The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-08
WITH THE CoHANS.
Mildred Irving Has a Decidedly H.
teTestlng Interview.


tried" advisedly, for when a newspa-
per woman tackles that family i'm allo-
pathic doses. She has her hands full.
one at a time, I'm homeopathic style,
might do very well.
From the silver-haired father and
the mother. who looks young enough
10 be his eldest daughter. down TO re-
served and unassuming George and
pretty and sprightly Josie, they all un-
derstand so thoroughly just what
newspaper woman wants, they are all
apparently such past masters of the art
OF entertaining a journalistic guest.
that ii is simply absurd TO attempt to
grasp the entire Cohan situation, SO
to speak. at one sitting.
1 didn't know any better, however;
and so / tried it,
/ find myself inclined to refer 10 the
pater-familias as "the old gentleman"
simply because of his white hair. as fine
as silk and of the most beautiful ST.
very tinge: but that Is all the evidence
OF age he bears, for brighter, livelier
man than Jerry Cohan you seldom find
among the actors who can't count back
half OF his stage experience. i don't
know how old he is; but II he is
specimen OF old age. ] shall look for
ward to the advance OF time with no re-
grets at its passing.
Jerry is practically Providence
landmark, for he was one of the bright
and shining lights of the old Theatre
Comique when Hopkins and Morrow
presided over it's destinies and when
Neil Burgess. much against his viii.
was forced by circumstances into the
line OF work i'm which he made his re-
putation and fortune that later melted
like snow under his palm. Mr.. Cohan
tells some very anus ng stories OF those
good old days" which he recalls with
no little pleasure. though they were not
at the time always OF the "halcyon"
description and have gained their rich
flavor largely by the ageing process.
He and Burgess once had a joint
benefit. in which they sat side by side
i'm first-part minstrel act, which had
been faxed up hurriedly as one OF the
features OF the special show for the
occasion. The curtain went up and the
overture" was sung all right: but
when IL came Burgess turn TO relieve
himself of the gags which IL was as
sumed he had provided. Cohan was
surprised TO learn from him. in n stage
whisper. that he had absolutely none
ready. as in the work OF preparing the
show in general he had absolutely for
gotten himself. Burgess began a rather
rambling talk. Of semi-humorous ma
ture. which he faxed" as he went
along: and while he was thus holding
the attention of the audience. Cohan's
quick wit recalled number of bright
jokes and his aptness for such work en-
abled him TO manufacture few 9TH
ers or local Character on the spur os
the moment. which he fed. under his
breath a sentence at a time. To Burg
ess: and the latter. equal 10 his part
Of the emergency. picked them UP and
repeated them to the evident satisfac-
tion OF the audience. OF whom probably
not one perceived the true situation.
This went all very well until Burgess
misunderstood one OF the jokes. and re-
peated IL i'm a manner as entirely TO kill
the point of II. Then Cohan took a
hand, just IL il was all intended and
endeavored To straighten IL ont for
Burgess: and the latter. seeing n chance
for another joke growing out OF this.
worked il i'm. followed by Cohan with
another twist of the situation, until an
indescribably bit of byplay and Joking
resulted all impromptu and unplanned.
The audience went into roars Of laugh
ter. and the scene was the funniest
thing i'm the whole show; and out of il
Cohan later constructed a farce that
proved one of the best things that were
offered for the entertainment of Com
iuue audiences.
ways stood him i'm good stead. and has
enabled him to score many a hit when
some unforeseen mischance occurred
during a play or sketch: and prob
ably there is no actor on the stage to-
day who is more quick than he To make
the mort of every opportunity that is
afforded by chance to score good
point with his audience.
1t lis very evident that he liked Provi-
dence people as we'll ss they did him
for he was a great favorte with Conn
ique audiences-as is shown by the
fact that he had the good sense to
choose a Providence girl for his wife,
and she has proved the most valuable
acquisition he ever made I'm all his long
theatrical career. for the cleverness
with which her parts are played in the
sketches produced by the family is one
of the features Of their popularity and
success.
But who would ever dream that she
was the mother OF two such children?
Neither OF them can claim TO he more
viVacious. neither of them seems light
er-hcartcr rr- more youthful IN appear
ance. conversation or spirits; and 1t is
only when she speaks with pride OF the
success OF her husband and children
that one can realize that she is the wife
and mother.
But young George, What n revela-
tion he is i'm private! ON the stage, i'm
the remarkably ingenious. witty and
clever sketches that he has written, he
Is full OF animation. with a SUI Eilus of
animal spirits, versatile and energetic
To an extreme. OFF the stage, it would
be hard to find n young man. Just en-
tering his teens OF more quiet. reserved
and almost bashful manner; and, with
all his remarkable success as a play
wright-for many of the best sketches
I'm vaudeville are his handiwork-Tll
warrant that he wears the same sized
hat he q q FIVE years ago. He drops
an exceedingly droll and quaint re-
mark now and then that Is just sug.
gestive of his wit: hut he retires into
his shell at once, and gives you the
impression simply that he Is thinking.
And that is what they say Is The fact.
for he is constantly revolving IN his
mind the material for some new sketch.
or n clever new song. OF which both
words and music are his own: and nu
one ever knows when, after burning the
midnight oil late I'm the silent hours. he
will come down I'm the morning with
SOnp now DrDduCt OF his rpunarl<ahis