The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-29

key in 'Shore Acres" Mr.. Herne in
troduced real clam pie into the ac-
ton in Sag Harbor" 1t must be said
however, that in places where CLAIMS
were not to be had oysters served just
as well. The point was to have a gen
uine pie, and this was invaria bly,
| brought from the Kitchen and it was
appetizing to see the seafaring folk on
the stage enjoy it and to smell the per-
fume of the clans when it was cut up.
As In the case of the turkey, however,
the actors in the piece soon tired of the
pie, although succulent 1t may have
I been at first.
Mr.. Herne thought, from long expe-
rience and observation, that audiences
like to see a good dinner eaten on the
stage. Other playwrights have been of
! the same opinion, for eating and drink
ing occurs in many dramatic works
Dinner as an incident is very useful, or
even supper Recall the lively supper
| in "Camille"-the furious talk and
laughter, everybody Cabling at once
and eating at the same time. There Is
something of the same kind in Mr..
Mansfield's "a Partisan Romance.
! And how amusing, as in aunt Jack,
| if there is a comic character who cam
not get waited upon and who sits half
starved. In London at present there is
play in which the dinner scene occu-
pies three quarters of an hour-far too
long. Twenty or twenty-five minutes
is a bundancefor an incident of this
character.
Stage banquets, however, are not in
variably merry, as witness a very old
one--that in Macbeth" where Banquo
is a guest unseen by all but the host
whose rawlings at the sight throw eve
rything into dirorder and cause the
hostess to dismiss the company.
There is also an outdoor dinner going
on in LAS You Like IT, when Orlando
interrupts. In Shakespeare's time at
these stage feasts the performers used
as food marchpane, a sort of biscuit, to
which one of the servants makes allu-
sion in Romeo and Juliet"-Good thou,
save me a piece of marchpane," The
actors grumbled at the constant use of
marchpane, and would have preferred
something substantial. In the last
century, when the strolling players
went more or less merrily on foot and
were much of the time half starved
real food in the ploys was more than
welcome. There was a British mana
ger who, whenever salaries were con-
sderably in arrears and dissatisfaction
prevalent, soothed everybody into good
humor again by putting up the nauti-
cal drama, THE Cramond Brig" which
calls for dinner Of boiled mutton and
turnips In 1.-THE Gentle Shepherd
which used to be given in Scotland, real
haggis was introduced. There was also
a very elaborate meal in the old farce |
mo Song, No Supper"
Persons in the audience are not |
aware. perhaps, that it Is difficult to |
eat on the stage and carry on the dia-
logue at the same time, Not little
practice is required. The experienced
players however, do 1t gracefully and
we'll. Before an audience one must eat
very daintily, else well bred people in !
front will criticise. An actress must |
also know something about cooking, or,
at least, about the preparation of food.
bread on the stage Is COM
mon. and in Robertson's ours there
Is charming scene where Mary Net
ey runs about in the hut in the Crimea
with sleeves rolled UP and in her hand
he we'll busted rolling pin. She also
works out the dough.
Occasionally there is too much drink
ng. In play entitled THE Wary
Widow" which was acted in 1893, 1T is
said that there was so much whiskey
punch consumed that all the perform
RS became intoxicated. Mr.. Clement
Scott, in his memoirs, relates the disas-
rous experience some years ago In
london OF Mis- Nita NieotiHa, a young
woman who made her debut in play :
allied "Ecarte" The Australian trag-
dian, Boothrovd Fairclough, was In
he cast The picnic scene was of high
V realistic haracter-genuine ham
,ers from Fortnum & Masons, Peri
ord pies, chicken, truffles and cham
,agne. The repast was of sumptuous
haracter. and the actors and actresses
tie and drank heartily. The gallery, l
fter a while, becoming weary of so i,
nuch feasting without being able to
DIN in it, began to jeer. The cham
agne continued to flow, and Miss Nj
ina displayed the effects of overin- C
ugence. The jeers turned into yells, a
nd presently, when she entered with t
reen boot on one foot and yellow Il
doot on the other, the yells became n
owls, and the lady unwisely attempt r
i speech. The piece ended in a riot II
nd the lights were put out-Baltimore e
rews