Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-05
BY
IAN HAY,

draughty passage, furnished chiefly with
flaring candles and soda-water syphons
being appOrtioned to the gentlemen. The
loge des danes was a bare and cherries
apartment. but tables and mirrors had
been placed round the walls and here some
fifteen or twenty maidens unanswered
with freezing politeness or unrestrained
elbowings according to their shade of So
cial standing) for positions favorable to
self-contemplation.
Joan and Sylvia Tarrant foregathered
in the middle of the floor.
Il think we'd better dress here, dear
said Joan. cheerfully, land leave the no.
bility and gentry to fight for the dressing
tables After ALL she added. complai:
sanity, you and L need the least doing uI
Of any of them
The tableaux, on the whole, were a sue.
cess. though it was some time before the
audience were permitted to inspect them
The musical director, a nervous indi-
vidual with penchant for applied sci
ence. had spent the greater part of two
days in fixing up an electric bell of heroic
proportions controlled from the con-
ductor's desk, and ringing into the ear OF
arrangements. A carefully typewriter
document (another by-product of the mu-
sician's versatility apprised this over
wrouht official that one ring signified
stage lights up" and two rings. ''stage
lights down."
Just before the curtain rose for the first
tableau the conductor pressed his button
once. After an interval of about two Sec
onds, since the stage lights showed no in
clination to go up-as a matter Of fact the
controller Of illuminants was tenderly
nursing a hopelessly perforated ear drum
the agitated musician. convinced that
the bell had not rung, rang it again. Con-
sequen.ly. just as the curtain rose, every
single lamp on the stage, from the foot
lights to the overhead battens. was hastily
extinguished. Confusion reigned supreme.
The conductor pressed his button fran
tically and continuously: the electrician
turn off switches which controlled the
lights in the dressing rooms and the hall
itself; while the faithful orchestra, sud
denly bereft of both light and leadership.
endeavored with heroic but misguided en-
thusiasm to keep the flag flying by stri-
dent improvisations Of the most varied
and individual character.
The audience, who had come prepared
Tor anything, sat unmoved: but dolOrOus
cries were heard from the dressing rooms
and vestibule. Above all rose the voice
of the conductor, calling aloud for the
blood of the electrician and refusing to be
comforted. The first tableau vivant par
took of the nature of an extra turn"
and was not foreshadowed in the pro-
gram. 1t took place in the middle of the
stage, and depicted two overheated gen.
tlemen Zone carrying q baton and the
other en- deshabille) explaining fortissi-
MOI the purpose of a typewriter docu-
ment to third (who caressed his right
ear all the time) by the light of q single
wax vesta-
After this gratuitous contribution to the
gayety of the proceedings the official pro-
gram came into force. and various attrac-
tive and romantic visions were unfolded
to the audience. Certainly the tableaux
were we'll mounted. The success Of "A
Gamblers Wife" and 1.-Two Strings to Her
Bow was beyond question. Halliburton,
too. made q striking appearance in Or
chardson's Hard Hit"-the famous gam
bling picture. with the countless packs Of
cards strewn upon the floor-wherein the
broken gamester turns with his hand on
the door handle to take q last look at the
three men who have mastered him.
There were minor blemishes. Of course.
The composure OF the beauteous band,