Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-14


time some chrouiclcr may write them
up and produce a work that win throw
light into that strange little world the
tlddlsh stage And one Of the most
interesting Of the tales told may Doe rec
peated here--the tale of Shophic Karps
appearance I'm a memorable production
OF Hamlet at the Thalia theator when
the audience arose i'm It's enthusiasm at
the end Of the performance and howled
Author. Authori" and would not Doe
appcased until William Shakespeare
came upon the stage ANA bowed with
Eli2nbethan grace,
The audiences at Ylddsh thcatcrs ar,
always partial 10 the writer Of the play
mat makes HIT Especially is this
true OF the patriots those stage mad
young men who form themselves into
bands Of Clacqucrs In the wake of stars
and playwrlghts. They win thunder
for their beloved actors during the
presentation of the play. but at the end
there viii arise united clumor for the
playwright
Hamlet was produced at the Thalm
IN the season of 1895. Sophie Karp was
the Ophelia Boris Tumeyahcvsky was
the Hamlet, Sigmund and Dinah K0ts-
man. respectively, l.ing aud queen
The play met with fair success, and I'm
the closing scene the enthusiasm rose
20 great pitch The general slaughter.
the lively dueling the flashing of swords
and the sohbing of death cries simply
set the patriots crazy Here was
roughhousc just to their taste. After
having left the burden OF applause dui
Ing the subtler parts of the play 20
others, they now took charge Of the oc-
Caeion
Their clnshng Of palms made the
air rock Sophie Kurp, Tomevshcvsky
and the rest were brought out time ana
again The manager stars and the
players down to the substitute Ghost
were happy and beumlng with delight.
but beginning 10 be- "a llttle tired ~
walking upon the stage To- bow, wheh
suddenly they We're dismayed by
strange cry shouted across the din Of
the house,
"Shakespcare' Shakcspcarew
The cry was at once taken up by
most OF the house The knowing ones
laughed but the majority Of the play.
gocrs. understanding that the writer Of
the play which had $50 pleased them
was called to take his need of applause,
Joined with right good win ln the crles
Of Author! Author! Shakespeare
shakespeare"
Confusion reignod behind the scenes.
Well the managers and the actors
knew that when am East Side audience
demands TO see an author, the author
must be produced.
sim, here was case when COM
pliauce was out OF the question, The
manager sent out Sophie Karp once
more. The audience gave "a round OF
applause Then they howlcd for Shake
spoare again
The manager sent out Boris Tomey-
sheysky. Hamlet was applauded until
the big chandelier shook but the dodge
Of trying to draw off the attention Of
the patriots didn't work
They wanted Shakespeare They
would have nobody else, The king ana
the queen ana Laertes and the Ghost
who made another hit-the GraVodig
ger and an the rest Of the cast We're
trOtted out
The patriots grew tired They be-
gan TO show AN ugly mood. They
asked for Shakespeare In a dozen diff
ferent recommendations - and they
weren't going 20 be- fobbed off with
Hamlets ana Ghosts much longer
There We're Kisses and boots and cat
calls The patriots We're growing de-
cidedly bnsterous and obstrepcrous, a
few overripe oranges pelting down upon
the stage added emphasis TO the
stormy mood of the house.
The managers-thc are a number
OF such to all Jewish theaters-were
tearing their hair IN their trouble They
cursed the stupidity OF the patriots
Explanations We're useless, they knew,
at this time. a manager who went
before the curtain and tried TO tell the
patriots that Shakespeare had been
dead a few hundred years, when his
picture was on the posters for all TO
see, would have run very strong
chance OF being mobbed
a humble hero saved the day, a stage
hand rescued the stars. lie suggested
his idea,
II was enthusiastically received And
while the audience was still thunder
lug before the curtain n strange scene
was going on behiEd
A dlngy little black beard was stuck
on the stage hands cean-shavcn chin,
A little up-turnod mustache was added.
Around his neck they placed a piece Of
linen to do duty for the bard's collar,
as pictured on the posters, and thus
equipped he stepped in front of tho
curtain
Wow! How they howledl Shake.