The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-12
ON AND OFF THE STAGE.
Trying Experience Of Mr.. Grapswln
at a Bowey Dance.
Hustled Out When II Was Found That Hs
Wasn't the Real Thing.

ActinB on the stage, for the enter
tainment Of the public. and acting off
the stage to get yourself out OF bad
predicament are two mighty different
thngS," said Charles Il. Grapewin,
"the Mansfield OF vaudeville" whose
new comedy sketch above the Limit"
is convulsing the audiences at Keith's
this week as nothing has done in a long
time. 1T isn't often that an actor is
placed i'm the latter position; and, from
my personal experience I'm New York a
fortnight ago, i guess it's lucky
thing for their peace of mind, and possl-
bly, sometimes for their bodily comfort.
You see, in this new sketch OF mine
1 play the part of a Bowery youth of
a peculiar type. tough and yet of what
you might term the 'gentlemanly tough
kind Well. IL happened that some OF
the Bowery boys OF that class heard
or the act and went to Keith's to see It.;
and, somehow or other, thev seemed 10
take quite fancy to roe. Several Of
them met me after the show and want
ed me TO go out with them. and had
the hardest kind of time in declining
the invitation without offending them
on Friday morning l received a
L printed invitation to attend grand
bali TO be given tha. evening ty some
peculiarly named society, which / do
not recall now. I'm not much on that
sort OF thing; but the idea struck me
that IL might be intended as something
or a compliment and perhaps l might
nave some run out OF it,anyway, so l de-
cided TO 20 after the performance.
hadn't more than found the nall when
II hsasa ma els..s n
IL in realtty, for IL was evident that
the social circles represented were those
that adorn that part of the metropolis
In which my character OF Chimmis
Hicks is at home. At first 1 Weakened
and then 1 decided to brave IL out. In
side OF two minutes however. / found
that the promoters to whom 1 owed my
polite invitation, had taken me in dead
earnest, and expected to find me Just
what they had seen me on the stage.
We'll, / knew II wouldn't do TO dis
appoint them and spoil the illus'cn. or
there would be too much fun in ii for
comfort. So i just put on the true
Bowery swagger and entered with all
my might into the spirit of the thing,
and for time really rather enjoyed
IL. spelled with two or three Bowery
bellies and cut quite dash for little
while. talked in the true Bowery ver-
nacular as well as / could and got
along swimmingly for half an hour.
Then the horrible fact began 10 dawn
upon me that had practically exhaust
ed my slang vocabulary and that in
this respect i was getting dangerously
near to the end of my rope. Great beads
OF perspiration stood on my forenead
as the thought impressed itself upon me
more and more. until finally was the
victim of something as much worse
than stage fright as you can imagine,
and I. started TO go.
Then half dozen of them rushed
after me and in language that was at
least plain in its meaning. II not recog-
nizable on Fifth avenue, insisted upon
my remaining; and as half dozen
Bowery sylphs and score or then
'steadies' talked all at once In remon-
STRANGE lost my presence Of mind and
began, In my excitement, to- talk
straight United States. That settled II.
Jaw, let i'm go. He ain't de real
ting at ALL" said one of the biggest fell
lows. arrayed as was never Solomon in
all his glory. Get wise. We've got an
easy one slipped 10 us. Steer i'm out an
plant I'm on de bricks. He's been pump
In us full o. pipes. He thinks he's one o
dem gazabos wot thinks dey can stick
a pillow in deir chest an do de hero
act amongst de ladies. We don't want
anything here but de real ting. and dat
goes. See?
"Then they gave me a good hard
push-probably thought l was a good
thing'-and I got out on the sidewalk
so quick didn't know whether II was
their fault or mine; and the way cut
for my hotel was caution, tell you.
/ had had enough OF that kind of act
ing TO hold me for a while; and / new
er felt so happy in my life as when l
got home to my wife. When accept
any more invitations to grand balls
ri be a day or two older than l am
now. even IL it's in Providence"