The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-10-23

and unquallhedly enthusiastic audience
left the theatre-mad!
The audience had a grievance. IL got
the grievance near the close Of the last
act and II wasn't smoothed over SO
that, by the finish OF the production, the
final curtain descended 20 a silent house,
although that house had been in tumult
OF applause all the evening through
II is safe TO say that II that audience
was organized like a labor union a walk
ing delegate would be calling on Jo-
sephne and George Cohan this morning
and the grievance would be aired and
there would have to be arbitration-or
nght
II came about in this wise and II Is
safe TO say that nothing Of the sort ever
happened before--in this town.
That wonderfully winsome dancer. Jo-
sephine Cohan. and her hardly less won
derful II not In the same way winsome,
brother George, furnished three dancing
sklts together In the course OF the pro-
duction. or course that Is nothing like
enough of the Cohan youngsters 10 salts
fy as everybody who knows their per
formance will appreclate-and everybody,
pretty near. In these plantations has
known this talented pair since they were
kidlets the days when Josephine was the
premiere French doll dancer though
only I'm her teens and brother George was
just beginning 20 give precocious evidence
of a curious talent OF speech and legs.
The fact Is that unlike the general run
OF stars these highly talented dancers az
ford large proportion OF the time 10 the
balance OF their company and the action
OF the play whereas the audience would
much like 70 see more of their stunts
on the whole. the Cohan plan to risk
giving too little OF a good thing. rather
than too much. Is wise one. ~ is empha- =
sized I'm the Cohan production by various
really clever expedients 70 let them out
OF responding 10 encores They practice
the art OF quitting while the audience is
still wanting more. rather than keeping
going until not hand is left for the final
exit II was when this practice was car
ried to an extreme last evening. that
struck the audience as n piece OF ungra-
ciousness that the house was set In an
uproar that had strong trace OF fndig
nation In II and created situation, as be-
tween the stage and the auditorium, that
was almost unique.
Miss Cohan and George wound up the
first act with a lively dance The desire
for a repetition Of which was shunted on
bv a clever series or curtain responses In
which the entire company participated.
In the second act. Miss Cohan closes with
n dance still more extraordinary ard
pretty and. again, the rising and falling
curtain upon clever high links compen-
sated in a mea sure for failure 10 secure
a repeat OF the terpischorean marvel The
third dance. by the brother and sister In
the last act set the audience into an &c
stacy and. as the dance did not close the
act. the audience had n chance 70 ex-
press itself In a most decided fashion In
an effort 10 sec n over again.
The first applause that rewarded this
last dance was OF the conventional tenn
per which takes for granted that re-
sponse will be forthcoming at the slight-
est pretext when. however. other char
acters In the play appeared with no sue-
gestion OF a stage walt the applause be-
came more pronounced and insistent 10
demonstrate TO the dancers that Il was
no mere complimentary tribute that was
being paid hut that more dance was real
is wanted The action on the stage pro-
ceeding the audience drowned the dial
ogue with hand clapping. stamping and
whistling The demand was not a gallery
outburst. by any means. II spread all over
the house. the parduet becoming about as
violent IN its insistence az the gods
The players on the stage dashed of.
IN the course of the stage business. and
new players dashed on. There was no
indication that the action was 20 be In
terrlipted 20 bring the Cohan giTl and the
Cohan boy back again for that dance and
the huQltItfs ~ " Nfkt0 IN FftilHt Anf
situation. that the proceeding with the
play was no hluH, but really meant that
they were 10 be denied became we'll nigh
furious from the gallery way down 20
the dignihed front rows of the parauet
There were cat calls and even Kisses
out IN Butte under the same circum-
stances. there would undoubtedly have
been pistol shcts In London. the whole
company would have been compelled 10
retire until the audience Fot what N
wanted For n few seconds. I'm the
Providence Opera house ~ seemed as
though the audience would have cleared
ne stage by throwing things " there had
hcen anything ~ hand - throw n was
n tumuh The audience was actually
indignant and griSved. too. a. the snuh
20 ite cordiality and No mistake about ~
After several minutes the appearance
~ eiitterine ballet ana the gathering
cornpcsure ~ vel bred assembiaee
contributed % settle The uproar. but ~
was chiefly the entrance ~ George Cohan
a. the head ~ the ballet. affording an