall, her voice is as clear as ever" He
was SO jealous for her dignity and
glory, that any fancied underestima-
ton of her or her clothes troubled
him sore. over her gown evenings
opera cloak edged with fleecy white
fringe. Some one asked the name of
It, and in the general ignorance as to
what to call it, well-meaning but
misguided individual suggested that it
was lambs wool. Immediately Mr..
Tauschers sensibilities were wounded.
20, no." he exclaimed in injured tones,
very dear, very expensive. And you
call it lambs wool! Surely it came
not off the lamp schop-it is more rare
than that. Lambs WOOL ~
The correct name Of Mrs. Gadski's
fringe is MOULIN
Mr. Davis was always pleasant and
approachable. He evidently did not
share the opinion of an afternoon pa
per- that Miss Anderson sang the part
Of the youth on the mountain top IN
Elijah too loud for he went up and
told her she made very nice little
boy" Miss Molka has the reputation
of being the greatest Jollier with two
feet on the globe. 1t is sad to think
that once the jollier got jollied. Miss
Molka attributes her unworthiness
Wednesday evening to having eaten
over-ripe oysters for suppeE One Of