The sun., 1903-11-13
SPEECHES IN OUR THEATRES.
A PERNICIOJ Custom or FIRST
NIGHTS WHICH SHOULD END.
somo Instances Of the Week-Ciyde Fitch
= Coel. Tonic speaker--Viola Aliens
ReprsOf-Actors and Authors Nerd
Not Show Gratitude for Applause

Not Show Gratitude for Applause.
A first night audience is happy family
In New York. That Is, while we are all
In the same cage, the various types OF am
mails do not show their claws or gnash
their naughty teeth. 1t is mistake TO
suppose that the applause, which is said
to make or unmake play. comes from
habitual first nighters, They are, II any
thing. rather blas6 than enthusiastic, To
the gallery, 70 the balcony, must we look
fer the verdict This merely as disclaimer
to the assumption that first night audiences
pant for speeches We would not for the
world insinuate that the frantic appeals
Of Speech! speech are planted that
much Of the enthusiasm is mock, the APP
plause from the interested palms Of colo
nists" Such assertions would discredit
nine-tenths of theatrical successes: yet
we do think the speech habit OF actors
and authors is custom that might be
foregone without any distinct loss
Take this past week for example. AT the
Kniokerbocker Forbes Robertson made
speech, and only the stern commonsense
Of few people prevented some portions
OF the audience from calling out Gertrude
Elliott and then and ther e forcing her to
utter her thanks for such royal reception.
This was Monday night. Tuesday night.
after dozen recalls, Maude Adams tottered
upon the stage of the New Empire, pale,
excited, worn out after the terrific ordeal
Of a new piece a new order OF acting, and
in few husky words expressed her thanks.
No wonder she was almost hysterical IN
the following act Wednesday, at the
Savoy, Clyde Fitch, after bowng half
dozen times finally opened his mouth and,
clever chap that he Is, laid the blame for
fl1a of the uI1v llpDD Arthur ByrOn
shoulders. Now Mr.. Fitch speaks well in
his studied, negligent fashion; his air OF
detachment eudears him to students OF
human nature, admirers of caviar and irony.
play; it has 10 be, for made it, but why
such fuss over it? I've done better be-
fore; l can beat this all hollow" Then he
fingers his fob AID bows nonchalantly.
all7 What's the use' Mr.. Byron. too,
made little address later in the evening
and thanked Mr.. Fitch for his thanks, and,
Incidentally, for the play, Good. Graft
tude is lovable. If not logical, quality;
yet is 1t not, better displayed in private?
The Players Club is Just the proper pac
for such eifuslons; it was built to harbor
them and other Illusions, within its portals
no dramatic critic may pass without in
curing risks. (Naturally the bitterest
Players, for it is rlmored that some MEM
bers of the dramatic profession are also
members of the club)
There must therefore be a reason, q
rationale. for first night speeches. Stu
dents of morbid psychology would say
that American audiences quickly tire Of
art and its fantasies; that they desire a
little touch Of humanity in the, person OF
author or actor in his everyday speech
to Offset the strain Of listening to purely
imaginative--or impurely unimagnative-
piece for several hours. That may be one
reason. The other is curiosity, plain every
day curiosity. sometimes listless, some
times insulting, always vulgar, MIR: Mans
field, with his accustomed devotion to
realism of the stage. usually says i'm
pertinent things to his audiences after they
poster him for a speech. He is quite right;
though. il he refused to open his mouth,
London they usually boo an author, either
before or after q speech. This colnmends
itself as sensible plan for cutting short
the absurd practice. A certain theatre
going contingent would feel aggrieved if
there was. a cessation of speechmaking
but first nighters and the majority OF play
lovers would welcome the change. Let
first night speeches be cut and perhaps
plays will be given with more celebrity.
Sometimes one hears wisdom from the
box Office. from that window which is like
the mantle of the Internal regions or a
Pandora box, whence tissues all manner OF
evil to credulous mankind. Said well
known treasurer of a well known theatre "a
THE SUNS reporter OF Things Seen
Say, why don't the newspapers print the
fact that other public enterprises are
languishing besides the theatres this lovely
McLellan autumn? Take the hotels, for
example. At one never mind its name
you can see il easily enough from New
Jersey-there are miles of unoccuped
suites, while in the Central Park region
empty rooms are the rule. And the drink
ing business! Phow' Every bar in town
In hotels or otherwise, is kicking at the lack
Of honest cavaliers with thirsts. Uptown
and downtown. dun Is the alcohol habit
abating? Has Dowie done any good after
all? With haf-flIed hotels you are bound
to get half filed theatres. All the New
Workers do not fill all the theatres all the
timo.S The Horse Show will pick up trade
dollar seat question, honestly? Well, its
a lot OF money to give up for some of the
shows in town now, but If a man, wants &c
see a show real good and hard, he will
ticket brokers. II the public thinks 50 a
high price the public has the remedy in it.
own hands can stay away just one week
only one week: and down the red ball comes
do you' say, will Wall Street ever pu,
up its shutters? So long
After that. what more need be saidf II
is rumored, however, on theat rical change
that the advent of Maude Adams has broker
the hoodoo Business is better,
Viola Allen is one of the star actresses
who dislike speechmaking on first nights
or any other time. She hates to get out o
character" but She too. has perforce slc
cumbed to the custom. Recently, after
fifteen or more recalls in Twelfth Night,
she turned the tables thus: at is upfortu
nate that the author is not in the house
for l am entirely incapable of voicng tn,
gratitude he would feel in consequence O.
your warm appreciation Of his comedy.
1t served her audience right.
This sarcastic pleasantly of Miss Allen
recalls the fact that the practice is no new
thing in the annals Of the stage. There
was a Mrs. Hamilton who was hissed be
cause she would not play for Ann Belamy
benefit. She came before the curtain and cas
ually remarked: Il suppose as hsw GU hissec
cause ! didn't play for Mrs. Belamy. Well
] wouldn't, cause she said as how my audi
ence on my benefit night were nothing bu
tripe people and made the house odorfer
GUS" Yet, on the authority of Doran, Mrs
Hamilton PLAYED LddV Grdpedirs with con