The San Francisco call., 1908-09-27

! curtain and a damp chill throughout
/ the house They were, in the pretty
/ paTlance OF the playhouse, theatrical
undertakers." and were busy over sad
rites
or course, at the Orpheum It's diff
fsrent That theater has a big ledger
alphabetically arranged wherein the
names OF those who come every Satur-
day night Ill many pages, and the
names Of those who come every Sun
day night I'll stiu more Each night
has its list of devotees, and they are
always IN their places ike saints in
sey, the manager of the house, it's very
different You can prove IT for your
self" he said Now, let's see who's here
tonight7 There is Louis c. Brown, for
instance There be Is now. Ask him II
he belongs to the scornful."
I did, and he didn't Il always come,
said he. and have for at least six
years It isn't the same as going to
play. You see, II a man doesn't like
doesn't approve Of that one he'll surely
enjoy some other sketch. That's what
keeps your interest keen You never
know what's going to happen next and
the suspense thus engendered is like
the suspense created by a plot in
pay IL ACCRS OA 61OSfSA1-o- ~--G-
no death watch at the Orpheum-"
was introduced TO several other Or
pheumites, including II. f. Band, who
by this time is an expert on vaudeville,
and failed 10 ind the type Of mournful
observer which congregates in the le-
gitimate playhouses- Perhaps the rea-
son is that the Orpheum is just for fun,
presents no problems and develops no
cult.
At any rate there would go up an
awful howl II the seat reservations
which in some cases have been retained
in the same family for years were to
be thrown open by the Orpheum on
first come first served basis 1 am told
that there is waiting list Of over 100
names made up of persons who are
waiting for some present Orpheum
Sunday nighter to die or move away,
or otherwise quit the house. we have
to resist temptation" said Mr.. Nor
-isey otherwise we would have the
entire house sold out every Sunday
night TO the same patrons week in and
week out That doesn't look like your
death watch, does it? Each year we
make out the new list and Treasurer
Ravelin keeps the record"
So again is vaudeville an exception.
But the legitimate actor regards with
delight the movement to abolish the
watch from New York to San Fran
cisco. He admits that the presence of
the critic is bad enough, and about as
inspiring as the photographers injunc-
ton, Smile. please" but the unprofes-
sional critic-the man who is always
there to knocks the fellow that
chills the very bones of the player be-
cause he does not represent the pub
lies taste nor judgments, but sits a
mournful spectator at the amusement
table. partaking of none OF the de-
lights. but picking miserably for i'm
perfections- He is like the scornful at
service who is sermon hardened"
Nothing affects him any more.
1T is one of the traditions OF the
Lambs club" Frederic W. Thompson
is quoted saying in the New York
Herald, ''of one of its members every
evening after first night. that, rub
bing his hands and chuckling, he would
go up to every table and say. Well, I
see that Dash has made another fail
ure tonight
The player in New York breads a
first night because he knows that his
efforts are being discounted. don't
ask the first nighter TO rave over a
production, but 1 expect him to be as
liberal in his way for the best points
in a play as an old friend of mine
down in Nashville. He was member
of the legislature. One Saturday night
he asked his cronies to come out to his
home and stay over Sunday. That
night crowd of barn stormers' played
at the op'ry house. Uncle Jim took his
friends to see the show The crowd
roasted everything about the perform
ance and everybody IN it. but Uncle
Jim always found a good word to say.
Finally dancer came on. She was
homely, she couldn't dance and she
was very old. Uncle Jim's friends
turned on him en- masse and demanded
If he could see any merit in her turn
He pursed up his lips and. stroking
give her credit for being remarkably
supple old hem
1t will be long time before all the
theaters in San Francisco follow the
eastern example, although the Van
Ness found IT expedient to anticipate
the New York action ana eliminate the
first night list Conditions In the
stock houses here are different I'm
agine Teddy Hartman without his
bunch Of first nighters. What would
become Of that expansive smile that
lights up the Princess theater like
torch? Or ct the Alcazar? Nobody
but the management knows what a
unanimous complaint was lodged
against lhe tuedter "nen, curing the
Warf1eld engagement, and in fairness
to all OF David's townsmen, the list
was withdrawn and all OF the first
night seats exposed for sale Similarly
at the American the list of first night
reservations has not as yet developed
death watch tendencies. Only in the
higher priced attractions at the old
Baldwin, and later at the Columbia
and now at the Van Ness, is the east
ern phenomenon a danger requiring
careful watching.
We are a grateful people here, it's