STAGE KISSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11686, 22 June 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

STAGE KISSES.

THERE'S NOT MUCH ECSTASY IX THEM FROM THE ACTOR'S POEM' OF VIEW. In reality, a stage kiss is a thing of little ecstasy to the parties concerned. It. is, as a rule, dreaded by both. Where the artistesare of a nervous temperament the thought of the stage kiss keeps them awake at nights. Never since the days of Judas has anything in kisses been invented so completely giving the lie to the veal article, In the first place, however it may seem from the front, it is not easy to put much "soul" into the affair under tne eyes of several hundred spectators. It would not be easy. I. imagine, in actual life; it is doubly difficult when &U these hundreds of people — many of them experienced in tiie art of osculation— nothing else, to attract their attention, and, having paid their money, mean to see the thing properly done. The audience forgets that, which is probably the case, these ardent lovers are the merest acquaintances, possibly even not on speaking terms outside the theatre, especially if there be a- great discrepancy in their respective salaries. No, the dress circle sees nothing but a sweet, pretty girl clinging to her lover, her blue eyes wet wiih tears."her sunny ringlets falling on his manly bosom.

But what does he see. poor fellow? He is the earnest lover. He has exchanged vows with her, three inches from her nose, bawling into her face in order that the "gods" may hear and understand. She has assured him, in the same bellow, that his hive is not in vain; she has loved him, oh! i car since before she saw him. He " thrills" —a stage thrill is comparatively easy—and stalls on the kiss, lie looks her full' in the face (for now he is bound to), and what does he see"'

Glaring into his, two unearthly-looking eyes, the lips painted dark blue, with a touch of red body colour in each of the inside corner's. The lashes are thickly coated with a black substance not unlike burnt: cork. On her brow he can discern the line of the wig with the sunny ringlets attached. He knows the sickly taste of the ultra-sanguine, rosebud lips. But, loyal to his author, he plays the man. He strains the yielding form to his heart; he "kisses" her; the lain fall on a picture of unexampled love, and, as the lights in the auditorium are switched on l-'dwin and Angelina yearn again. And lo! Angelina's soft eves are filled with tears, she is that happy! Who who can question the stage lover's right to a boll of stout, or any other refreshment he may require, after this'.' And surely the ghastly business is no less disagreeable to the poor feminine victim, fresh, very likely, from all the. comforts of a. refined home, with Mowers and things. If only in a stage kiss each wasn't so near to I ho other! If only each could not see the other! But, by Jove! he can, and that is where the trouble of stage kisses comes in. The crowning torture of a stage kiss may be—and. where possible, is—avoided by the "kiss implied" method. Here the author's victims shoot their heads over each other's shoulder*, and, by their ecstatic thrills, give the audience to understand that a kiss is going on somewhere in the .'ion of the ear. But the "kiss implied" must be done very adroitly, or the implication will be missing; and he must carefully guard the lapel of his dress coat front contact with her cheek, for both their Mikes. But it is cowardly subterfuge at the best. Or it may be that a mere planting of the lips on her brow, just near the wig, will sullice; but this "kiss paternal" denotes a flabby, degenerate sort of lover. Again, it matters have not gone to extremes, the young man may get oft' with kissing the lady's hand : the "kiss reverential'' is a. good way out of the difficulty when practicable. But the best way of all, from the actor's point of view, is to cut out the objectionable lines and episode, or to rewrite the play. This last remedy should not, however, be attempted in London. Sketch.