The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-04-29

can easily see what pandemonium
would ensue if all the men should be
whistling while persons were making
up and trying to think of their lines.
For many years one never saw any
peacock feathers in decorations of the
stage. Birds of all kinds, particular
Ily flying birds, were barred from
these effects. 1t was Irving who broke
this tradition.
The first thing actors will do when
they hear the name of the play they
are to act in is to see if there are
thirteen letters in the title or thirteen
persons in the cast. Then they wait
with bated breaths to learn if the day
of production is to be the thirteenth.
This superstition, of course, original
ed with the Lords Supper.
Once I was in a play called "a Drop
of Poison" 1t had thirteen letters in
the title, thirteen persons in the cast,
and was produced on the thirteenth
day of the month All the actors suf
fered greatly, the superstition being
that some one would die during the
run of the piece. But the play itself
came to so speedy an end that no &C
tor could have beaten it out unless
he had died of heart failure or had
shot himself
One must not place boots on a shelf
or a table. Neither must he put an
umbrella or hat on a bed. Probably
this superstition originated in sense
of order. One night there were a cou-
pie of actors in my rooms. I chanc-
ed to throw my umbrella on the bed.
and one of them grabbed it up, ex-
claiming, ooh, my Cod" On another
occasion a visiting actor saw me on
the point of putting his hat on bed,
and grabbed it just in time. That
night he had a telegram from his wife
that her father had had a stroke Of
paralysis, but was living. I said 70
him afterward that I supposed If J
had actually put the hat down en- the
bed the old gentleman would have
died, and he answered very graVely.
well, you almost did" implying that
it was only that hairbreadth miss
that saved him.
Then there is the superstition about
the black cat, and that of the cracked
mirror, but these are no longer power
full. Certain theaters are regarded as
unlucky, just as ships are thought by
sailors to be Jonah boats" But
there is generally a reason behind
this-fnancial difficulties, fires or
panics that have too frequently re-
, Cured, and all that sort of thing.
There is a superstition that if one
person dies in a company three will
die Personally / know of only one
case where that came true, and am
not sure if the three deaths occurred
all in one season, as they should to
fulfill the prophecy.
The most malicious superstition of |
the stage today is that certain actors
or actresses are hoodoos-that they !
are unlucky. Surely this is not pecul |
lar to actors; but the working out OF
it in the dramatic profession is most |
cruel process of injustice. The idea |
usually starts with the fact that an ac- |
tor or actress is unlucky for a short !
space Of time in the plays they APP |
pear in or the parts they are cast for.
Until he has safely passed the dan
ger period, every young actor is under
the possibility of being a hoodoo
When this reputation fastens itself |
to him it works his actual ruin. Even
the most astute and worldly manag- |
ers and the most sensible and SYM
pathetic stars are affected by this
groundless belief. have known
many cases Of the most cruel persecu-
ton growing out of it, the utter de-
feat of the professional life Of very
talented persons. Long ago it should
have been made a matter Of libel In
deed, one actor knew seriously
thought of taking the matter into the
courts, his case being so unquestion'
ably one of blackmail and persecu-
tion.
Another actor who had suffered I'M
told misery and defeat through this