The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-03-02

poor people live. For myself. when !
work or have something TO construct
in a strange hotel | have the room fit
ted so that | can get the color | need.
Let me show YOU"
He called 10 his servant. who was in
the outer room.
Henri. L. rouge And as the man
pulled the red curtain across the bay
windows: Don't you see that the color
for the scene should be red? These
curtains-see what they do, Now, sup
pose that in addition to them | give
you this red light" and he turned on
a red lamp on the mantelpiece. land
If you van it warmer | turn Il these
white lights" and the energetic dram
atist walked briskly around the room.
turning out the electric lights. I'VE
are at once domestic, yes-cozy cor
ner. the armchair. the old man with
a pipe. In your play there is no old
man with a pipe. so we will place this
lady So" and he led Dora to the fire
place and seated her in a chair in
front of it. Isn't this the happy
home? Isn't she the young wife? And
can't you almost believe that | am
the father? Don't you feel that way.
my dear"
ut really Is wonderful said the
girl. "for ! do"
But | have a red light in my play"
said IIolcomb
"Ah, yes" replied Vavin. but in the
HNrVnnr rInan G.nyl - nn untv. II
should have been yellow. Let me see
ii in your manuscript and | will show
you. Now. see!' Again he walked
briSkly around the room, turning out
the red light and turning up the light
on the table, which had II large yellow
shade on it
Henri, the yellow c%urtains!" be call
ed, and the well trained servant came
silently in and pulled over the red
curtains IL pair of heavy brocaded vel
low ones,
"Now. my dear. the lining of your
coal ii is yellow. We will reverse it.
And now we will take this scene
where the man follows the woman
into her own apartment before he Is
such good friends with her husband
| will hold the book and you will play
it. You know the lines?" he said to
Holcomb
Rather" replied the young author.
Very well. then; you begin. please,
where the lady has ordered him from
the house and he is at the door, hest
tating to go He tries to explain. Yes,
here it is. Begin. We folks from the
Pacifc'"-
Before either Of them realized exact
ly what the Old man was doing with
them they were playing the prelim
mary love scene in Holcomb's play
with n great deal more ardor than eli,
Their of them would have been able to
infuse into it Oh the stage. When they
reached the climax they both turned
and looked at him a little sheepishly
at was very well done. my dears.
but this suggestion | would make;
When you come to the end first YOU
laugh a little. my dear. then he laughs
a little; then you laugh more; you
laugh together. 1t Is a panic. You
show your teeth. The audience must
laugh with YOU then. Don't yen seef"
Don't you think that this attention
to light is a bit tLeatrical?" asked IIol-
combat least not exactly true to
lifeY'
True to life?' replied Vavin. DO
you know that 60 per cent of the cases
of falling in love are in the moonlight?
You know the harvest moon, the full
moon that comes at harvest time and
comes three nights almost at the same
time. Did you ever think whyF'
Holcomb shook his head obviously.
at is, my children, that harvesters,
men and women. shall fall in love with
each other. Oh. it is a droll God,
monsieur. that plays that trick for one
hour on his children, and what time?
The best season Of the year. And.
also again, what time? When the
grapes are ripe. when there is Il wine
press. Pardon me. but | am far from
a perfect host" And he paused for a
moment to fill his own glass and that
Of Holcomb.
"A harvest moon for one hour and
the wonderful madness that goes with
this" he said. raising his glass to the
light. rs that Of the theater? No; it
is a droll God. 1t is too bad | cannot
show you. | have 10 arrangement
| here to get the blue light, which is
mystery. and the green light. which is
content, and which together make a
moonlight.
IF | am not mistaken" said llol-
comb, CHANGING at Vavin, lit was
moonlight when we came in. and, by
the bye. this is the harvest moon
1t would have taken a cleverer girl
than Dora to fathom the depth Of the
plot that the imaginative old man had
conceived.
1T is true" replied Vavin vivacious-
ly. land o | can show you, | Will
not be able to read the lines, monsieur,
but you can do so for me. In that
pretty little scene of yours at the end
Of the play Here you are" he SAID
opening the manuscript to the place.
Il can" replied Holcomb. awaiting
Vavin's next directions and already