UNREHEARSED STAGE HITS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 93, 1 April 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

UNREHEARSED STAGE HITS

Wtom • croiain prominent, actress vm flaring in one of Barrie* early piece*. ‘ Walker. London.” oh* <« fling away a bock., as a preliminary to faffing 2n lore at a later stage. Everybody B who know* her realises she can perform these action* very passionately and reafe’ically. She rod noon this nccaskm. and the book. landed nght in dbe fare of a auld-looking gentleman who sat in the front row of the dago. la one of the fororwnnere of "The Whip.” which wa* enacted in the jrorinees. a somewhat aony steed, which was wind to rare some semblance of the racaronne, became suddenly and inexplicably restive, and threw it* jockey, leapt the footHghta, and landed among the member* of the orchestra. It was cnly by a moot hurried scramble that they eseaped the boofb of the equine -TOper” which, evidently surprised by its own escapade, stood stock still with one hoof through a violin and another entangled among the convolutions of a actor of the Lewis Waller typo had to rush off the stage, during an eseitipg prone, for his sword. As such an action must no- keep an excited audience too long in suspense, it was usual to have a “super posted at the wino bolding the sword in nmdinea*. The actor had had ween non to reprimand-the super for want of politenem in not proffering tbe handle of the sword, and. during an interval on the proriuua evening, he had grapirieaßv shown Um how be ought to do it.**Tou should bold it by tbe blade wfcli the handle over your shoulder,” he had said. “and. when I appear at the wings row lean forward wrtb a petite bow. bringing the handle of the sword gently down into toy hand.” Bo impressed was the “super” wkh this lecture that, in order to make no mistake thia time, he posted himself at the wings wi:h the sword over his shoulder, fmi fifteen minutes before the time ~roqnu*u- Whan .'the actor at length cans excitedly for tbe weapon, rhe “taper” showed him that be had learned nis tenon well.-With a polite bow be brought the hilt of the weapon down into the actor's outstretched paha. With; a yell tbe latter dropped it, and in aaite of the waiting audience. 'cewted bi* wrath on the astonished ’wnpec.” The hilt of the sword was nearly red-hot. for hi his anxiety to make no rmstake about having it projerly over hi* shoulder, in accordance with ■’« insiroctMMW, the unconscious “auger** had been balding it for at feast ten minutes in a gas jet. A good many yean ago at Greenock aome performances were given of tho cure popular "Anchor of Hope,” a piece eoataiping an exciting scene in which there fe-a fight .between a tend of smugglers and a captain. If happened that one evening gallery and pat aero filled with sailors tram the Channel Fleet, which bad just anchored outside the town. AB went weß enough tall the smugglers attacked the captain, and then in a moment the whole house was throun into confusion. A peefieer of outraged taro attogsded an - tn theetoge, where theyfell upon the smuggler* and routed them, arosd the intense excitement of the onlookers. It was only with tbe gteatest diffkmly that they could be made to that, after all, it ate rimly aetuqg.'* Aa>amusing incident took place recently at a country theatre, where “teiro and Juliet” was occupying th* beards. Tbe lady in tab* title roleteppened to be a amrrfed woman, and also a voung mother. The infant, had teen laid to rest one evening in its mother’s dreamag-room. ami all went well until the curtain was about !w» rise upon the great taken? seen*. Then tbe young tyrant got beyond the control of the •tag* carperner. who had been acting a* an nnprompta none. The mother** taet soon bit upon tbe beet means of quirting tbe child. She nestled the mu: to her breast, and onoe agam ft became quiet. Then she carefully took up her pomtion. feaaing over tn* balcony, and con* reeling the bate with a scarf thrown ever her Jmkter. She looked a picture of beautv and moocenee as a curtain rose on the famous aecne.

Itowo approached, and after a time m Mr hand on the balcony. Alaaf Fickle Fortine had planned another me. With a eraah down came tne aMe m. the balcony, displaying to new the fair maid, with babe at breast, seated ©a a *mb that did doty for a - atorV

Mr. .Edward W. Hackney, the “lather * of the masie-haO stage, was ae r 'Ostoaaed to rebate a comical incideir. which happened to him at a provincial town, where the proprietor of a hall ased occasionally to vary the procnera with a taare of Ehahaapenre. One crew “Hamlet*’ was rdaced in the hill as the concluding feature of a hragthv programme. Owing to ths latewesß of the hour, ft was resolved -e play the p:vcc in three acts. Even with this condensation the town e’och struck 'rhe hour of midnight when the graveyard acene wa« but half through. At that moment the manager came on the steer and remarked to the fire) non. Tome, out o’ t’grave, George. lt*» time ye were all abed, wi* yer neetcaos on.’*

The author of that immensely popular speetach play. 'The Whin.” alreadv meutMied. bad himself had an exciting experience on the stage at Drury Lane. It wdl be recalled that one of vhe scenes consists nf the smash•»p of the '»rain in which the favourite for 'The Derbv** is "*boxed.” Haring ermcthing verv important to communicate io cue of the actors in the tram. Hr. Arthur .Coihn* nrm into the wing*;.. boarded the stage train, and immediately became so engraared in the matter in hand that he forgot the ■Ht nf Ume, ainf only awokr lit' tTie ■ftuarina when be found the train mor* mg out of the stage. There was no escape-. He bad to g«> through with i*. ami this famous dranurie author actnnl*y bicaue a paiticipant in his awn stage catastrophe!