The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-11
STIMULATING TlpSyNESS.
Il Is One Of the Most Difficult Things
an Actor Has TO Do.
Mr.. Fl|son Chats Pleasantly About His
Work-..Some "reminiscences.


AL w. Filson, whose peculiar gifts az "a
comedian have many times made Prey
idence audiences roar with laughter
and who Is quite as entertaining and as
jolly i'm private as in the most amusing
of his sketches"
$50 you like our new actY' he SAID
I'm glad for it's hard work enough 10
make one feel some genuine satlsfac-
tion In hearing people say they IKE IL.
Looks easy enough? Oh. no doubt; but
you just try 10 act like an intoxicated
man and yet not make yourself dis
gusting and your impersonation offen-
sive to refined people, and see now easy
IL is. l tell you, it's one of the most ol1-
ficult things any actor can attempt. III
SO easy to overdo IL, To cross the Dor
der line between what Is FUNNY ana
what is coarse or even vulgar, It's 80
hard TO assume an outward appearance
of intoxication and yet let the real gen
tleman show through the disguise; and
for q woman 10 play such part is
even more dangerous and diiflcult, tor
the very idea Of woman intoxicated Is
repusive to all OF us. If, therefore, MISS
Enrol and succeed in pleasing, without
offending. the refined and intelligent
audiences at Keith's this week, we nave
special occasion to feel gratifled; ana
consider the applause and laughter with
which such an act Is greeted the hlBh-
est possible compliment
"Yes, the newspaper critics have been
very kind indeed. and even generous
toward US. Providence Is certainly
city where both the newspapers and the
audiences are exceedingly discrlminat-
ing-sometimes they call Ii cold; ana,
therefore. IL one gets n word or COM
mendation here, he values II all the
more highly because OF It's sincerity
and Che intelligent judgment back OF H.
Speaking of newspaper critics REMINDS
me OF an experience / once had IN a
Western city where / played seVerai
weeks. Every newspaper but one gave
us the most nattering notices: but that
! one roasted us holly, ! tell you. one
evening, after the show, l was talking
with a party of friends i'm our hotel,
when | was introduced 80 gentleman
connected with one of the local papers;
and friend at my side whispered:
That's the fellow who's been roasting
I YOU go | turned at once To the stran-
ger. and after a few commonplaces, i
: said: 80 you are the good friend who
! has been advertising our shortcomings
/ SO vigorously Il have the honor, he
said. To be the dramatic critic OF the
! well call it Bugle; and have no ldea
/ of advertising you, sir. in any way.
4 write my opinions for the benef1t or an
I
/ straighten himself up and attempt TO
wither me. All / said. fancy rather
| dignifiedly; now that l have seen you,
| sir. my resentment vanishes. You've
seen "A whipped cur stink off? Well, you
know what the picture was that made
the whole party break out in roar.
Speaking Of making anybody feel
cheap reminds me of another amusing
experience I had about the same time.
/ We were on "a train between Chicago
| and Springfield, H., and the conductor
| took my ticket and then said very
sharply: That don't go. | want ticket
for the boy, too pointing TO the young
| ster who occupied the seat with me. j
! guess not said L. that don't go eth
! err I've got no time to argue with you,
, continued Mr.. Brassbuttons;t you eth
er pay me his fare or I'll put him off al
the next station Il shan't pay cent,
! | replied; and | don't believe you'll
put him off either. At any rate, you
put him off If you think that's the way
to get anything out of me. Then ne
| softened down a bit. and said: You
know the rules OF the road. sir; how
old is the boy?' Blessed if l know, said
|: Il never saw him before. If you want
his fare you'd better ask that old LADY,
down the aisle there. for she got on
with him. Well his face was study
If he hadn't been SO smart in the frs'
place. / wouldn't have kept the thinl
up; but / do like to take these fellows
down peg once In while"
Miss Erro had entered the room
while Mr.. Filson was telling this story
another jolly specimen of humanity
and really. il seemed so the writer. ever
more entertaining In private than al
the stage wife of the bibulous husband
Now. I don't think it's fair for Mr.
Filson TO get the benefit" said she, will
I Nf tnfa INN roc ion "a
he's the only one who can entertain ;
newspaper man. I've had some rathe
amusing experiences. too. There Is
boarding house in New York where tn
boalS ers are always exclusively stag
people. 1t is located i'm respectabl
part Of the city, but one where nobod.
ever raises an objection TO all the nois
and confusion that may be caused d.
a dozen or more performers practising
at one time on various musical instru
uents or rehearsing new acts. You CA
stand outside and hear prima donna
practising an operate cavatina, ira
gedian tearing his passion to latter
and half q dozen other kinds of pro
fessionals all going II at the same time
one day, n new elevator boy was hired
and the bedlam seemed TO put him a
once i'm n regular trance. a few night
later. the building took fire. IL was nc
a serious blaze. but the elevator bO
was scared TO death, ran into the roor
! of one of the boarders-a fat mar
grabbed pair Of his trousers put ther
ON wrong side before and jumped out G
| the first story window. We were jus
returning from little supper after th
show. and came along just as the DO
! picked himself up and shook himse
, out none the worse for his jump. Al
Won hurt Mike? I asked. 'Oi feel n
: pain, Miss he said, very politely, an
then. glancng down at his legs with
? puzzled look. but Oi must have +,
. ceived "A molghty band thwist. Miss
"Oh, IL was an interview you wanted
2 wasn't It," interrupted Mr.. Filson, wit
? lust a twinkle in his eye. II forgot a
about IL. We'll. you see, our mission
10 entertain, to amuse, not TO talk. w
have entertained you, eh? Wen. Ism
that lots better than an interview
And the writer was more than hair col
: | vinced as he withdrew.
= you're arresting the wrong teller
4 nercely protested the man with u
!, closed eye and the bloody nose. II
+ the one that licked!
xsFt.t. 4. ,,,nttaYaH annlpuN tho nDllp