| Show accident that made hit in the daya days nf f lester and the to barretts Ilar when niblo a was broadways foremost theater the ame acan public was invited to enter it IN doors to see a new piece called our american cousin joseph jef ferson waa was to play the title part with laura keene as leading lady and fur ther down the pro gramme appeared the names of or Il henrietta earletta chanfrau a rarely beautiful and popular actress and 11 11 II bothern sothern atlo last named bo be loy ing announced to play lord dun dreary to days theatrical traditions ns have much to tell of that play and the most of the story has to do with alth the stupid english lord who rolae 1 his pro verbi and made immortal the name of the elder sothern So thera but before mccoss had arrive I t it was all very different none of the cast was no so disgusted with his part as was that same talented gentleman mrs airs chanfrau who mho used often to tell of the incident said dald early in la tho the rehearsals mr sothern rifi ded to mo me how greatly he waa was appointed with the Dun dreary part he declared it gave him chance and anti he was seriously consider ing throwing it up better not was roy my advice throw yourself into it make something of it make people laugh so he thought up those absurd blonde elde side whiskers and tho the ultra long frock coat and he worked over his drawl and things began to look up a bit then came the opening night and at last the cut for i ord Dun Dundr dreary oary sothern stepped out on the stage and as ho he die so what must ho he do but stub his toe on an uneven board it really hurt and quite unconsciously ly ho he took the next few steps in that skippy mincing way aay which advertises the man with the corn well the house roared the whole combination of getup get up and gait struck everyone as ludicrous and by the tile time the drawl and monocle bad got in their work mr nir success was as complete but I 1 really believe the greater part of it was due to that entrance which was of course repeated every night thereafter and no one so much as imagined that a careless stage car penter was responsible for that |
