The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-05
REGARDING STAGE MEALS.
All other Theatrical Features Have
Progressed.
From the Broklyn Eagle

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
you folks who go to the theater
frequently, did you ever consider stage
meals?" asked the old timer, who is
well versed in matters histrionic; they
are far from being the least interest
ing feature of a performance, and quite
often they attract more attention than
the star himself. Except in a few in
stances, provided by such real turkey
plays as Shore Acres the stage meal
has trailed a long way back of other
theatrical features. Scenery has been
improved and made more realistic;
costumes have been regulated so that
they fit the period of the play in which
they are worn; acting itself has kept
pace with the onward march of gem
eral progress, but the stage meal has
stuck For years it has maintained
monotonous level of imperfection, and,
finally, l have given up hope that it
will ever reform.
The stage meal is the same, wheth-
err the hour be that of breakfast,
luncheon, dinner or supper. If your
seat is in the orchestra and the stage
is far above you the meal doesn't
count for much, because you cannot
see the awful waste that the table
contains but, should your seat be fur
Their back, or in the balcony, the weird
conglomeration of stage food then be-
comes altogether too apparent to the
eye. The stage meal is the same,
whether it Is being served in
Crane lives in before his for
tune is restored, in the last act, or
whether it is spread in the over-dress-
ed parlor scene of the refined vaude-
vile sketch. The ingredients seldom
differ; only the dishes are changed,
while flowers cover a large plot OF
space.
Doubtless, YOU have often observed
the vaudeville meal. / mean the kind
of spread which is set out when the
soubrette, in short skirts, trips in and
trills; I-am-eXpecting- a-young man
here to- dine with me- too day andI-
have-a- e-little-l unch-al ready for
him. Yes, inded, we have all seen that
lunch. 1t fairly makes our mouths wa
ter. There is a tall dish for celery, with
celery in it. Celery Is always good for
comic business. such as tanning the
girl when she faints, or busting ones
shoes. WE'LL as I was saying, there is
celery, and lots of it, in the tall dish.
There are several rosy apples, an
orange or two, squad of rolls, and,
perhaps, a coffee pot. If the play is
very realistic. there may be coffee in
the pot but if not-nay, nay. Bring in
NN---
shoes, first giving him what looks like
A champagne bottle, with water inside,
and the delightful illusion is complete.
saw a meal like that the other after
noon on the stage, and after the male
member of the sketch team had taken
about three bites and spluttered out
| the coffee because it burned him-very
funny-he rose up and said, with
| smile:
There I feel as If I couldn't eat
another morsel for a week. Well,
suppose many a time he hasn't had
the chance being a veteran actor.
1.-The vaudeville meal is not the only
sparsely settled stage poke-out. 1 have
seen John Drew, after telling the audi
| ence how hungry he was, in one way
or another, for ten minutes, sit down
amid beautiful scenery to an empty
| chatting dish and bottle of real wine.
| have always envied the actor who
could have real wine and consider it
a mark of prosperity in the show that
provides it, STILL wine, without food.
is at times injurious. particularly when
you see a couple of characters in so
ciety drama pour it into them for
| breakfast"