The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-17
QUEER H)ODOOS
ABOUT THEATRE
Actor Explains How He Was
OStraciSed
BECAUSE OF ROUND TRUNK
All Great Performers Obey
Their Superstitions
BECAUSE OF ROUND TRUNK

81 had heard a great deal Of the super
stitions of plsy-folk," remarked the en-
bryo acto1, after his first tour, to a re-
porter of the Detroit Free Press, but il
=, takes the actual experience with road
! company to realize how firm a hold the
supposed good and i'll omens of the stage
! have upon it's followers. Few are free
| from them. From the lowliest chorus
| girl to the most exalted star-al have
their presentiments and superstitions. 1
had them brought home TO me in en-
| phatic and malignant form before had
been out very long. Right at the start
! committed a serious breach of theatrical
| behavior, though 1 was entirely innocent
I of any intention to offend. When we had
all assembled at the depot preparatory
to beginning the tour 1 noticed that the
baggage seemed to attract considerable
attention, and the side remarks that were
directed towards one particular trunk
aroused my curiosity. 1 saw one Of the
actors shake his head solemnly, as he
observed:
That's bad-a Jonah right on the start.
wonder what chump brought that thing
along.
we rehearsed another half week at the
town in which we opened, and l soon
learned the cause Of the pessimistic ex-
pressions. I happened to be in the thea
tire one afternoon before the opening
night, and l overheard a conversation
between the stage carpenter and the pro-
perty man, which ran something like
this:
e" We've got to fix that guys trunk the
idear of his totin' along a round-top
trunk. Shows ne hasn't been out before.
- Well said his partner in crime well
fix it all right. all right. That trunk
won't last a week, or ! miss my guess.
It's very easy matter TO place il at the
bottom of the heap every time, and with
a little judicious handling between our
selves and the transfer man, We can soon
put IL out of business
Il didn't need to hear more. l 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 It
along. But 1 now saw that it was clear
" regarded as a Jonah. l went immedi
ately to the manager-star and quizzed
him on the matter.
Well said he, L am not overly sup
erstitious myself. but a round-top trunk
is believed to be one of the biggest Jonahs
in the business. 1 guess the best thing
you can do is TO ship II home before
some one elses trunk until you get
new one. And don't fail to get a square
shaped trunk when you buy one
well, ! shipped the old family trunk
home right away. Another popular super
stition in regard to baggage is that
rope-bound trunk is a sure Jonah and
rope-bound trunk will not be tolerated
by the majestic persons that handle the
baggage.
About the third night of my appear
ance l was severely called 10 account for
whistling in the dressing-room. l had
trilled about half bar of a popular COM
&c song when my dressng-rOom mate
looked up with a Mortified expression
that was greatly accentuated by the pale
shade of grease paint he was just then
applying to his face
That settles it, he gasped. won't
last with this show week
What's the matter?' / asked inno-
Gently
- Matter. Don't you know you oughtnt
to whistle in the dressing-room. That
means that the man nearest the door
will be sure to get his two sveeks notice
Wen. as matter of fact. that fellow
Che was nearest the door in this instance
did receive his notice after we had been
out a month or so. OF course he laid il
to me. l didn't; for the way in which ne
butchered the English language convinced
me that he would have been more suita-
bly, employed on the section
Not long afterward l was called for
looking through the peek-hole before I
had made my first entrance
''One day as we were leaving a town
in which business had not been pa-ticu-
larly encoura ging, I noticed the leading
lady shudder.
Ugh" she said. drawing her kimona
closer about her shoulders.
Thinking she was about TO have a
chill. asked her if there was anything
I 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 20
have a bad business in the next town
4 found that the leading lady had an
extended repertoire in the matter Of SUI
perstitions. some of which / took pains
TO remember for future reference few
Of them I have seen published: others
think the reading public are unfamiliar
with. Here are some that recall. in ad-
dition 10 those mentioned above:
Never put your foot On the roll Of
curtain or a drop.
Never look throug a broken mirror.
1t is considered extremely unfortunate
for person TO look over another's shoul-
der into a mirror cit is said that Booth
and Barrett believed in all the mirror su-
perstitions)
1t Is considered unlucky 70 leave a hat
on the bed II must be removed and
hanged elsewhere before II is worn. and
must not be touched until another hat is
on the wearers head
Avoid meeting eross-eyed people on the
way TO the theatre
Don't return TO your dresSing-rOom IL
anything has been forgotten
Never quote Macbeth in the dressing
rooms.
Few actors are brave enough 20 walk
under q ladder. 1t means certain mis-
fortune
II the figure 5 is seen on locomotive
the actor should turn his back 70 IL
on coming out Of the hotel % 20 20
the theatre. the sight Of load q hay
assures one Of a prosperous engagement.