Story of a Stage Corpse.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 111, 5 April 1884, Page 3

Story of a Stage Corpse.

—"Some twenty years ago- a theatrical; CQnipany were playing an engagement at the Theatre Royal, Victoria, V.1,, the star being Mr J. H, Taylor, a well-, knowjn; American tragedian, a very fine actor, and a perfect gentleman. Onjj of the members of the troupe was the veteran John Potter, a familiar charac- i ter of. all playgoers on the Pacific coast. : Old John was a capital allround actor, but was troubled with a chronic cough, which did not much matter m comic old men, Kit was inappropriate to the he&vy fatherH of the serious drama. On the night m ques* tion the play was " Virginius," one of; Mr Taylor's finest efforts. Old Jobri, ias usualf was casttfor Siccius Dentatus, whose corpse m one seen* is carried on the stage and remains lor a considerable period. Tt was always olu John's custom to make one of the supers puit on his beard and helmet and go on iti his place as the supposed dead body, but 1 on this occasion the action of th« piece being rather too quick for hini, j he was compelled to go on himself, ami] was duly deposited by his bearers m j jhe centre of the stage. Virginiqs m the meantime being eugaged i'n delivering one of his most telling speeches down al the footlights to the Roman public, represented by "two distinguished actors^ one at each end of the bier, who looked on and said nothing. Presently the attention of these^ eminent Romans was drawn to the body of Skeins— they being quite aware that it was old John m person, and not the usual super— whose puffed cheeks and scarlet countenance betrayed its endeavours to restrain tne inevitable cough, so, exchanging a. quiet wink, they awaited the denouement./ At length the fheet covering the corpsebegan to heave slightly, which caused the audience, who were well acquainted with old John's inQrmity, to titter. Mr Taylor, unaccustomed to have hjis Virginius received m such a manner, turned, a. sharp glance around at the eminent Romans, evidently expecting that they had been guiliy of some ab* surdity. But no ! They stood inimove^ able as stataes. At last, as the con-' vulsive hearing of the sheet became 1 ' more apparent, the titter increased to laughter, which culminated m a roar on the unlucky Siccius breaking out into a y sonorous " Ough-hoo ! ough-hbo !" con- 1 siderably intensified by th,e previous eflerts to restrai n ir; ' Poor Mr Tay W walked up the ptoge m disgust, 1 his scene entirely spoilt by the unfortunate contretempts; the. cut tain wais 1 ' rung down'"amidist J uproarous cheers; a'nd' the act "Virginius" was never o6i»pieUd.