The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-07-06

after the performance on Monday night"
81 love en-" said Tom Wise
Love what?" Not first perform
ances?" Nonsense" came a chorus from
staring increduously at the genial come
dian.
+ tiU. --Tty1 7rpvut IN ffrEr perr0rTn-
ances. It's a gamble. and there isn't
anyone living who doesn't enjoy a gamble
in some form or other. We never know
what points are going TO score what is
going 10 be laughed at or who is going
10 make a hit. end It's mighty keen enjoy
ment 10 listen for tho laughs and the APP
plause and see II they come AZ the points
where we had anticipated them. One
thing, however, which Is absolutely neces-
sary TO the enjoyment of a first per-
formance Is that one shall be positively
sure Of his lines. first night audience
while critical. is apt TO be friendly
MY thoughts are always upon the
character ] am playing I never con-
slider the audience % declared Miss Reimer
You should consider them occasion
ally" said Edwin Nicander. sotto voce.
and was answered by a mock indignant
look from Miss Reimer
How does first night nervousness as
sert itself?" | asked.
I'm as many ways as there are tenn
peraments." said Orme Candara. I'm
Mrs. Patrick Campbell's company last
season | was called Mr. Composure.' be-
cause l didn't go UP on my lines on a first
performance, didn't strut back and forth
on the stage awaiting cues didn't clench
my hands, or do any Of the other things
common TO first nights. Yet daresay,
| was as nervous as everyone else. Mrs
Campbell herself not excepted. was
fortunate. however. in hiding It from my
fellow players as well as from the au-
dience. II there is anything that Is
more disconcerung IL is 10 find some one
with whom one has a scene in the throes
of nervousness"
Perhaps the most common sign of
nervousness" said Jane Rivers, lis the
forgetting OF lines. Although one may
know his or her part perfectly before
going on the stage. nervousness often
makes his mind an absolute blank. He
hears cues without realizing that they
are meant for him and ne stands there
gaping. startled. confused. muttering
something incoherent and unintelligible
until he can pull himself together. He
remembers the awful chaos OF the re-
hearsal and thinks with horror that the
performance Is going the same way He
thinks all sorts OF horrible things, and In
spite OF tho applause OF the audience
tho performance cannot in the pessi-
mistic opinion OF the first night actor. be
good"
Does the stage manager share this
first night anxiety" ! asked
Does he! Well, | should say he does -
said Mr.. Winter, 10 whom had addressed
my remark ION first night. feel re-
sponsible for everybody and everything.
If an electrical effect is not exactly
right. IL an actor does not play n scene
just So or II any of the thousand details
go wrong. I personally feel the blame be-
longs 10 me-. When Monday night mid
night comes I'm usually tired enough 10
go 10 sleep without being rocked Then
the next morning the work on tho next
weeks play begins. and only n few DAYS
pass before we are confronted with an
other FIRST night"
well. what's the sense OF Worrying
over first nights" said Mr. Nicander.
This one Is over and it's six days before
there1l be another. Don't cross a
bridge"
yes. we've heard all about that.
Nickie. but that doesn't make FIRST nights
my better" said william H. Turner.
Nervousness will prevail az long as
there are first nights"
THE GIRL BEHIND THE PEN.