INCIDENTS OF THE STAGE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3918, 9 February 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

INCIDENTS OF THE STAGE.

The performance of a play, like the course of true love, does not always run smooth. Interruptionswillconstantly occur,and whatever want of effect there may be iv the play itself, there is generally plenty of it iv the unrehearsed incidents. They are frequently thoso touches of nature which mako the whole house, for the moment, kin. There arc, indeed, sarcastic people who consider these unrehearsed elf eels as the best pan; of the ' show,' and wish that the plays themselves could be only half as natural. One source of theso effects is the strong hold which the illusion of the scene takes upon unsophisticated spectators. ■ We have all heard of the sailor, who, seeing the virtuous heroine of the stage beset by wretches, jumps ovor fche footlights to her defence. An adjuration to ' Lot that gal alone, won't yer,' has often been heard at tho East End and over tho water. Ifc is not always gallery occupants who are thus overcome. h\ tho ' Lights o' London ' there.is a scene where a policeman comes upon the heroine lying in a doorway faint and helpless. His ' business' is to arouse her by a shake and then to administer restoratives. One evening a ' well-to-do and pretty dame ' in the stalls, misinterpret ing Ih 3 friendly shaking, screamed out, ' Leave hor alone, you brute, you!' much to the consternation of tho audience and the representative of the law. A comical incident, caused by the absorbing interest of a piece, occurred not long ago in the performance of the sensation play, ' Mankind.' Une of its scenes is a coffee-house, the separate compartments, of which are occupied by various people. Here two villains abstract from the lawful owner a will, winch is immediately afterwards snatched from them through a window by a woman. One night, when the woman appeared at the window, intent on this purpose, tho rillains were startled by receiving from a sympathising spectator in the pit a warning, in a thundering voice, to ' look out for the old 'ooman.' A critic records that the heartiest laugh heard for many years past in a theatre, was when, on the first night of ' New Babylon,' another sensation play, an outraged 'professional' in the gallery roared out fco the inexperienced actors of tho villains' part, who were about to force open a safe just where they could be seen from the outside, ' Why don't you pull the blind down ?' Seldom is illusion carried so far as to disturb the majesty of the law as embodied in the attendant policeman, but this was onco tho case at a performance of ' My Wife's Bonnet.' In this piece, it will be remembered, ono of the actors plays his part from a scat in the 'house.' Tho constable on duty, not aware of this arrangement, and regarding the actor as a brawler, endeavored by force (o turn him out of the theatre. The audience hugely enjoyed and applauded fche new effect, and urged the policeman on ' in tho execution of his duty.' The interpolation by the audience of remarks, not as a result of illusion, but of malice prepense, is another fruitful source of unrehearsed effects. Thus a story is told of Mdlle. Cerito, who, in the height of her fame, was engaged to go with an opera company to Dublin. Ireland was then in the throes of tho repeal agitation, and many of the performers did not care to go to Dublin at all. Cerito, however, was nob of thorn, and duly made her appearance in tho ballet. In the opening scene she was raised through a trap, reclining as the'sleeping beauty.' When her head and shoulders appeared above.the stage, an enthusiastic admirer screamed out, 'Begorr, sliure she's not afraid to' come; among the woiid Oirish.' There. were thunders of applause and roars of laughter, in which the 'sleeping beauty ,; heartily joined. "Spectators, too, are not above making useful suggestions. There was one practical man, afc _ least, in the audience of the Cincinnati Theatre, when the manager announced 'with pride that the theatre was being lighted by gas manufactured from lard. The lights played a; number of fantastic tricks, and seemed about to take their leave of the audience,: when tho practical marl urged loudly that : they drivoin another hog. It ia'not unusual for a large part of tho audience to interpose if tho motive is strong enough. There was: a tedious play not long ago produced in Don-' don, in which oho of the characters,*'a theatrical manager, had- to say to- another, • Tf any of •!><• DuhlrV :;;v, ~.,». „, ; ; ' *.h;-lr.

money will bo returned.' Upon this the gallery rose as ono man, and with outstretched hands shouted, ' Me, mo, mo!'