The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-08
OMENS OF GOOD OR
EVIL THAT SCARE
ACTORS
There Are Jonahs Of All
Kinds From Which the
Player People Cannot Els
cape-Some Of the More
Common Ones Described.

II had heard a good deal Of the super
stitionS Of player folk" remarked the
embryo actor after his first tour ''but it
takes the actual experience with a road
company to realize how firm a hold the
supposed good and i'll omens of the stage
have upon its followers. Few are free
from them. From the lowliest chorus girl
to the most exalted star-all have their
presentfments and superstitions. I had
them brought home to me in emphatic
and malignant form before had been
out very long. Right at the start 1 COM
m1tted very serious breach Of theat-
r1caI behavior, though I was entirely in
nocent of any intention to offend. When
we had all assembled at the depot pre-
paratory to beginning the tour L noticed
that the baggage seemed to attract con-
siderable attention and the side remarks
that We're directed toward one particular
trunk aroused my curiousity. I saw one
of the actors shake his head solemnly as
he observed:
That's bad-a Jonah right on the start.
I wonder what chump brought that thing
along?'
we F0DedrSeQ announcer ndIf week AT
the town in which we opened, and soon
learned the cause of the pessimistic ex-
pressions. / happened to be in the the
alter one afternoon before the opening
night and overheard a conversation be-
tween the stage carpenter and the prop
erty man, which ran something like
this:
We've got to fix that guys trunk
The tdear of his totin along round tap
trunk. Shows he hasn't been out be-
fore
well said his partner in crime, well
fix 1t all right. all right. That trunk
won't last a week, or I miss my guess
It's a very easy matter to place 1t at the
bottom Of the heap every time and with
little judicious handling, between our
selves and the transfer men. we can soon
put it out of business
Il didn't need to hear more. was the
guy with the rOund-top trunk. 1t was
the only one 1 had at home and as
hadn't been instructed as to the style of
trunk to carry OF course ! brought 1t
along. But now saw that it was clear
ly regarded as a Jonah. l went immed1-
ately to the manager-Star and quizZed
him on the matter.
Well said he. I am not overly SUI
perstitutious but round top trunk is
believed to be one of the biggest Jonahs
in the business. I guess the best thing
you can do Is to ship it home before you
lose it. You can put all your stuff In
someone else's trunk until you get new
one And don't fail to get a square shap-
ed trunk when you buy one.
WhistIing Brings Bad Luck.
well, shipped the old family trunk
home right away, you bet. Another popu-
lar superstition in regard to baggage Is
that rope bound trunk is sure Jonah
and a rope-bound trunk will not be toler-
ated by the majestic persons that handle
the baggage
About the third night of my appear
ance l was severely called to account for
Whistling in the dressing room l had
trilled about half a bar of a popular COM
ic song when my dressing room mate
looked up with horrized expression that
was greatly accentuated by the pale shade
of grease paint that he was just then ap-
plying to his face.
g That settles it, he gasped; I won't
last with this show a week
Gently.
to whistle in the dressing room: That
means that the man nearest the door
will be sure to get his two weeks no
tice?'
Che was nearest the door in this in
stance) did receive his notice after we
had been out month or so. OF course
he laid it to me. I didn't. FOR the way in
convinced me that he would have been
more suitably employed on the section:
Not long afterward I was called for
looking through the peek hole before
had made my first entrance
"One day as we were leaving a tow1 in
which business had not been particularly
encouraging. 1 noticed the leading lady
shudder
'Ughp she said. drawing her kimono
closer about her shoulders. /,
Thinking she was about to have a
chill, | asked her if there was anything
1 could do for her.
oh, it's nothing she replied, rather
dismally. But didn't you see them put
ting that corpse on the train? That's a
sure Jonah, you know. We are sure to
have bad business in the next town
II found that the leading lady had an
perstftions, some of which | took pains
to remember for future references. A
few of them have seen published; others
think the reading public are unfamiliar
with. Here are some that 1 recall in
addition to those mentioned above:
Never put your foot on the roll of a
curQtain or a drop.
Never look through a broken mirror
at Is considered extremely unfortunate
for person to look over another shoulder
into a mirror. ct is said that Booth and
Barrett believed in all the mirror super
stitions.)
"It is considered unluclxy to leave a hat
on the bed. 1t must be removed and hung
elsewhere before it Is worn and must not
wearer's head.
"Avoid meeting cross-eyed people on
the way to the theater.
Don't return to your dreSSing-room if
anything has been forgotten.
Never quote Macbeth in the dressing
rooms.
Few actors are brave enough to walk
under ladder. 1t means certain mis-
fortune.
IF the figure 80 is seen on locomotive
the actor should turn his back to it.
On coming out of the hotel to go to the
theter the sight of a load of hay assures
one OF a prosperous engagement, but the
sight OF load of empty barrels will fill
the stoutest heart with gloom and fore
boding.
All Have Their SuperstItIons.
"a few actresses believe that certain
cities are their JOnahs as they have new
er played those cities without misfortIIne
Of some kind.
THE most prominent people in the pro-
that John Drew is careful always to take
the first step from his dressing-room with
his right foot. Maude Adams. is is
performance of L'Aiglon' so that She
could return to her dressing room and
leave 1t stepping first with the right foot.
VIII w lalla I'm n r. crane is superstitious in re
gard to the number thirteen. Anna Held
believes 1t is good luck to pick up pins
and 1T Is said she Is a verftable human
pincuShion.
Certain things which are all right dur
ing regular performance must not be
gone at Tehearsal, such as speaking the
tag or last line of the play.
managers are also Superstitious
though few will acknowledge it. They
consider 1t disastrous to enter a theater
with an umbrella raised Some of then.
are also careful that the first person en-
terlng the theater shall have a paid ticket
of admission ~
The leading lady told me that she once
worked Tor a manager who would not al
low an opal to be worn by any member of
his company. u
Am superstitious? repeated the
actor Wen, l guess I'll have to be if !
want to have a comfortable career. ri
nave 10 observe some of the popular ones
anyway. No more, round top or rome
bound trunks for me- opo
The Veiocipede.
Puzzled Salesman-Are you sure you