New-York tribune., 1901-06-23
STAGE FEASTS
1T Is SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT To PLAY
AN EATING PART GRACEFULLY.

A. Hernes plays. Shore Acres" and Sag Ear-
bor," the dinner scene Every who
saw shore Acres remembers the feast, with
the roast turkey. which steaniing and
was cut up ANA divided among the guests. 1t
was no make believe or property turkey. for not
only ana the smoke arise before the audience
and the dressing gush out when it opened.
but the fragrance foated all through the audi
torium The actors in the play have told how
Surfeited they became. before the season ended.
with roast turkey. Night after night they were
obliged to partake of the bird. until the sight
of it became almost uncomfortable. AS the tur
Key was a large one. 50 that everybody might
be helped in profusion, the aggregate cost at
the end of the winter was something consider
able
Pleased with the success of the turkey in
shore Acres" Mr.. Herne introduced real
clam pie into the action in Sag Harh0r. 1t
must be said. however that i'm places where
CLAIMS were not 10 be had oysters served just
well. The point To have a genuine pie. and
this was invariably brought from the Kitchen,
and IT was appetiZnS To see the seafaring folk
on the stage enjoy il and to smell the perfume
OF the CLAIMS when it was cut up. AS in the case
or the turkey, however the actors in the piece
soon tired of the pie although succulent il may
have been al first
Mr.. Herne thought, from long experience
and observation, that audiences like to see.
sood dinner eaten on the stage. Other play
wriShts have been of the same opinion. for eat
ing and drinking in many dra matte
works Dinner an incident is very useful or
even supper Recall the lively supper in Ca
mille"-the furious talk and laughter. every
body gabbling at once and eating at the
Mr. ManSfield's "A Partisan Romance" And
how amusing. as in Aunt Jack if there is
comic character who cannot get waited upon
and who sits half starved. In London pres
ent there is play in which the dinner
occupies three-quarters OF hour-far too
long Twenty or twenty-five minutes is album.
dance for an incident of this character
REAL EDIBLES
Stage banquets. however are not invariably
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 everything into disorder and cause the
hostess to dismiss the company. There is also
an outdoor dinner going on in "As You Like
II" when Orlando interrupts. In Shakespeare
time at these stage feasts the performers used
as food marchpane. sort of biscuit To which
one OF the servants makes allusion in "Romeo
and juliet Good thou a piece of
mi'rchpane The actors grumhed at the con-
stant use OF marchpane and would have pre-
ferred something substantial In the last cent
ufy, when the strollinE players went mOr, or
less mcrrily foot and were. much of the, time.
half starved. real food in the plays was NOR.
than welcome There was q I!ritisb r,,na,-pr
VINO whenever salaries We're considerably in
arrears and dissatisfaction prevalent soothed
everybody into good humor again 10y putting IN
the nautical drama. The Cramond Brig" which
calls Tor dinner of boiled mutton and turnips.
In The Gentle Shepherd" which used u h.
given in Scotland. real haggis was introduced.
There was also very elaborate meal il. tn,
old farce mo Song. No supper"
Persons in the audience are not aware per
maps that II is difficult TO eat on the stage
a
Not little practice is required. The eXperi-
enccd players. however. do it gracefully and
wen Before an audience one must eat very
oalntly, else well bred people in front viii
crltlclse. An actress mus; also know sumethina.
about cooking. or at least. about the prepara-
ti"n or food Making bread on the stage is com
mon, and IN Robertsons Ours rher. is
charming scene where Mary Netlev runs ahout
In the hut In the Crimea with sleeves RULED nm
an" IN her hand the we'll busted rolling pin
she also works out the dough
TOO MUCH CHAMPAGNE
occasionally there is too much drinking In
piaE ehtltied The Wary Widow" which was
ac''d IN U"''. II is said that there was ST. much
"hishey punch consumed that all the perform
'IS prcafne intoxicated. Mr.. Clement Scott i'm
MS memoirs. relates the disastrous expcriap -
some years ago in London of Miss Nita Niro-
UNA a Young woman who made her debut in
4 play called "Ecdrte.' The Australian traec-
dlan, Bonthrovd Faircloush. was in the cast
ne plchlc scene was of highly realistic char
httef genuine hampers from Fortnun n Ma
sons ferlgord pies, chicken. trunies and cham
payne me reTaSt was If Sunptu0uS character
ana the actors and actresses ate and dropl,
hF-rt!lN. The gallery, after Il while. becoming
weary oi :" much feaStng without being able.
l" joln I'm II, hogan To jecr The champagn,.
Continued l" flow, and Miss Nicutina disuIayed
the "hectS OF OVeriEdulgenCe The ieerS turnrJ
INTO yc!is, ana presently, when she entered with
a green hoot on one foot and "a yellow boot ON
/ the otH"r the NeilS became hows and the lady
uhWISeiy attempted Il speech The piece ended i'm
Il riot ana the lights Were put out.