The Anaconda standard., 1899-11-17
DEATHS FROM STAGE FRIGHT.
Theatrical People Sometimes Killed by
Nervousness.

Nervousness.
From the New York telegraph.
OF all the many ills to which theat-
rical flesh is heir said an old physician
VINO has large clientele of actors, tine
worst is stage fright. This is nothing less
than species of heart disease, induced
by the nervous dread that ones per-
formance may not be successful This
naturally attacks beginners more often
than the old stagers, and yet instances
are by no means isolated where death
has been brought about through its
evils, even in the case of old-timers.
Perhaps, however, the most peculiar
instance of all was that of a veteran
performer who had gone through 80
years OF stage work without expert
encing this malady One night, how
ever, he confided to a fellow player that
quite unaccountable nervousness had
suddenly taken hold of him and that
he did not think he could ever act
again.
His comrade laughed at the notion
ana urged him to go on as usual, but
his astonishment may well 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
examination stated that death was due
to failure of the hearts action, evil
IDENTIFY induced by the presence of an
attack of stage fright.
Death is by no means an infreQuent
end to the trouble, and more than one
case in my own practice has ended ia
tally. 1t is not always the person
whose heart is already affected who
suffers the most, either, for recall one
case some years ago where a young
woman whose heart knew to be per-
fectly normal made her professional de-
but in this city. When standing in the
wings awaiting her first cue, she was
seized with an attack of stage fright
and trembled violently. Not till she
heard the lines spoken which We're her
signal for entrance did she make any
effort to recover, and then, to the sur
prise OF those who We're trying to get
her In shape, she braced UP and went
on the stage as though she had been
on the boards for years. She went
tnrough her part mechanically and
without apparent consciousness of her
actions, but she played the scene bet
ter than she had done at rehearsal, At
tne close or the scene she came off the
stage, staggered to her dressing room
ana sank unconscious to the floor. She
never recovered from her coma and an
autopsy developed the fact that she
had died of heart disease though had
examined her shortly before and could
lind no trace of cardiac affection.
Several standard authorities quote
the case OF a young English aspirant
who came to the thearter on the night
of his debut in state bordering on
nervous prostration. He was braced
up on brandy and given encouragement
by those on the stage with him, but no
sooner had he stepped upon the stage
than he clapped his hand upon his
heart and fell dead. The excitement
had ruptured the valves of his heart.
and he had ended his career as he was
about to begin it.
Zone curious case was told me not
long ago by one of the physicians at
Bloomngdale. A young man, mem
ber of a college dramatic club, was
brought there for treatment. He had
been cast for a part in the spring pro-
duction, and this extra study, added to
the regular studies imposed by the col
legiate course, caused something to
give way. On the occasion of the dress
rehearsal it was found that he could
not remember a line of his part, and
this so worried him that he broke down
and was brought there.
For several weeks he could not
speak an intelligent sentence. and then
suddenly his part came back to him,
and he could go throug it, cues and all,
without break. For another full
week he kept going through the lines
of his part and then developed a Sc
we're attack of brain fever, from which
he came out perfectly rational, but,
oddly enough, with absolutely no MEM
ory of the lines in question.
The excitement caused by stage
fright is most curious thing, and did
the opportunity present 1 should like to
write treatise on the subject for it
is a fascinating one, but | am kept too
busy patching up the troubles that ex-
list to write of the troubles that have
existed
Francis 7. White of New York has
given Sla nM To IL flt,c.