Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-02-23
STAGE ANECDOTES
The London Debut of Edmund
Kean, the Great Tragedian.
A SUCCESS AND ITS PATHoS.

Critic. on Edwin Forests Macbeth
Edmund Kean's London debut wa:
made in 1914, at time when his
financial affairs were ut a very low
ebb. With his wife and one child ht
was lodging in an attic. His reception
as Shylock was most encouraging and
fiattering. In an almost frenZied es
stasy he rushed through the wet to his
humble lodging, sprang up the stairs
and threw open the door. His wife ran
to meet him. No words were required
his radiant countenance told all
and they mingled together the first
tears of true happiness they had as yet
experienced. He told her Of his proud
achievement and in burst of eXulta-
ton exclaimed, MARY, you shall ride
in your carriage and Charley. my boy
taking the child from the cradle and
kissing him-"you shall so to Eton
nnd"-a sad reminiscence crossed his
he murmured in broken accents. ooh,
that Howard (his dead child had lived
to see t!-but he is better where he is
On the night of Edmund's first ap-
pearance as Richard a group of idle
actors in the greenroom were discuss
ing his merits in anything but liberal
spirit. 81 understand" said one, with
an elaborate sneer, "that he is an ad-
mirable harlequin" Bannister entered
at that moment, overheard the remark
and retorted. Il am certain of that for
he has jumped over all our heads"
1t seems that the great tragedian,
Edmund Kean, and Charles Incledon,
the popular singer, were one day walk
ign in Bond street when they met
Lord Essex, who bowed coldly to
Kean. though they were on terms Of
intimate friendship.
The next day Kean found a note at
the theater from my lord desiring him
to call at his house. When there the
nobleman said to the tragedian. "My
dear Kean. you will pardon me. You
know how greatly l admire your gen
ius. but 1 was surprised yesterday to
see you in company of that singing
man, Incledon." my lord" said
Kean with flashing eye. pray don't
excite yourself, now, my dear Kean,"
interrupted my lord, 'but the respect,
/ may say reverence, have for your
wonderful genius prompts me to
speak thus" Lord Essex" cried
T. IA ir,fr
a whitening glance at his noble patron,
twelve years ago my family were in
want of bread and Charles Incledon,
my friend, supplied the means to pro-
cure it, and when Edmund Kean for
gets his friends may God forget him."
And from that hour the two men never
exchanged courtesies.
Kean, from early manhood, had an
internal complaint, for which he had
always been his own physician and
prescribed that sovereign balm called
brandy" from which it generally
found relief, and at least it always
proved an alternative. While travel
ing from London to Belfast, on quit
ting the coach at Donegal Arms, he
missed his sovereign balm and he call
ed out to the Irish waiter to search the
lately abdicated vehicular conveyance
as he had left his pocket pistol behind.
"The devil a pistol can l find.' cried
the searching Hibernian. cor anything
else but this producing the leather
covered charm. why, that's it, you
exclaimed Kean. suiting
the action to the word and tasting to
be convinced. Pat scented the cordial
and, laughing, cried do you call that
q pistol, sir? Why. then, faith, though
I'm a peaceable man, wouldn't mind
standing a shot or two of that pistol
myself"
When Edwin Forrest went to Lon
don he was received in anything but
cordial way. One critic wrote:
"Our old friend Mr.. Forrest afforded
great amusement to the public by his
performance of Macbeth on Friday at
the Princess. Indeed, our best comic
actors do not often excite so great
quantity Of mirth. The change from
sound was enormous. but the grand
feature was the combat in which he
stood scraplng his sword against that
1f Nlacduf. We were at n loss to know
what this gesture meant until an en-
ightened critic in the gallery shouted
1ut. That's right. sharpen it,"
4 good story is being told at the OK
DCnse Of q certain local theater whose
Standing Room Only" notice is no
on-er needed. One night after the
,rrtain WAS rung up a small boy was
7iscovereI in front Of the box Office.
The manager Of the tlcJter went to
he lad and kindly asked him what the
Touble was. I want my money
pack" sobbed the boy in answer TO
he query. In surprise The manager
Isled his reason for such q request
'Because-Le.ause I'm afraid 70 sit up
II the gallery al alone.' he walled
Iis money was returned.-Frankiin
}arry I'm ST. Louis Post-Dispatch.