Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07

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GNA We YNteu' PieiSC VII Iii 10 tiiIeio
Nh ~ 5:R.Il Sunday afternoon,
MHf lk u kAAW with lights, orchestra
"NlDI I! kF I and all of the col
MI n! I lateral effects of a
a ~ ~ first night produce
- WV ton before an audi
ence- About ten persons were ''out in
'front.' watching the rehearsal They in
cluoed the head of a famous theatrical
syndicate, a couple of New York play
"risnts two orsthree attaches of the the
ater, and some newspaper dramatic critics.
Ihey formed sepulchrally quiet assem-
blase. Even the great in the theatrical
world have got to keep quiet when they are
out IN front at plays final dress rehear-
sal They are permitted to applaud ap-
plause-meriting scenes, but they must re-
serve their remarks and their criticisms I'M
til the descent of the final curtain. While
all OF the lights employed on the stage in
the progress Of the play were In use at this
dress rehearsal the auditorium was dark
and gloomy.
lhefe was quiet, suppressed excitement
quantities of it-aInong the people OH the
stage before the call went round for
the first act Viewed from the stage
1t might have been thought that the
payers We're about to make their
tual hrst-nlght appearance. They address,
ed each other in the merest whispers. and
their conduct in general was that of per-
sons about to embark upon an emprise
that meant a great deal to each and all
OF them The author of the playa salOw
smoothed-faced man with fine features and
thoughtful countenance, and nervousness
TO burn-aternately gnaWed upon his nails.
ran his fingers through his mass of thick
black and gray hair, and bethumbed the
prompt book. All of the actors, men and
women, were made up ahead of time in
Guiding the intensely wrought-up leading
hos.
hair so weighed upon her head that it had
given her a headache las usual" she said
when long to be perfectly right and on
edge phySically.' e u
Was Naturally Nervous.
When the call boy, in accordance with
custom, made the tour of the dressing
rooms 10 announce the first act in his
monotonous draWlAa tour quite unneces-
sary on this occasion, for all of the people
We're already on the stage and waiting
the author got the members of the company
grouped around him and spoke to them.
1t might have been thought that he was
eEumerating the good points of some friend
over the latter's bier, so low did he pitch
his tones.
Remember, ALL, said he, that this is
the final time before the curtain rises to
disclose the people in front. You are to
suppose that this is not today. but tomor-
row night. You all grasp that? I'm. No
slips; no lost, strayed stolen cues; no
smiles not in the book no business not in
the brackets; no mumbles between each
other, when not in the performance of lines.
Just as you would before standing room
only-understand? That UNDERSTOOD we get
through-We make good-we unbottle
good thng-we make a hit of a steam
hammer with a thousand horsepower be
hind it-for 10! we are great, are we not?''
and a nervous smile fiickered over the au-
thors dark countenance. Ready, then?
Hal We may go on AS for me, do not
r. two
ciOus, something unspeakable, something
terrific-um-well now We may begin
Then the curtain went UP on the first act.
Even the going up of the curtain caused
the author great mental travail. 1t went
up jerkily he said-"in inStallmeAtS. in sec
tions, fendish''-and he looked as if he felt
very badly about it and tousled up his hair
exceedingly He stood in the wings on the
left of the stage for fully thirty seconds at
Il stretch before he got around to the
wings the left of the stage and he must
have covered his two miles in making that
tour, back and forth, during the progress
OF the first act.
Much to His Surprise
The grouping of the people on the stage
as the curtain went up pleased him. Half
of the stage was devoted to the dressing
room of the figurante of the play. and the
other half showed the wings of "a provincial
theater. There was the right action and
movement among all of the performers in
the Wings 10 please lHS dulnOf.
"Ah, they are not all sticks, them he
mutteUed. 'Ah! they have the germ of per-
ception in them, then. Startling! Amazing.
Actually, they move about, and they move
about correctly! How is this? They do not
stand still like Stoughton bottles! Do |
dream? They are following copy, following
directions. Can it be possible? Excellent
that, Cascart! Che author addressed all of
the performers, not by their real-life names
but by the names of the characters they
assumed in the play) You have come to
life, then? Why, he will do. that Cascart
Positively, he will do! After only twenty
five years service on the stage too, Beast
ly. oh, beaStly!'
This last exclamation was directed in a
fierce stage whisper AT the shapefv Young
woman who appears. in the behind-the-
scenes pantomimic work as a ballet dancer
Her gait did not suit the author He seized
upon her as soon as she got off the stage
seized upon her; that is, Hguratively
Exuounding His Ideas.
LAS l believe I have said in verbfage as |
various as the hairs on my head" said the !
author to the shapely young woman In the
costume of the ballet dancer, dancing
girls waiting for their cues in the provin |
cial theaters of France, do not walk about !
with the occurrences of Quaker young wo- |
men going up the middle aisle of q meet |
ing house. They do not! Believe me-, l |
know what 1 am talking about. They do |
not! They swish, they cavort thew are |
on edge, they are like racers at the most !
waiting for the start, they gyrate, they do |
everything and anything but walk deniure- !
~ around, like Quaker maidens! AS if !
you did not know!,' AS If I have not seen |
you-you- swishing, catorting, gyrating, |
oh! nlany's the million, billion times! Now. |
go through that again for me, here in the |
wings, out of public view, as know you |
can do ii. Walk, prancs, with action life. |
exuberance-ah! You'll do! Be good and
do it that way tomorrow night-oh, be good |
and do it that wayf S-st-st! Now you are
on again. and the young woman, not in |
the state of awe THAT she should have been
in, considering the greatness Of the author |
but, then, the player folk know how to
make allowances for the author at dress |
rehearsals-skipped on the stage again at |
her cue, and was q creature of life and |
nature from that time on to the close of |
her part In the scene.