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"as Good As A Play."

"as Good As A Play." image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
September
Year
1865
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The dramatic editor of the New York Leader gives the following amusing account of a recent scène at one of the popular theatres of Gothom : Rehearsal was just over and the actors were lingering near, like Mary's latnb, when a gentleman rushed upon the stage and announced that he wae going to thi-ash oae of the Thespians. From the altercation between the two, the auditors were given to understand that the Thespian had been slightly too attentive to the gentleman's wife. The affair, then, was a new version of 1 The Provoked Husband.' When the gentleman began to proceed from hard vvords to blows, the stage was euddenly cleared of lookers on, who established themeelves in the private boXes and the parquette to see the fun. The Thespian, thus left alone with the man ho had (more or less) wronged, glanced around for a weapon with which to defend hirneolf. A. conple of foila, which had been ueed in the rehearsal, stood against the seeDe - the property man haviDg gono out for his beer - and both husband and Thespian made a rush for them. The honors were easy. Each eecured a foil. Then came the tug of war. The two fenced at oach other ferociously. Three up and three down was nothing to the passes and lunges and cuts they made. By and by the Thespian began to get a little tired. Moreoyer, he perceived that his opponent was fearfully in earnest. He tiied to retreat by the wings , bui the husband was there before him.- - He entertained an insaneidea of juirping into the orchestra ; but he knew that the husband would jump upon him. Therefore he continued to fence, but was more anxious than ever to get away. The seene was really and truly melodramatic ; but the actors and actresses, scattered through the body of the theatre and observing all the proceedings with eager eyes, did not venture to applaud. All at once the Thespian had a happy thought. Darting to tho prompter's side of the stage he pulled a bell. The infuriated husband dashed through the Second Entrance to head him off. Then the Thespian apparently relinqnishing all hope of escape, ran back upon the stage again and tte combat was resumed. The bell he had pulled w8 the bell for a trap, and everything depended upon the presence or absence of the traptender. Had he gone out with the propertyman for beer, or was he down stairs asleep ? A moment was to decide. Crossing the stage swiftly, the Thespian stood upon the trap, gave the preliminary stamp and suddenly disappeared. The avenger was rather bothered at this. He looked about bewilderod and hisfoil dropped trom his hand. Unacoustomed to the stage ho couldn't find the trap, which had closed, nor tho Thespian, who had sunk into obscurity. Neverthelese, his cotniaon sense camo la his uid, and with a wrathful growl ho dashed behind tlie scènes, fouiid the stíiircase wbich led under the slage, and descended it to 'parts unknown' to him. At evory step he tumbled over a rope or bvuiscd his head agninst a beam ; but at overy step ho hoped to meet the ThespiaQ coming out, and so bc persovered. Tho audience abovu watohed the empty stage in silent wonder, and followed in imagination the progresa of the hus band, whoso course was marked by oaths and curses, which rose to the surfaco like the bubbles from a fish. At evisry moment they expected to hear tho nnise of a great struggle ; but then they did not appreciate tho Thespian's strategy. On tho contrary, inslead of the noise of a struggle, they lieard ónly a tremendoua howl of rage, amid whieh the ïhespian rose graeefully from the trap down which he liad disapeared, dashed over tho orohostra, up the aisle aud out at (he front of the thcatre. The busband, mazed in the dark regions into which he had entered, and unable to find his way out to pursue his enemy, emitted frantio sounds, resernbling those shrieks of a eteain fire engine popularly attnbuted to Barnum's dyiDg whales. "" When the escapo of the Thespian was announced to him by au irrepressiblo cheer f rom the actors and actrosses, he sat down in despair aud liad to be led out of the theatre aud bouud over to keep the peace. Thus ended a drama ïnuch more interef-ting than the play perfonned on the same stage in the evening. Shakspearo has told us, you know, that all men and women are ruerely playera. But often the amateurs act better than the professionals.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus