DOI issue:
December 17, 1864
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16874#0258
25 2
PUNCH,. OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [December 17, 1864.
OLD DODGERS.
First Testy Old Gent. “ Pray, Sir, which Side of the Path do you intend
to keep ?”
Second Ditto. “ Very Question I was Going to ask you, Sir ! ”
[They set as before.
A LETTER EROM ELYSIUM.
Oftentimes, sweet Master Punch, bast thou done me
a fair turn by saving me from such as fain would call
themselves my friends ; and especial do I mind me of that
fearsome time of peril through which I passed awhile agone
: when thou didst rescue me from hands that would have
j stuck me up a statue, or done other ill-timed foolery much
to my distaste.
Wilt thou now defend me from those snivelling “ friends ”
of mine who borrow of my poor plays to prank their poorer
works withal, and so mangle my best thoughts. Your
musicians, look you now, are performing a cantata, as they
do call it in their slang, which is entitled Kenilworth; and
to enliven his dull words, the poet (save the mark!) has
introduced “the exquisite summer night scene,” as it
pleaseth him to term it, from my Merchaunt of Venice.
By way of fitting prelude to y* stillness of my scene, he
| claps a roaring song before it as a prelude, whereof I
| quote thee y« last verse:—
“ Who dares to brag and taunt afar.
Like thunder-clouds that threaten rain ?
What need we care if j ealous war
Be brooding in the ports of Spain?
Our Queen may let such bodings pass,
And answer with a haughty smile;
No Don shall touch one blade of grass
In any border of our isle !
The very highway stones would rise,
The shepherds’ hills rain ruin down,
Were we not there against surprise
To guard our glorious England’s crown?”
Beshrew me, Master Punch, but these be wondrous
words ! Didst ever hear before of a bragging thunder-
cloud ? To me it seemeth rather misty. N athless, good
Sir Poet, here’s to thy better health; and if war be
| “ brooding in the ports,” I pray thee stick unto ye
j sherries. Pfaith it seemeth that “our Queen” did pay
small heed unto her garden, an it be true that she did let
ye grass grow in y« borders. And where, I pray thee, was
the “ there ” where thou sayest that “ we were to guard
our England’s Crown F ” and whose was ye surprise
against which it surpriseth me to learn we were to guard
it ?
An thou solvest me these riddles, Master Punch, thou
art cleverer than I am. And so believe me thine most
lovingly, albeit in the shade, Will Shakspeare.
Ehjsian Melds, Tuesday.
MR. PUNCH’S HANDY-BOOK OE THE STAGE.
CHAPTER III.—RULES FOR THE ACTOR AT
REHEARSAL (Continued).
But though you should avoid actmg at rehearsal, be as particular as
you like about, minute points of action, and business. Minutiae are the
dots over the *’s and the crosses over the t’s of Art. They give it dis-
tinctness and legibility. Never fail to point out any difficulty that may
occur to you about the management of the scene in which the action
takes place. . See that the Author is strictly consistent with topogra-
phical probabilities in the position of his doors, windows and passages.
And do not, for a moment, be put off with a suggestion, that it is pos-
sible for a person to go off at one entrance and come on at another, by
help of an outer staircase, or by passing through other rooms.
These little discussions will animate the rehearsal; and keep the
Author alive to the importance of strictly keeping up the realistic
illusion, on which so much depends now-a-days.
Never let the piece proceed till you are satisfied on any point that
may seem to you to want clearing up, or any little matter of action that
may give a good opening for an argument or a difference of opinion.
You should never miss an opportunity for the discussion of your art.
No matter what annoyance supers or ballet-girls may be put to by
the delay this occasions. Their convenience must succumb to your im-
provement. 1 am thankful to say that the usage of most English
theatres, is not likely to stand much in the way of your observance of
this, or indeed any other of these rules for your guidance at rehearsal.
I have known a group of girls, at rehearsal, hung up for the purpose
of a tableau in the flies, in a steel-frame work, with a blaze of gas close
to then- heads. The rehearsal was very properly stopped to allow of
the discussion of one of those interesting arguments on some point in
the action of the principals. Did the Manager allow any consideration
for the insignificant girls hanging in their steel-girths, in a temperature
of 100°, to interfere with this “ necessary question of the play ? ” He
knew too well what was due to the great principle of subordination,
which must be omnipotent in a theatre as in a man-of-war. The dis-
cussion was long; the action difficult to arrange. Aft-er being kept
, nearly an hour in the slings, one of the girls was childish enough to
faint: her companions knew the laws of theatrical discipline too well
to complain, perhaps they didn’t know what had happened. But when
the little accident was discovered, the mischief was done ; the tableau
was ruined, the stupid child had to be got down, and a substitute pro-
vided, at much inconvenience to the management, and to the serious
injury of the picture. But the important point in the action had, in
! the mean time, been satisfactorily settled.
Always bring your part to rehearsal, keep it in your hand, and use it
to the last. If you trust to your memory you will run the risk of being
continually at fault; and, if the Manager will have rehearsals, there can
be no occasion why you should give him your time at home as well as
in the theatre.
Besides, with your part in your hand, you can always answer any
complaint of the Author, if you talk bad grammar, or neglect punctua-
tion, by throwing the blame on the copyist. If the copyist have written
nonsense, as is highly probable, be scrupulous in speaking it. It is not j
your business to correct his blunders, and you have a right to say that
all you have to do is to deliver what is put into your hands, not to make j
sense of it. It will be your duty to impress this pointedly on the
Author, and so revenge yourself, pleasantly, for any indignity he may j
have put upon you, by calling you back, or finding fault, as is the way
with such people.
Should the Author, notwithstanding these hints, and the unspoken !
warning of your manner, persist in such interference, do not let him be
left in any doubt as to your proper resentment for such unwarrantable
liberties. Shrug your shoulders, be silent altogether, caricature his
directions or delivery, suggest that perhaps if he is dissatisfied with
your manner of playing the part, he will find some other Actor to play it.
The very least you can do, if your position render you timid of adopting
PUNCH,. OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [December 17, 1864.
OLD DODGERS.
First Testy Old Gent. “ Pray, Sir, which Side of the Path do you intend
to keep ?”
Second Ditto. “ Very Question I was Going to ask you, Sir ! ”
[They set as before.
A LETTER EROM ELYSIUM.
Oftentimes, sweet Master Punch, bast thou done me
a fair turn by saving me from such as fain would call
themselves my friends ; and especial do I mind me of that
fearsome time of peril through which I passed awhile agone
: when thou didst rescue me from hands that would have
j stuck me up a statue, or done other ill-timed foolery much
to my distaste.
Wilt thou now defend me from those snivelling “ friends ”
of mine who borrow of my poor plays to prank their poorer
works withal, and so mangle my best thoughts. Your
musicians, look you now, are performing a cantata, as they
do call it in their slang, which is entitled Kenilworth; and
to enliven his dull words, the poet (save the mark!) has
introduced “the exquisite summer night scene,” as it
pleaseth him to term it, from my Merchaunt of Venice.
By way of fitting prelude to y* stillness of my scene, he
| claps a roaring song before it as a prelude, whereof I
| quote thee y« last verse:—
“ Who dares to brag and taunt afar.
Like thunder-clouds that threaten rain ?
What need we care if j ealous war
Be brooding in the ports of Spain?
Our Queen may let such bodings pass,
And answer with a haughty smile;
No Don shall touch one blade of grass
In any border of our isle !
The very highway stones would rise,
The shepherds’ hills rain ruin down,
Were we not there against surprise
To guard our glorious England’s crown?”
Beshrew me, Master Punch, but these be wondrous
words ! Didst ever hear before of a bragging thunder-
cloud ? To me it seemeth rather misty. N athless, good
Sir Poet, here’s to thy better health; and if war be
| “ brooding in the ports,” I pray thee stick unto ye
j sherries. Pfaith it seemeth that “our Queen” did pay
small heed unto her garden, an it be true that she did let
ye grass grow in y« borders. And where, I pray thee, was
the “ there ” where thou sayest that “ we were to guard
our England’s Crown F ” and whose was ye surprise
against which it surpriseth me to learn we were to guard
it ?
An thou solvest me these riddles, Master Punch, thou
art cleverer than I am. And so believe me thine most
lovingly, albeit in the shade, Will Shakspeare.
Ehjsian Melds, Tuesday.
MR. PUNCH’S HANDY-BOOK OE THE STAGE.
CHAPTER III.—RULES FOR THE ACTOR AT
REHEARSAL (Continued).
But though you should avoid actmg at rehearsal, be as particular as
you like about, minute points of action, and business. Minutiae are the
dots over the *’s and the crosses over the t’s of Art. They give it dis-
tinctness and legibility. Never fail to point out any difficulty that may
occur to you about the management of the scene in which the action
takes place. . See that the Author is strictly consistent with topogra-
phical probabilities in the position of his doors, windows and passages.
And do not, for a moment, be put off with a suggestion, that it is pos-
sible for a person to go off at one entrance and come on at another, by
help of an outer staircase, or by passing through other rooms.
These little discussions will animate the rehearsal; and keep the
Author alive to the importance of strictly keeping up the realistic
illusion, on which so much depends now-a-days.
Never let the piece proceed till you are satisfied on any point that
may seem to you to want clearing up, or any little matter of action that
may give a good opening for an argument or a difference of opinion.
You should never miss an opportunity for the discussion of your art.
No matter what annoyance supers or ballet-girls may be put to by
the delay this occasions. Their convenience must succumb to your im-
provement. 1 am thankful to say that the usage of most English
theatres, is not likely to stand much in the way of your observance of
this, or indeed any other of these rules for your guidance at rehearsal.
I have known a group of girls, at rehearsal, hung up for the purpose
of a tableau in the flies, in a steel-frame work, with a blaze of gas close
to then- heads. The rehearsal was very properly stopped to allow of
the discussion of one of those interesting arguments on some point in
the action of the principals. Did the Manager allow any consideration
for the insignificant girls hanging in their steel-girths, in a temperature
of 100°, to interfere with this “ necessary question of the play ? ” He
knew too well what was due to the great principle of subordination,
which must be omnipotent in a theatre as in a man-of-war. The dis-
cussion was long; the action difficult to arrange. Aft-er being kept
, nearly an hour in the slings, one of the girls was childish enough to
faint: her companions knew the laws of theatrical discipline too well
to complain, perhaps they didn’t know what had happened. But when
the little accident was discovered, the mischief was done ; the tableau
was ruined, the stupid child had to be got down, and a substitute pro-
vided, at much inconvenience to the management, and to the serious
injury of the picture. But the important point in the action had, in
! the mean time, been satisfactorily settled.
Always bring your part to rehearsal, keep it in your hand, and use it
to the last. If you trust to your memory you will run the risk of being
continually at fault; and, if the Manager will have rehearsals, there can
be no occasion why you should give him your time at home as well as
in the theatre.
Besides, with your part in your hand, you can always answer any
complaint of the Author, if you talk bad grammar, or neglect punctua-
tion, by throwing the blame on the copyist. If the copyist have written
nonsense, as is highly probable, be scrupulous in speaking it. It is not j
your business to correct his blunders, and you have a right to say that
all you have to do is to deliver what is put into your hands, not to make j
sense of it. It will be your duty to impress this pointedly on the
Author, and so revenge yourself, pleasantly, for any indignity he may j
have put upon you, by calling you back, or finding fault, as is the way
with such people.
Should the Author, notwithstanding these hints, and the unspoken !
warning of your manner, persist in such interference, do not let him be
left in any doubt as to your proper resentment for such unwarrantable
liberties. Shrug your shoulders, be silent altogether, caricature his
directions or delivery, suggest that perhaps if he is dissatisfied with
your manner of playing the part, he will find some other Actor to play it.
The very least you can do, if your position render you timid of adopting