Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-05

" 49, - 49,
lNN is 10 be a regular star here
- after, and not merely a musical
HSSEyW comedian-MF. Joseph Coyne
49, turns his footsteps homeward
from wandering on the London Strand
with something OF regret, He expresses
II with something akin to poignancy. Mr..
Coyne doesn't find British audiences more
agreeable than Americans; oh. no. that's
not II. American audiences are quite well
in their way, you know. and grawsp the
point quite az readily as do the London
ers. and even express their apprecia ton
for a %favorite actor or actress with proper
enthusiasm. But it's off the stage that
the trouble begins. In London, don't you
know, an actor is quite somebody, while
In America he Is quite nobody. Now,
amt It awful, Mabel? Such = beastIy
bore. to be sure. TO have to be mistaken
for. let us say a bank person. or maybe
a tailor chap. when in reality you are an
actor. and therefore fit to rank with an
artist or a poet or a literary Teller. And
yet this is not the worst Of indignities
Mr.. Coyne Is compelled TO endure IN
America. over here, you know, the man
ayers do not pay sufficient Difference to
the actor. and the stage hands-huh, not
at all: nothing doing there in the defer
thing. Fawncy! Why, the stage hand
actually thinks he IS as good as the
actor. oh. dear! Wonder what Mr..
Coyne would say II he were to come TO
Omaha and watch the electrician Of one
Of the theaters go s%cooting around the
village in his own automobile-and it's
not a two-cylinder runabout, eyether?
.
once on a time an actor whe thought
he had established himself in little old
N Yawk" reached Chicago on his way
around the outer orbit over which stars
have TO go occasionally. whether they like
II or not, and in a fit Of p%etulance unbur-
dened himself of the sentiment that when
ever he got away from Broadway he felt
as IL he were just camping out. That
was several years ago. and the record in
dicates that he is still camping out. At
any rate, Broadway knows him no more,
save as a memory, and the last time one
recalls having seen his name in print 1t
was mentioned I'm connection with that OF
a chorus lady who was about to be welded
to a Tonopah millionaire, and who tossed
her head when the former Broadway pet
was mentioned. "What?" she snorted.
NJ marry a fat old man with three
chins? Huh Even Broadway forgets.
And once another matinee idol, who
thought he had firmly ensconccd himself
in the spotlight along the Great White
Way, bitterly complained that he was
asked to come as far west as Omaha,
just to show himself in d play he had
discarded several seasons before. But he
has been back here since, and to all out
ward appearances was glad to get back;
at all events, he voiced his pleasure at
seeing SO many people in the house and
h'cl that when he came another season
he would still be as popular. He has
found out that the American dollar
recognizes neither class distinctions nor
geographical lines, aad that it is as
potent in one section Of the country as
another.
No coed reason o& SIS why either of these
gentlemen should not prefer New York to
any part of the country outside Of New
York. Lots of people do; some folks are
so far lost as 10 want to live in Kansas
City. New York is the center of the
wealth and the fashion OF the country, and
presents attractions for the actor folks
that no other city can offer. If an actor
has so well established himself that he
does not need TO leave Broadway" which
means the very center and core OF the
stage world in America, he is fortunate
and even to be envied by his fellows. But
he ought to be magnanimous. and should
N'N NNNN - ADNA AANNA NeAAN D
many of whom actually spend their days
without ever getting a Whit of those
blessed airs that perfume the vicinity of
Herald square and never have to blink at
the effulgent radiance that lights up Broad
way. Most of the great actors are glad Of
the opportunity Of taking their art 10 the
people who can not conn to il, and re-
JoiCe when they are able 10 show q little
of the immortal light of genius in the outer
places OF the world. 1t is much TO be re-
GREETED, though, that Mr.. Coyne's destiny
is leading him beck from the pleasant
servility OF dear old london, where a serv-
ant knows his place, TO the atmosphere Of
democracy in which a stagehand has actu-
ally been known TO take a punch at an
actors face because OF sufficient provoca-
ton. Some mighty good actors have sur
viVed the condition, though. and maybe
Mr.. Joseph Coyne will. And II the public
will take him as seriously as he takes him
self he will surely be a hit in his new line
II work.