The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-30
HUMoRs OF CURTAIN CALLS.
What Embarrassed Players Say In
Front of the Curtain.

Actors are such brave folks behind the
foOtlightS, able to defend the beautiful
heroine until death and to follow the
perfdious villain even to his deadly lair.
But when that cry, Speech! Speech
Speech! is started by the worthy usher
then it is quite a different matter.
Those who were at the Broadway one
recent Monday night will recall what
toIerably poor figure Warde cut when
he came before the curtain with his lit
, tie speechlet; and yet Warde must sure
ly like that sort of thing, since there
was no very evident demand that he let
US know how very, very glad he was to
be with US once more.
But far greater actors have done far
worse on similar occasions. Thus Sir
Henry has a reputation in England as
a clever after-dinner speaker. When a
speech has been expected of him he has
seldom failed to rouse laughter and ap-
plause. But away from the banquet
board and in the glare OF the foOtlights
thought clogs and he talks like this:
Ladies and Gentlemen-Ladies and
gentlemen: I assure you'll thank you
| I am pleased thank you for your
| kindness. It is a great delight for me
| to be-to be with you again. 1 thank
you'll thank you; I thank you
Kyrle Bellew is as much at home in a
drawing room as is Irving. He IS a
close student of politics and he has
found time to play with astronomy.
His hair has turned white in many
years of experience with men of class,
! and yet Bellew is as nervous as his
fellow Englishman on first nights. The
more the audience applauds the more
| nervousness overcOmeS him. RaffieS is
successful in his plot to steal the covet-
ed necklace, but all his cleverness leaves
him when he becomes Kyrle Bellew.
II hardly believe-I am sure I don't
deserve all this applause" Mr.. Bellew
usually begins 1T is gratifying-you
must thank the company. The credit is
due to Mr.. Hornung and Mrs. Presbrey.
I can't find words to thank you" and as
the actor slips away the auditors send
rounds of handclaps after him and
laugh at his embarrassment.
1t is much the same with John Drew
or e. H. Sothern. The contrast between
their hesitating. rambling curtain
speech and their acting of few mo-
ments before is striking and most dis
appointing. Sothern never dares to ut
| ter more than a few words. He comes
from the wings with mis- hands clench-
ed; his attitude suggesting amusingly q
! lighting pose. Then he hands an upper
! cut to a few verbs and he chops ad-
| jectives with an artistic finish suggestive
of a Fftzsimmons working for a knock
out.
Mansfield does better. In earlier days
he used to take his audience into his
| confidence and tell the people what ne
thought of them and their town. Spicy
indeed, were those speeches. but the
great player Is now becoming tactful-
| or else just taciturn.
Wilton Lackaye seems to be follow
ing in the footsteps of the younger
| Mansfield. Lackaye's polished wit and
sarcasm is proverbial, and the follow
ing incident of his recent engagement
in Chicago as the star of 1.-The Pit :
sounds enough like him to be actually
true. As the story goes, one night
Lackaye was called out time anG
again after the big scene representing
the wheat pit on the Chicago Board o.
Trade in this story. The star appearet
in his shirt sleeves and remarked:
Ladies and Conference.-The end Of
this act finds me long on wheat and
short on breath. I am trying to fins
enough of the latter to thank you fol
your applause, which was unusual fol
Chicago. In fact, the enthusiasm fol
lowing this act was almost western
don't you Think" After this bit O.
/ sarcasm it is said that Lackaye branch
ed off and told the audience what
they ought to do in order to put them
selves in state where they could ap
preciate q good play.
Women stars who can make a gOos
curtain speech before an audience ar
extremely rare. Maude Adams neve
speaks because her emotion overpow
ers her. Julia Marlowe simply bows re
peatedly and waves a deciination grace
fully with her hands Ethel BarrynOr
leans against the curtain and murmur
Thank you" Mrs. Patrick Campbell
is the one woman who is self-possesse
at all times. She delights in talking {
an audience. Words come to her easil