The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-08-19
SEEN rHoa TIE = @


aaEIysnx the Vaudeville A~aafeaa~~~
whews R@shos Ia 81 Fmasawa~
Some day I'm going to write q book
and call il Audiences. said an old
actor. according to the New York Sun.
Critics OF all ages. points Of view
and mental calihers have been regu-
lafing the stage for years and II Is
about time somebody who sees things
from the other side should tell a few
things. Why. take 1t from me. there
IS nothing queerer in life than a the
atrical audience.
An audience Is unable 10 keep still
in the dark unless there is something
startling going on. This Is trua of
all kinds, from burlesque to grand
opera An audience win sit as still
as a frozen gumdrop on a marble slab
for an hour while there is something
doing. but you let a dark change come
or let somebody on the stage go to
sleep in a chair BY a dark hrelight
After never more than i've or six
seconds Of comparative silence some
feminine voice viii be found feeling
around in a feminine throat for a
local irritation hat isn't there. Then
comes a short. low, cough.
Fine for the lady. The ball Is started
Then oyer in the other corner OF
the house there VIII be an answering
cough Pretty soon a man gets into
the game. He Is usually louder and
longer. Next two or three OF 'em try
IL at the same time. Then all hands
ger together IN a grand syncopated
chorus
Then suddenly the lights go on or
the burglar breaks in It the conserva
tory window. The hacking symphony
short. Not a single cough then
I'm tell you another fool thing
about audiences All you have to do
to make EN- laugh IS to say d.
and II the comedian can by any vast
originality manage TO say oh. -.
of the plain D. he'll get ap-
Dlause with the laughter.
Then look at the vaudeville audi
snce- The apparent willingness OF
that class OF audience to be swayed
By the egotism OF an ~flliterate man in
yrotesque clothes who tells Jokes OF
ancient parentags is almost dlsheart-
ming.
The variety monologist advances /,
TO the footIights and says
omething intended to be funny. At
Irst the audience maintains some de-
res OF individuality and does not
.ppIaud- 4
Then the suavs and elegant gen !
leman who is entertaining leans oyer
be lights and asks. Who brought the :
ope into the houseY This makes all
audiences embarrassed. but they don't !.
Isually laugh Then he says. Say, I !.
ats to wake youse up. II my voice /
isturbs youse. why don't you sleep !
the lobbyy The audience feels at
nee that its ability TO appreciate hui :
lor Is In question II laughs. Well. !
le rest Of youse can think It over ),
hen youse wake up. says the artist :
nd then the audience. gOaded to des :,
sration. laughs. applauds and In gen =
al mlsbehaves itself. n
The ten. invent. thfrt' folks are
iamant- II they want to laugh they i
I'll laugh II they want to cry they =,
i'll cry and In either case no power \.
earth al stop EN-. y.
They carry their likes and dislikes 4
I'd their individual judgment to such \,
extent that they would break up =,
ly band Of performers who we're not Z,
'ed to them Pathos is something q
ey cannot understand They are not ~
we'd by 1t. Not at all. They cata- II,
que that along with everything else.
ID If IT seems funny they laugh at it r.,
Ipreciatiyely. II it seems tragic. they +,
sep al it loudly and contentedIy.~ a.
LAG