The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-03
STAGE KISSES.
There's Not Much Ecstasy in Them
From the Actors Point OF View.

There's Not Much Ecstasy in Them
From the Actors Point OF View.
The Sketch.
In reality stage kiss is a thing of lit
tie ecstasy to the parties concerned 1t
is, as rule, dreaded by both. Where
the artists are of a nervous tempera-
ment the thought of the stage kiss
keeps them awake nights. Never since
the days OF Judas has anything in kisses
been invented so completely giving the
lie to the real article. In the first place.
however it may seem from the front, it
Is not easy to put much soul into the
affair under the eyes Of several hundred
spectators. 1t would not be easy, I I'm
agine, in actual life; it is doubly diff
cult when all these hundreds of people
many of them themselves experienced
IN the art Of .osculation-.have nothing
else to attract their attention, and, hav-
ing paid their money mean to see the
thing properly done. The audience for
gets that. which is probably the case,
quaintances. possibly even not on speak
ing terms outside the theater. especially
if there be great discrepancy in their re-
spective salaries. No, the dress circle
chnging to her lover, her blue ewes
wet with tears, her sunny ringlets falling
on his manly bosom.
But what does he see, poor fellow? He
Is the earnest lover. He has exchanged
vows with her, three inches from her
nose, bawl'ng into her face in order that
the gods may hear and understand.
She has assured him, in the same bel
low that his life is not in vain: she has
loved him. OH ever since before she saw
him. He 'thrills''--a stage thrill is com
paratiVeiy easy-and starts on the kiss
lie looks her full in the face (for now
he is bound tor. and what does he see?
Glarlng into his two unearthly looking
eyes: the lids painted dark blue with a
touch OF red body color In each of the
inside corners: The lashes are thickly
coated with a black substance not unlike
burnt cork. On her brow he can discern
the line of the wig with the sunny ring
lets attached. He knows the stckly taste
or the ultra-sangUire. rosebud lips But
! loyal to his author he PLAYS the man.
He strains the yielding form to his heart:
! ne kisses her; the curtain falls on a
picture or uneXampled love and as the
lights in the auditorium are switched on
Edwin and Angelina yearn again And
10! Angelina's soft eyes are filled with
tears, she is that happy!
Who; who can question the stage low
ers right to bottle of stout Or any
other re1reshment he may require, after
this? And surely the CHASTITY business
Is no less disagreeable to the poor fem
Ihe comforts of refined home, with
flowers and things. If only in a stags
Kiss each wasn't so near to the otheri
But, by Jove! he can. and that is where
the trouble Of stage kisses comes in.
inc GROWING torture of a stage kiss
may he-and, where possible, iS-aVOided
by the kiss implied methcd Here
the authors victims shoot their heads
over each others shoulder, and. by their
ecstatic thrills, give the audience to
understand that kiss is going on sons
Where in the region of the ear. But the
kiss implied" must be done very
adroitly. or the implication will be miss
ing; and he must carefully guard the
lapel OF his dress coat from contact with
her cheek, for both their sakes. But #
is cowardly Subterfuge at the best
Or it may he that mere planting of
the lips on her brow, Just near the wig,
viii suffice; but this kiss paternal'' de-
1ot"s a Habby, degenerate sort of q lover.
AGAIN, II, matters have not gone to ex-
Itremes, the Young nan may get off with
kissing the lady's hand the "kiss rever-
entail is a good way out Of the difficulty
when practicable. But the best way OF ali
from tt IT., the actors point of view, is to cut
or to .rewite the play. This last rem,
eedy s!s9uld not, hoWey er, be attempted