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Show ' - ...- - AccMeat That Made Hit In tlio days 'of lycstor "Wallnck nnd tlio two llnrrctts, when Nlhlo's was IJrotulwBj'H foremoflt theater, the American ipubllc was Itnlted to enter Ita doors to seo a new piece called "Our Ameilcan Cousin." Joseph Jefferson Jef-ferson was to play the title part, with I.nura Keene ah leading lady, and further fur-ther do a n tlio programme appeared the names of Henrietta Clianfrau, a rarelj 'beautiful mid lnipular actress, and K. II. Sothorn, tlio last named bo-InK bo-InK announced to play Lord Dundreary. Dun-dreary. To-dit)'s theatrical traditions havo much to tell of that play, and tlio most of tlio story has to do with the splendidly stupid English lord, who mixed his proverbs nml made Immortal Immor-tal tlio name of the elder Sothcrn, but before success had arrived It was nil very different; nono of tho cast was so disgusted with his part ns was that same talented gentleman. Mrs. Clianfrau. who used often to tell of tho Incident, said, "Early In the rehearsals 5Ir. Soth-ern Soth-ern confided to mo how greatly ho was disappointed with tho Dundreary part. He declared It gave him no chance and ho was serlousl consider lug throwing it up. Hotter not.' was my advlre. Throw or 'self Into It Mako something of It. Vako people laugh.' "So ho thought up those absurd blonde side whiskers and the ultra long frock coat, and be worked over his drawl, nnd things began to look np a bit. Then enmo tlio opening night, and nt last the out for ixird Dundreary. Sothcrn stepped out on the Btage. and ns he did so what must lie do but stub his too on an uneven board. "It really hurt, and qulto unconsciously uncon-sciously he took the next fow steps In that sklppy, mincing wny which adcrtises tlio mut with tho corn. Well, tho house roared Tho wholo combination of get-up nnd gait struck everjono ns ludicrous, and by tho tlmo tlio drawl and monocle hnd got In their work Mr Sothcrn's success was complete, "Hut I really believe tho greater part of it was due to that entrance, which wns, of course, repeated every night thereafter and no ono so much ns Imagined that a careless stago carpenter car-penter wns responsible for that." |
