The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-09-28
Stage Fright Fatal.

| OF all the many ills to which theatrical
d esh is heir. said IN old physician who
has large clientele OF actors. tho worst
is stage fright. This IL nothing less than
sspecies OF heart disease, induced by the
nervous dread that ones performance
may not be successful. This naturally
attacks beginners moro often than old
stsgers, and yet instances are by no means
isolated where death has been brought
about through its evils, even In the case
OF Id timers.
Perhaps, however, the most peculiar
instance OF oil was that OF The veteran per
former who had gone through 80 years Of
stage work without experiencing this
mslsdy. One night. however. he confded
10 fellow player that . quite unsccount
able nervousness he'd suddenly taken
hold Of him and that he did not think he
could ever act again.
His oomrade laughed u the notion and
urged him TO 60 on. as usual. but bis ~
ionishment may we'll be conceived when
the poor old player went on the stage
and, after making several vain Efforts to
speak, fell back and expired. The doctor
who made the post mortem eXsmipstion
stated that death was due TO isilnre OF
the hearts action, evidently induced by
the presence OF "a attack OF stage fright
Death is by no mesas an infrequent
end 10 the trouble. and more than ono
case 10 my own practice has ended fatally.
1t is not always the person whose heart 10
already effected who suffers the most,
either. for | rec,ll one case some years
ego where . young lady whose heart /
knew TO be perfectly normal made her
professional debut 10 this city. While
standing 10 the wings swsiting her Arst
cue she was seizad with IN attack OF stage
fright and trembled violently,
Not until she heard the line spoken
which was her signal for entrance did sbe
make any .fiort Ut recovery, and then. to
the surprise OF oil those who were trying
TO get her 10 shape, she brscel up and
vent on the stage ss though she had been
on the boards for years. She went
through her part mechanically and with
ont sppsrent consciousness Of her sctious,
but sbe played tbs scene better than she
had done st the rehearsal.
At the close Of her scene she came of
he stage, staggered TO her dreLsipg room
and sank unconscious TO the door. She
never recovered from her coma. and IN
autopsy developed the fact that abe had
lied Of heart dise,se.
Several aisndsrd authorities quote the
base Of young Eoglish sspirsnt who
,snIe to tbs ihester on the night Of bis
iebut In . state bordering on nervous
,rostration. he was brsced up on brandy
,ut no sooner had be stepped upon the
tsse than be cIspped bis hand upon bis
iesrt snd fell dead.
One curious case wss told me not long
go by one Of the physicians 1t Blooming
sle. A young man. . member Of col
e8e drsmstic club. was brought their Tor
restmeEt. He bad been cst Tor . part
o the spnng production. and this eIirs
tudy. sdded TO the regular stables In
ossd by the collegiate course. caused
TO give wsy. On the occasion
I the dress rshesrsal 1t was found that ho
ould not remember line Of bis part sud
his 90 worried him thst he broke down
nd was brought here.
For several weeks be could not speak an
itellisept sentence. aud then suddenly
10 part came back 10 him, snd be oopi
o through II, cues and ell witboats
resk. For smother fall week be kept
oing over bis part, snd then developed
severe sttsck OF brsin fever. from which
Q came out perfectly ritionsl, bat. oddly
sousb. with absolutely no memory u
ie play 10 question.
The excitement csused by stage fusLt
. most curious thias. spd did the
pponu1i.y present, should iiie
write 8 trsstise Oh the subject, Tor II is
fascinating one. bat sm kept too busy
.iehine up tLs troubles that do sIisl to
rite upon the troubles Which
.ys sfIstat D