The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-06
.SUPERST[TIONS OF STAGE FOLK.

which IS yet to come. since even the!
wisest experience a certain sense o. aT 4
prehension and unrest VIII ever the tat
full number thirteen comes out In a the;
turn OF Fortunes wheel. ;sE3s
What "a K ca sonlesS machine ss rs sis 34
Can superstition make the reas' ner man an
S still more typical Is the superstition
sal por tends frightfnl failure on the
that a smooth and perfect dress rehear-j
opening night. This Is a belief to when lefl,.
apparently, there are no exceptions, an ana
& a deeply iss II ngrained that many times
and OFT the directing spirit OF q rene g rsai
has calmly broken 4 n upon the placid cur
rent and precipitated a storm VIII Y, ! ~, =.
lof It's unkind attendant evils, - y oIa Ply,
h sayara L great $peopl e OF the sta ge g have
known are peculiarly susce pttble TO ms
strange belief. ,One.a chole rtc man, sWhose
: vtistic8 tenn permanent is made the excuse IS,
Tor many trying eccentricities. Is noted e
q, III q own com pany and In q narrow CIT
ia 81 hose tho know, for the pyrotec;n-i
meal displays OF temper that attehlae ess' =
last rehearsal. n l33
M matter how serene the SKY MAY i,re
at@the outset q clio burst ma = h y 1 ~
nended upon before the SECOND ~. Y, 4. s,
finished. II nothing occurs les';sp,a.s,s
M draw the lightning and set : e, s.
r,ents II war one with the otter. 20
great man anxious to prop.tiatAs;B t IS
snirit of disaster short circaitn the - t773
nation. SO + TO If speak, by some pr'ea'trx't
secmingly nuite gratuitols ana Y nit 1 ".
sarv. after which bubble. bubble, .loll
and trouble all hell seems 70 str. -, me
storm centered at first on some me 3n''llo !,
conflict Of thought or opinion. u 3 1u-
tally swells into an allie mpr ra Scy
clone from whose vortex no th,NN !. AZ AZ
canes. Even the objects and tlle Sel-
spnagesS who at first seemed au1te re-
mote 6 from the storm center ana slf.s,
tIrcly safe are presently drawn N ana !H
the blizzard sweeps impartially uPon 21tl " ?
lust and the unjust, the innocent ana y,
1.-The guilty, until they are all, 90 70
| sneak, In one red burial blent 5.
The rehearsal is dismissed. the flrs !.
performance ordered pos tpone GO, hnu
then with the climax reac hed gra9'
ager l1urrles about with his orders :, sto
re es the rehearsal; the ru1nbllings
| ~ the storm become more distant ana
presently, with the fates propitiated,
everything is In full swing once more.
Tho expected has happened, 2 nd nose
who have passed through other storms el Z, 3
onsTl,ke occasions are cheered by the
c c fortnble superstition that the wrath
81 a, possible failure has been lald, C
Yet another rehearsal superstition |, is
that which prohibits utterance Of the
final words. or ting, OF ne play, l.E.
!, tag, or epilogue proper is an tnstltu-
/ ton Of the old English drama when
has well nigh disappeared from view,
| It is a, sort Of postlude spoken 70 .the
| audience by one OF the principal t cha 9,
acters after the action OF the play y
complete, Its purpose beinE g return .l!,,
thanks and curry favor with the nudl,
ence 81 means OF a few Well-turned
phrases. Thus at the lend Of Philip
4 Massinger's famous play a. New Way
i "a Pay Old Debts We find this flnal
| address to the audience:
Nothing wants then
But your " ~ ~
1 Is comprehended; y being known nor
Nor ss that; wrote fig comedy Gan =
Nit: Npth J L your manumlsslon; which y f 4
Grant willlpgly, as a fair favor due h
i TO the poets and our labours Gas you
For We despair not, gentlemen q q 5, the
We jointly shall pro fess your grace has 't,
10 teach US action, and him bow e
4, write, 81 &,
Perhaps a still better example Of the
ep:ogue, or tag. ls found at8the Gloss
4 OF George Chapman play, III FOOLS
which was acted al Bl frlars N loss
Il tirey representative Of the old style: n
Il sinoa NJ nur la hours nro as you can