Evening star., 1911-06-04

C
tai caiber. Not at all-in the sense you might
have taken from what l have already written.
What mean is this: The things that fun
damentally will appeal to the emotions of fifteen
year-old Joe Blatz will appeal fundamentally to
the emotions of the average audience. That is
one of the reasons, incidentally, that clean plays
always win out in the long run. That is the rea-
son, incidentally, that all the audience and his
wife love dash of melodrama. That is the rea-
son an audience likes to hear "The Star-Spangled
Banner likes speed in dancing, likes easy un-
pretentious, lifting airs Ask your son or daugh-
ter about it. And then, after you have stopped
laughing your incredulity, stand in front of the
mantelpiece look in the glass, and ask yourself!
Mind you, my dear reader, am not talking OF lbsen
art. am talking merely of popular theatrical enter
tainment or qubblers protest. what is known by that
phrase. What goes with Joe Blatz will go with his dad
for Joes dad after ALL only Joe grown up. At this
point hear you say to yourself, "Wel then, why not
work around from the other end? Why not take Joes
father as criterion instead of oe? answer 1t would
not be so safe. What pleases Joes father might not al
ways please Joe And what might please Joes father
might not please Joe's fathers brother No. it would
not be safe! The other way of figuring far and away
the better.
IN almost every article have read the subject
of the theater audience there has been lot of talk
about psychology. nat is the one reason why am
writing this article. There is about much deep psy
chology to heater audience there is to basket of
Ben Davis apples. Of course, you call anything you
want psychology 1t sounds big and learned. But
the only trouble in the of theater audience is that
it is not Psychology is defined (va the textbook)
as the science of mental processes Obviously,
audience is frequently made up of human beings
it is only fair presume that certain mental processes
have relation to and with 1t.
But my point is this: The word psychology" is
ally employed scientific cloak, something pre-
tentous, clothe lot of simple everyday backyard
facts 1t is like calling polar bear Thalassarctos
marmns which is all right according to strict inter
probation of the dictionary but is somewhat confusing
to the everyday man. There is the trouble too about
confusing oneself. Psychology, in its purely scientific
sense has little place analysis of the average thea
ter audience and, if l wrong in this assumption, |
shall have confess that have not earned legtmaely
and honestly all the wealth that the "unpsychoogzed"
public has handed me in return for the amusement
have handed to it. In the language of Shorty Nc
Cabe, then Nix psychology and into the facts
BEGAN studying the characteristics of the American
theater audience when was kid of fifteen. At
that time playing violin in theater orchestra
in Providence, Rhode Island. l in the habit of
learning the selections by heart at home, that |
should not have to look at the notes and | could
play and at the time keep my eye
the people in the orchestra seats.
- What did l learn? l learned that the
LgAE4 audiences liked just what liked
ENWhx And Joe Blatz was born then and there!
~ 1 AS a violin player, was pretty poor
proposition, believe me! But l kept fid-
ding away, and made enough noise to fool
the orchestra leader; at least long enough
E