Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
THEATRICAL SUPERSTITION.
French Actors Quite Rival Gamblers
for Their Foolish Fears.

French Actors Quite Rival Gamblers
for Their Foolish Fears.
Paris Correspondence Pail Mall Gazette.
Theatrical managers are said, by those
who know them, to resemble gamblers In the
matter of being superstitious. However this
may be in a general way. an example Of
such superstition has just occurred at the
Ambigu theater, which is the Adelphl OF
Paris. The Ambigu is now playing a new
piece, 'L'Autre France" of which the fate
is somewhat uncertain. Among the specta-
tors, a night or two ago, was NJ. Rochard.
the manager of the Chatelet theater, who
had looked in to see how his friend and
brother manager, NJ. Grisier, was prosper
ing At the close of the fifth tableau NJ.
Rochard left his stall in evident perturba-
tlCn and went behind the scenes to seek out
NJ. Grsier and inform him that he was
counting disaster. M. Rochard called the
attention of the manager of the Ambigu to
the fact that in the tableau just over, the
scene of which was in Algeria, some OF the
"superS" carried falcons, which, 1t seems,
are regarded in the theatrical world as
birds of il-omen. NJ Rochard was horri-
fed to find that his friend had paid no heed
to this well-accredited superstition. and
would not rest until NJ. Grisier promised to
return the birds to the Jardin d Acclimata-
ton, from which they had been borrowed.
Another bird that is regarded in theatre
cal circles as harbinger of evil is the pea
cock. In this connection rather amusing
story is told on the boulevard. There is
manager on the left bank of the Seine-his
theater is not the Odeon-who Is noted Tor
his strict attention to economy. Some two
years ago he found himself under the dis
agreeable because costly, obligation OF re-
decorating his theater. The operation COM
pleted and the scaffoldng removed, he sur
Veyed his rejuvenated house with such sat
isfaction as the thought of the bill would
permit of. The improvement in the appear
ance of his theater was undenlabie, ana ne
was almost content, when his attention was
drawn to the ceiling, which he perceived, to
his horror. had been adorned by the artist
with a trieze of peacocks tails. He was
well aware of the unlucky sign1ncatlon
which is supposed to attach to peacocks,
and his first impulse was to order the I'M
mediate obliteration of the offending motif.
He promptly reflected. however, that to ef-
feet the alteration the scafolding would
have to be put up again, and he bitterly
grudged spending money out OF difference
to what, after all, was mere superstition.
On the other hand, he had no slight Turk
ing faith in the superstition himself, and it
was not without many qualms of conscience
that he decided to avoid the outlay and let
the peacocks' tails be. His hesitation and
uneasiness have continued ever since. His
theater has not been smiled on by fortune
of late, but. though he confesses to De.
lief in the evil influence of the peacocKs
tails he has not yet been able to make up
his mind to incur what he tries to persuade
himself Is ridiculous expense. his teiioW-
managers are well aware of his predlca-
ment and lose no opportunity or cnanns
him on his struggle between the calls OF
superStitiOn and economy.