The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-23
THE WEEKLY aRIsr.
Stories the Players Are Telling On
and Off the Stays.

Stories the Players Are Telling On
and OFF the Stags.
Sometimes actors are proud OF their
first histrionic ventures; sometimes
they are embarrassed by any reference
to them. 1t is not quite certain In the
mind of the narrator whether Charles
Richman enjoyed the meeting with one
of his first admirers the other day. 1t
was after a matinee performance of
Captain Darlington" that a man &c
costed the star as he emerged from the
stage entrance and said politely:
This is Mr.. Richman?"
YES" was the reply, with an inter
rogating infection.
well, I felt considerable hesftancy
about addressing you, but in justice
must. l want to pay you the price of
admission to performance of yours
some years age.
Mr. Richnan looked more interrogat-
ing.
"I was in. the audience at one of
your matinees in that attic in South
Chicago" the stranger went on to say.
1.-THE piece you were presenting was
'Deadshot Dicks Last Job I had hid
den myself in a box of old clothes
and heard the play without paying. You
have improved so much since then that
1 think ought to make good. Here,
sir, is a penny. That was the price of
admission, was it nOt?"
With that he bowed and hurried
away, leaving the actor standing star
ing at the penny in his hand. Present
ly Mr.. Richman smiled and walked up
Broadway with a far-away look in his
eyes. All. those attic. days of boy
hood!
Jessie Bartlett Davis. the eminent
contralto with Francis Wilson in
'fErminie, was in a state of mind re-
Gently because two foolish chorus girls
quit their positions when they were or
4 70 %ierI,+ &c
sible that the girls had good reasons for
refusing to wear tights, but Miss Davis
chose to deliver a rehearsal lecture on
the subject, and fixed her eyes on
Francis Wilson, who sat near by. but
was unable to escape. Miss Davis said:
when will the stage women know that
it is not the role. but the women, who
make the tights obnoxious or respect
able? The real actress loses herself In
her role She is not a woman in boys
clothes. but boy at heart. as well as
in tights. Why are there young women
who can wear tights with absolute dig
nifty and others who cannot raise lace
trimmed skirts without making the act
indecent" Wilson faItered for mo-
ment, and then bravely answered: you
can search me- Better ask George Mum
roe or Neil Burgess"
In the rehearsal of 1.-THE Darling of
the Gods for the recent London pro-
duction there is story to the effect
that Mr.. Tree objected very strongly
to the phrase. THE man that hath
done this thing shall surely die
81 should prefer I shall kill the man
that did this" said Mr.. Tree why
should we keep this phrase? Is it some
pet of Mr.. Belaso's?"
why, it is DavidS-it is Dav1d'S
own" explained the stage director.
II thought So" said Mr.. Tree. 1T is
another example of D. BIS bad Eng
lish. Let's cut it out"
II @7.s
xii, 9Th verse" and the phrase remain
ed.
'I was stage manager at Hammer
STEMS all last summer" said Miss
Gertrude Hoffman, who appears at
Chase's next week. recounting her ex-
periences. 81 liked it immensely, but
had some funny experiences. You
know in vaudeville the stage manager
gets all the abuse no one else will take.
Usually he's a large, husky man, who
is able to take care of himself. l re-
member one time assigning a monolog-
ist to an undesirable place on the bill.
He had the reputation of being bully
and the stage hands shook their heads
when they heard what I had done. But
1 persisted That afternoon I was in
my den, back of the stage, when the
bully arrived. There was an outburst
of language not common in polite So
ciety, and [ heard
" Where's that stage manager? Just
show me the color of his hair. I'm go
ing to wallop him until he isn't able to
stand.
Somebody pointed out my den, and
he rushed in like a mad bull, below
ing: See here, you lob beg pardon,
miss; where is the stage nanager?
q I'm it. I replied. in my most bust
nesslike tones, but was nearly scared
to death. Did you have something to
saw
f." oh, no. he fbbed cheerfully: Just
wanted to pay my respects
o" You have no complaint to maker
:" None at all
Pleased with your place on the
:" 'Tickled to death. wouldn't change
with the headliner.'
Want to see the color of my hair?'
"'Color Ha. hal Color of your hairl
Pom my word. that's good joke.
Think I'll use it in my act q"
Lew Dockstader has an explanation
/ for the condition of F'orty-second street
and Of upper Broadway. A friend of
his, who lives in Camden, n. j.. lost his
watch during one of his visits to New
York and asked him to see Inspector
McClusky about it.
Il saw George" said Mr.. Dockstader
land he promised me that he would
leave no stone unturned in his search
for that watch. I came to New York
shortly after that and was taken along
the line of the subway. I saw then
what I had done. I hurried back to my
hotel and Immediately sat down and
wrote to George that the watch wasn't
worth it. and that he had better let up
| in his search. I was satisfied that he
| had done all that could be DONE
Anyone addressing FRITZ Scheff with
any kind of a title, will hereafter be
viewed with suspicion by the little
prima donna For Miss Scheff has found
that socialism doesn't level all ranks
| just before Christmas.
Miss Scheff, who in private life is the
Baroness Won Bardeleben, is billed by