Three Stage Stories: A Plucky Actress.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 61

Three Stage Stories: A Plucky Actress.

Ther9 arc few things more disconcerting to an actor than the sound of talkiug in stalls or boxe.3. Miss Julin Arthur, however, who will be remembered aa a member of the London Lyceum company during tl.o run of "Richird III," has just had au even more disagreeable experience. In the course of a performance of "A Lady of Quality," in New Haven, U.S., an intoxicated man in the audience persisted in making himself peculiarly _ obnoxious. Miss Arthur's method of bringing matters to an issue w<is prompt and efficacious. Ordering the curtain to be lowered, she appeared in front of the footlights, and announced that the play would not be continued until the intruder had been expelled — a hint upon which those closer to him were not slow to act. The late Corney Grain, an artist whose coolness it was difficult to disturb, had on one occasion to be recalled to bring his sketch to an abrupt conclusion because of a pfpntleman in the balcony who showed his disdain of the preceedings by turning his back on the itage, and ostentatiously perused a newspaper. And there is also, in this connection, the story related of Charles Mathews, who, throughout two acts of an uproarious farce, vainly endeavoured to extort a smile from a particularly stolid individual in the stalls. In the middle of the third act the spectator rose evidently with the view of making his way to the door. " I beg your pardon, sir," exclaimed Mathews, slung to the quick, " may I ramiud you that the piece isn't finished yetV"

"No," answered the other quietly, "that's why I'm going out." — St. James's Gazette.