University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-08-09
SUPERSTITlONS OF ACTORS
A Critic. After Lifelong Acquaintance,
Has Something to Say to Them.

The superstition Of actors has long
been proyerhial." says George F. Good
ale, the oldest dramatic critic in S"rv-
ice in this country. IT is provocative
Of much patroniZing laughter on the
part Of selfrcgarded superior persons,
and it will probably continue its con
| til man shall have become superman.
Undoubtedly on. of the greatest
minds on III" stage in his generation
was Edwin Booth. yet he never ceased
10 dread The pcacock's feather that
has always been the actors sp cial
hoodoo When I'll" traS"dian had fin
| ishrd Booths Thcat"r AZ Sixth Avenue
and Twenty third Street. in New York.
friend whom he would not willingly
| offend pres nted to him beautiful
stuffed peacock with a majestic rides
cent tail. Mr.. Booth felt that he
could not decline the well meant offer
.m%; but within an hour after il was
established in plac. on tn. top Of his
roll desk. h" declared To another init
rate that the house was doomed. And
when. a few years later. he walked out
Of the magnificent structure, bank
rnpt in hope and purS" he recalled to
that same friend his early declaration
of doom. And all on account nl
stuffed peacock.
on III" evening that the late Thorn
as ". Davey mad" his first app ar
ance as manager OF th. Detroit Opera
House. in the autumn Of 1876, he oc-
cnpied the post OF ticket seller. merely
Ito recosniZ" and salut. his numerous
friends, who Wer" expected to cele-
brat" his accession to the managers
Office. 1t happened that the first offer
'of money for Il ticket was by a cross
eyed man. Dav"y instantly crossed
his two first fingers and spat over
them. This was and is the recognized
charm for that particular form of the
.atrical hoodoo. And so no harm came
to the Davey administration
There is something more than idle
superstition i'll the state of mind that
moves the so-called superstition. !
whether on the stage or not. 1t is a !
psychological condition. and often a
demonstration of the potential power
ol thought. There is Il certain we'll |
known DetrOiter. who has had an indi
rect connection with the theater for
half century and who therefore, has !
felt some touch of its influence. He |
IS, likewise. a dyed-in-the-w0ol base |
ball fan (aticl. and whenever the Ii |
gers go wrong for want Of a few timely !
safetios he turns his hat wrong end |,
10. 1t is coincidence that this move |
menr generally corresponds to radi |
cal chang" OF fortune in the game. OF |
course it is no more than coincidence. |
but our fan cannot be argued out of |
the conviction that three consecutive |
pennants We're won by his psychologist
cal juggling with his hat
Robert F.deson. who is man Of
intellectual solidity, cannot be induced !
to go on for his opening scene in ?
play unless he has in one of his pock-
cts a bit Of the grease paint preserved
from the stick he used when he made
up for his debut as professional actor.
Helen Ware carries the letter sent
her while she was attending Il dra.
matte school instructing- her to repor,
as an extra lady for Maude Adams
production in The Little Minister
Rose Stahl's amulet is a niece of
the ribbon She wore in her hair the
first time she appeared in amateur
Frank Mcintyre. the funny fat CO.
median. would lose all self-confidence
We're he TO venture on the stage with