The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-14
Some Stories From the Stage

At recent performance of Frances
Starr in the The Easiest Way" a
man who had followed the play with
intense interest up to the end of the
third act left his seat reluctantly, called
an usher to one side, thrust a quarter
into his hand and said: IL we got to
catch a train for Utica But / must
know the end of this play. Does Laura
marry the reporters The usher was
a new one and without knowing how
the play really ended he declared that
Laura actually married the man who
had rejected her. A short young man
sitting near rebuked the usher and gave
the stranger a brief synopsis of the
concluding act.
His narrative over the short man
paused moment to regain his breath.
Both men meanwhile had reached the
lobby. The man who had to catch his
train held his hand out and said adj
miringly, "Say, you told that story SO
well you must be almost as stuck on
this play as I am.
well, perhaps, I am,o laughed the
stubby man. my name is Eugene
Walter
Heinrich Conried was telling how
bad oid-fashioned concerts were some
times. IAN old Chicago millionaire, !"
he said, scalled upstairs to his
daughter:
What time you girls take get
ting ready for the concerti Look at
me-a bit of wadding in each ear, and
I'm ready. y
Ignace Paderewski, the pianist, is a
practical joker. as well as a wit. Onl
one occasion, being persistently pursued
by a woman seeking to obtain lock
of his hair, he tore a wad of hair out
that you desire, here is plenty
When Paderewski was dining out one
night he met young society man who
had won for himself reputation for
his skill at poIo Being praised by the
it was different, indeed, from Paderew-
ski IS performances.
.Oh, - replied Paderewski, the diff
ference between us is perfectly clear.
You are a dear soul who plays polo,
while / am a poor Pole who plays
solo.
When the grand opera company goes
to Boston it is all the rage among
Harvard men to go on the stage as
"supes.' So keen is their desire to
get behind the footlights on nights
when the big stars sing, as high as So
is paid by each "supe' for the privil-
eye of carrying a spear, climbing tin
cup or figuring as one of the component
parts of a stage mob.
".Supes' have to be watched care
fully by those in authority behind the
scenes because they treat the whole
thing as a huge lark, and are always
on the lookout for chances to do mis-
chief. Hence small consideration is
shown for their feelings. Back and
forth they are hustled like sheep; they
have little chance to see the show.
But they always use great ingenuity
in lodging the dragonlike individuals
who watch over them.
Once "supe' succeeded in eluding
the stage manager s eye when the time
came to leave the stage. Enseonc1ns
himself in a dark corner behind the
scenery. he listened raptly to the night
ingale notes of Mary Garden.
When she finished there was storm
of applause from the audience. Again
and again Miss Garden came forth,
bowling her acknowledgements. tas-
einated, the "supe" edge away from
his hiding place, over nearer to the
stage-when suddenly hand pIucked
his sleeves. He turned.
Beside him stood an Infatuated stage
manager,
The two eyed each other. Then the
stage manager, with icy courtesy, re-
marked:
won't you please walk right out
| on the stage-hehind the foollghts-
and take curtain call yourself!
Please do! Oh, I insistl'
For the rest of the evening that
particular "supe' gave little trouble.
Augustus Thomas, the playwright,
told in a recent speech of hunting
trip he had taken in the South. They
were after coons and 'possums, but the
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