New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25
STAGE PLACES.
REMARKABLE QUALITIES OF VARIOUS
LOCALITIES BEHIND THE
FOOTLIGHTS
FOOTLIGHTS.



Stage places have their wonders, no less IMAM
stage time and greatly increase ones awe OF
the drama. For instance, there IS the hasI'SOiC
place which draws all the characters lrresISIloy
10 IT, No matter who or what they are. or no"
otherwise engaged. come they must 10 that par
tiCular place. Sometimes II IS man chdIh-
bers not al all attractive in themselves, br'hS
froWsv and with an abOmlnabiy comic servant
in evidence: yet young women are drawn thrre
quite alone. married women are lWpe!led 10 can,
on absurd excuses, and all sorts or masculine
noses are poked in casually. they really don
know why. Sometimes II is an ordinary spot IN
the country without any natural attraction De
yond cabbagy trees and hard rock 10 sIt on;
Yet every one you take any interest IN j. H"Neu
TO come there whatever their walking powers
may be- and however much they might prefer
to be elsewhere.
Sometimes it is the abode Of poverty, and the
most wealthy and hghbred people struggle
for the deal chairs. 1t may be the deck OF
ship. coal cellar, or the roof 81 mouse no
matter. there the company must foregather, or
die This magnetic theory is supported by the
fact that there is a negative pole, as well as a
positive in certain stage places IT IS aston
shinc how iustantaneously the motel railway
station, market place. village idlr OF olHeI
througed spot becomes deserted When required.
One instant babel, the next il Is desert. lou
can only account for this by concluding mat
the negative pole has been applied, which re-
pels every body except one or two persons VINO
want to have bit Of dialogue and have dc-
cordingly insulated themselves beforehand
There is also to be noted curious instance ot
permanent magnetism. II possesses rocks ana
trees You no sooner a rock on the stage
than YOU know il will attract some one TO its
shelter either 10 listen to other peoples bust
ness or 10 take a pOtshot; while as for trees,
whom do they not draw behind them Ihere IS
no actor or actress who has arrived al the jour
neyWan stage Of the business who has not bren
drawn behind tree hundreds Of times.
THE STAGE STREET.
The stage street is wonderful place though
far from cheerful As a playgoer. YOU may
wander through such streets for years ana
never any one who really HNes therc 40
tradesmau comes 10 his door 20 CAPE. no house
maid shakes her buster out Of the window on
10 your head no splashng hanson, mate seller
Whistlins butcher boy or coster with decaHtd
orchestra in his throat. disturhs the deathIlke
tranquility. II never has more than two IN
habitants and they. as Pat would say. are COM
pete strangers who have just dropr d along.
8 dramatic character has only 10 walk down
a street and hc j. sure 10 meet another whom
he wants t. meet very mucn, and he VIII meet
no one else And there is a strange influence
in that street which impels both 10 be extra
confidential. even beyond ordinary stage com
municatiIeneSs. which is saying a good deal.
They exchange secrets If the utmost price.
without even looking round 90 see II any one IS
listening as they would have done had they
been In an underground dungeon or me car oI
a balloon. Nor need they. They are really
more private in the stage street than they would
Doe on the Jungfrau or in the Imperial Institute.
The hero and Charles his friend the heress and
her poor but honest lover. the wicked marquis
and the Wroneed orange CIR, the LORD Chlef
Justice and the hrltfT Win Inc bdE o. Etll, OF
whoever they may be. may open their inmost
hearts in perfect security there. Unlike the
stage street which is rather lugubrious. the IN
Gueuce OF the stage country lane is entirely
hilarious Whether the soil be clay or gravel.
il exudes wittcisms, puns drop of the hedges.
and "chestnuts" from the trees. on come two
or three people. no matter Of what age or CON
dtion and they are at once compelled to he
funny. They cannot help II. neither the aged
peasant and his wife, nor the couple OF tramps.
nor the London dude and the bucOc lass nor
IL no vale 81 nd n m Direct
~ the landscape Of the country lane descends
from the skies. you may rest assured that the
shake reef or two out II your WaIstcoat 10
make ready for the laughter TO flow.
THE PLACE THAT CANNOT BE FOUND.
Another remarkable stage place is the elusive
one. the one that cannot oe found. The prlncl-
pal one is. Of course. the hiding place Of the
missing will the compromising letter OF the INK
i'm the evidence Of the murder OF these there
are every variety and YOU may build a good
plav on any one Of them If you only kno" now.
What more exciting. for example. IMAM To- Io-
cate the missing Will somewhcre ny the chlIH-
ncy. and see each character put ms head up IN
search and bring il down again like Christy
ninstreTs: all in vain. till one. sharpened by
Inc advent OF the last act, finds IL concealed in
side the smoked ham which j. hanging therr,
against which every one has been bohhlng ms
head.
Is fine assortment Of hiding places Perhaps me
most pleasing Of all is that invented by
French dramatist. Hero meets with accident
trepan necessary villain present disguised a
male nurse. part Of skull removed doctor turns
aside. villain pops the letter into the cavity
and applies the bandages. After that Of course.
the hero Wanders the world IN search OF what
he has got in his head all the time.
There is also another kind Of elusive place
heard Of on tho stage The remorseiul GRIM
nal SAYS Il Will diyulge all, but with a search
ing look around not here lie makes repeated
attcmuts to diNuIge in various places, but the
right place always eludes him till near the end.