The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-05
PERSONAL AND SOCIETY
SOCIAL NOTES OF INTEREST TO IN
DIANAPOLIs PEOPLE.
hints to Those who Give Entertain
ments-Hov n Girl Changed
Her Name.

II money is TO be raised for a new church
Garnet for books, for "A free library, for
niano a clubroom. or any other object, the
way to secure it is to have an entertain
nent. This is usually a musical and liter
srv programme although il is varied in sew
eral ways Nearly every church is used for
something besides church services. The
modern church is fitted out with culinary
department quite as complete as that of any
household The adjustable stage is stored
IN the church cellar or basement. If there is
not a lecture room connected with the
church. there may be found a series of pull
Ievs adjusted to the wall where ropes or
wires. and curtains may be put up. From
the parlor entertainment to the one given
fin a hired hall the entertainment is with US
all the year. Some persons delight in the
homemade show" and give it their at
tention. praise and encourag cement, and
from the tiniest tot who recites with a lisp
IN the adult. whose culture has been pol
ished by foreign professors, there is always
some one to take part. There are persons
who sheer at the amateur entertainment
but even Adelina Patti herself began in
some such way The amateur entertain
ment may range from inferior to superior
hut there are few things which would
make all of them superior in one way If
not in another One of these is promptness
The hour is o. clock and it is a lucky audi
ence that has the first number at $50, and
many time It has been known to be closer
10 than o'clock. Then the amateur likes
10 wait between numbers and allow the au-
dience to settle. as If it had been stirred
and could only hear when it was calm
again Then the amateur programme has
too many numbers on it. There is a society
I'm the city that gives an annual entertain
rnent and It has never been known to have
less than seventeen different numbers, from
a speech that took three-quarters~ of an
hour. to pianist who played a selection
that took fifteen minutes, and a singer who
sang three songs in a group. This left the
remainder of the night for a girl who gave
a fancy dance, that was recalled several
times. and the others who had one or two
numbers each. according to the applause of
the audience. There are music teachers, who
have pupils reeitals, who have about as
many numbers on the programme, and the
church entertainments are usually marked
by their length. The last Dramatic Club
play occupied the time from S15 until II %
o'clock. This was unusual but it only serves
TO show that the average amateur enter
tainment is too slow and too long. In a
small town. where entertainments are Civ
en- at rare intervals, it might please the
audience to draw them out as long as pos
sible and receive much for their money. In
a city where the nights of a week are all
too few, and the days are full of school
and work it is different. No matter how
much talent there is to be heard, if what is
to be given begins on time and proceeds in
good style, the audience is apt to patronize
the next entertainment. Scores of men
might be induced to patronize the amateur
entertainment if promptness and brevity
were two of the most prominent attributes.
If the numbers were enjoyable, they would
surely want to attend again, and if they
were not good there would be the Thoughts,
We'll it's short anyway" so the manager
of an amateur entertainment would receive
more praise and less censure than now.