New-York tribune., 1912-04-14
Henry Kollter -tlita hocto
Otis e. Douglas } Mooo, ~
The Greyhound ct the
Aston Theatre
DREAD Ct 3I0ICJLE
A. E. Thomas Describes Drama
fists Terror at UntimeIy
L-auqhtor in Audience.

"The rlaywriohts eleventh command
n1ent." says \. T. Thomas author OF Tine
Rainbow" 'is: The shalt not get thy
self laughed 1T
"Ridicule has always been a most power
ful intellectual weepoH ard one against
which when skilfulv used. it is Difficult;
20 offer an elective defence. But the play
wrights fear OF getting himself laughed
at is not Il personal oac at all. At least
It is from purely Professional point Of
view that udicule arpcdrs TO him most
perilous
MY own attentc0 asS been directed to
this question rather A.rsq.cly in the course
Of the last few weeks ry certain comments
made by reviewers regarding THE Rain
bow And ro"hd"s it viii be possible most
clearly TO ou..~e what is in my mind by
citing orc particular instance 4 certain
feminine character in this play is an at
tractive wen Of the v orId, who has many
likable trsst. md who started life with
every pror,..r n developing into fine
woman Through a series Of episodes.
however. r,r ufr ,a3 mo,c or less gone 10
smash, until at fre lime of her appearance
in the play .." Gad her realizing that her
life has been and always will be a failure.
part is TO suggest all these things beneath
a fashionable ap5 smiling cNlcr.or-the
broken heart bca.4t1 ,ls calm surface
zone of our wo: .-l.uou; and cupable
critics remarked ,f ,'lF character that she
gets little symu.lls com the author when
her heartfelt remarks end with Tho con-
Gresation will now join in singing Pull for
the Shore. Sailor Pull for the shore 80 .
hot
deep, true note that shodIt pot he sent -
the bottom with a silly laugh
There Is aH ar-uwen; a.aii-, .h.s criu-
cism which seems TO me quito sufficient
and that is trat it is not always the man
who take -'ueols most seriously who is
most scri.--iy regarded by Otnor Icoplc.
Everyboo} Knows the pompous man who
is the jokc oC his community. though he
never seem 10 rca izo IT, In the special
case under discussion ,Ho argument is more
particular. II is tHa this kind of a woman
is one Of those fcp.le who seldom e.hlbit
any emotion, though they feel deeply. In
the conversation which She concludes with
the fippant remark objected to oy this
critic she has revealed the very depths OF
her heart 90 the man she vainly loves ana.
having done so. she is ashamed of il, iust
little afraid that she will appear ridicu-
lous. SO she decides 70 be the first TO laugh
at herself. and does so in the speech quot
ed-a speech in which she practically says:
What a urcsome old preacher I've srown
10 be, haven't r?
I'm icy judgment. an audience feels no
less sympathy with t-is character because
she Is willing 10 laugh at herself. At all
events. Il is better FOR the purpose Of the
ha
than a her.
This matter or unlocked for and un-
wished for laughtcr Is "a thing that is con-
stantly on the mjrd Of any competent stage
director throughout the trying period dur
ing which play is being prepared for the
view OF an audience. II is thing he must
never forget. and which. if he is ut for his
task he never does forget. Nothing is so
fatal TO the success of a serious play as
laughter from an audience at the wrong
time And the tIincs that an audience viii
laugh at are notorious.
Il once saw performance OF an emo
,ional play which held the sympathy of
every human being in a crowded theatre.
lust as the climax Of the third act was ap-
nroaching a cat walked quietly upon the
scene from the wings. sat down in the mid
die of the stage and began 10 wash her
whiskers. The audience laughed The two
actors tried not TO notice the cat. but the
laughter grew until II reached the proper
tions Of roar and the last two minutes
OF the act were played in perfect gale of
Inerriment. OF course. for that perform
ance the play was ruined. The last act
might lust as well not have been played at
al. And mere cat was responsible for
this, TO such perils is the art Of the the
etre exposed.
"Once 1 wrote a novel. ! never did so
much work before or since for ;lS5 rs, and
yet L sometimes envy the novelist. At all
events. he is master Of his own pages. No
cat can walk into the middle of page lSS
without his consent. No blundering fly
man can ruin the climax Of his big act by
lowering the curtain too soon or too late.
The pet comedy scene of his book is never
spoiled and blurred by the arrival in the
midst of Il Of some blbulous party, just
from a very gay dinner, falling over every
ones feet On the way 10 their seats in the
middle Of row Fire engines never
shrek past the doorway OF his pages just
as the hero is saying plainuvely to the
sympathetic heroine. But why do tell you