Evening journal., 1901-05-14
"REMINISCENCES
Oh CLARA MORRIS
Distinguished lctTeSS Tells
Some Funny Things About
Stage People

writes:
The late John r. Owens, while acting in
Cincinnati. had a severe cold was fever
ish. and, fearing for his throat which
was apt to give him trouble, he had his
phyaician--an old friend-come to see him
behind the scenes The doctor brought
with him an acquaintance, and Mr. Owens
asked them TO wait till the next act was
over TO see how his throat was going to
behave.
It's always a dangerous thing to turn
outsiders loose behind the scenes, for If
they don't fall into traps OF step into
paint pots. they are sure to pop onto the
stage.
Mr. owens supposed the gentlemen
would stop quietly in his ROOM but not
they-out they wandered on discovery in
tent A well-painted scene caught the
doctors eye He led his friend up to 1t
to take a better look-then as only part
of It was visible from where they stood,
they followed # along.
Mr. owens and I We're on the stage.
Suddenly his eyes dlstended. what in
the devlll" ne whispered l looked behind
me, and at the same moment the audience
burst into shouts of laughter-for right
lliO the NtlAtl Ol Alt HAdbt Adu MAlhNhr
with backs toward the audience. two tall
gentlemen. each with a shining bald head,
each tightly buttoned in a long black over
coat and each gesticuhting with a heavy
cane
whispered TO Mr.. Owens: "The two
Dromios," but he snapped out. Two bind
old bats."
When they heard the roar behind them
~
nier, wilder exit 1 never saw than was
made by these two dignihed old gentlemen
while owens added to the laughter by
taking me by the hand and when We had
assumed their exact attitude. singing
Two Wandering Boys from Switzerland"
/ am reminded that the first perform-
ance ever saw in my life had one Of the
most grotesque interruptions imaginable.
At a sort of country hotel. much fre-
Quented by driving parties and sleighing
parties, a company OF players were strap.
ped" to use the theatrical term-stranded,
unable either to pay their bills or to move
on. There was a ballroom in the house
and the proprie tor allowed them to erect
temporary stage there and give per-
formance, the guests in the house prom
Using TO attend in body.
one of the plays was an old French
farce known to English audiences as 'rhe
Hole in the Wall The principal comedy
part was a clerk to two old mlsers, who
starved him outrageously.
I was a little. stifly starched person.
and I remember l sat on some ones silk
lap and slipped and slipped and was hitch
ed up and Immediately slipped again
until / wished l might fall off and be
4
maiden lady who had come in from her
village shop TO see the "show." She wore
two small sausage curls either side of her
wrinkled cheeks. large glasses broad
lace collar while three members of her
departed family gathered together in one
fell group on a mighty pin upon her tired
chest. She held a small bag on her knee
and from it she now and then slid a bit
of cake which, as she nibDled it. gave
off strong odor of caraway seed.
Now, the actor was clever In his make
up" and each time he appeared he looked
thinner than he had in the scene before.
Instead of laughing however, the old
woman took It seriously, and she had TO
wipe her glasses with her carefully folded
handkerchief several times before that
last scene. when she was quite overcome.
His catch-phrase had been "O-h-hi how
hungry 1 ami and every time he said it
she gave a little Involuntary groan; but
as he staggered on at the last. thin as a
bit of thread-paper. hollow-cheelzed,
whIte-faced, she Indignantly exclaimed,
''Well. now. that's a shamer
The people laughed aloud, the come
dian fixed his eyes upon her face, and,
with hands pressed, against his stomach
groaned "O-h-hl how hungry I amr'-and
then she opened that bag and drew forth
two long twisted friend cakes, rose, stood
on her tiptoes and reaching them up to
him, tearfully remarked:
Here. you poor souli take these; they
are awful dry. but it's all I've got with
mo-"
The audience fairly screamed, but, poor
and stranded as that company was, the
comedian was an artist, for he accepted
the fried cakes, ate them ravenously TO
the last crumb and so kept well within
the character he was playing, without
hurting the feelings Of the Sind-hearted
old woman.
IL Is pleasant to know that that clever
4 bit Of acting attracted the attention and
gained the interest of a well-to-dO gentle
9 man who was present and who next day
+ helped the actors on their way to the
E city.
A certain foreign actor once smilingly
4 told me / was "a crank about my Ameri-
. can public" / took his little gibe in good
part. for while he knew foreign audiences
4 ne certainly did not know American ones
as well as I, who have faced them from
ocean to ocean, from British Columbia I,
Florida.
Two characteristics they all share II
oommon-intelligence and fairness. other
wise they vary as widely, have as man,
marked peculiarities, as would so man,
individuals. New York and Boston ar
the authorities this side Of "the Grea
Divide. while San Francisco sits in judg
ment by the blue Pacific. One never-to
be-forgotten night I went to fashionabl
theatre I'm New York city to see a certai
81 English actress make her debut before a.
% American audience-which at that tim
was considered quite an interesting event