The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-12
BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

John Drew is one Of the few veteran
actors who continue to be amused by the
tricks and articles that produce the eff
fects of stageland. Most players become
so accustomed 10 these things that they
Go not notice them. But in John Drew the
eternal boy survives which is perhaps the
secret Of much of his charm. Recently he
was standing in the wings preparing to
60 on in his new success, 'lncOnstant
George" talking with a friend who was
not connected with the stage. Suddenly
he said, Pay attention and you will now
see how the outside door is closed on
the stage" At that moment the property
man lifted the lid of an enormous flat
chest, used to pack and transport the big
frames in which photographs of the act
ors and play are displayed in theatre
Drew, recognizing the cue, 81 have en-
tered the exterior portal" And at that,
bang dropped the heavy lid. The noise
behind the scenes was deafening, but in
front it reached the audience only as the
proper noise Of a door closing in decision,
but not in anger. Mr.. Drew broke into
laugh 1t always delights me-" he
said Il don't think 1 shall ever get used
to It" And, pausing the proper interval
for his passage through an imaginary hall,
he entered the scene door and made his
appearance with hat and Overcoat
X X
Actors like to be objects of admiration,
says an eastern dramatic critic. That is
admirers. They dress to attract atten-
ton; they are always acting-On the stage
and off-and they always are trying to
make the public say, Amt he grand?'
This goes for most actors, not for all Of
them. There are some actors, most OF
them stars, who are as entertaining off
the stage as they are when their lines
are written for them.
A few actors and actresses can talk
about something besides the stage. A
great majority of them wake up talking
stage and go to sleep talking stage. They
can think of nothing else. And converse
ton about their profession usually goes
something like this:
when I was playing Hamlet"
'Hammerstein offered me a thou
sand
The shuberts are going to star me
next"
IF couldn't play that part better than
the star I'd"
q took five hundred a week. but it was
an easy"
'T certainly knocked 'em off their
ITS always an S. R. o. night when
II
I've had my name in the electric lights
so many times that"
You can shut your eyes and go out into
the street and the first person you touch
will be more entertaining than the aver
age actor If you are easily convinced
you may pass happy evening with an
actor listening to tales of wonderful
things he has done in spite of the fact
that all the managers were down on him
and the star was jealous.
There never was an actor who, accord
ing to his own story didn't have the
manager and the star waiting for a dark
night so that they could cut his throat
and throw his body into the river. There
EeVer was an actor who didn't think that
Booth and Barrett and Kean were song
and dance comedians compared to him.
And there never was an actor who hest
tated about saying so.
Apologies are herewith given to the
handful of high class actors and actresses
who are different from the ordinary run.
x X x
Thaddeus Rich, concert master Of the
Philadelphia orchestra, was discussing
things musical few nights ago with a
number of friends when they started tell
ing of funny things that had happened
to musicians.
when 1 was studying in Boston" said
Rich, they used to tell a tale about a
man named Harper, an odd old character.
who played a trombone in one Of the
small theatres there. One time they were
rehearsing a new overture.
Throughout the piece Harper was a
little behind the rest Of the men. Before
they started in a second time the leader
re proved Harper for not coming in more
regularly with the other players.
when they attempted 1t again, Har-
per came in as usual two or three beats
behind time. The leader stopped. and,
after letting loose a lot of profanity, de-
manded to know If the trOmbonist knew
he was playing about half dozen notes
behind the others.
said he, I can catch up with the others
any time I want to-
-s-S--s--