The evening world., 1914-01-31

tous personal conversation with the
lone sneexer. Only last night after
the second act of "A Little Water on
the Side" I was about to respond to
the applause with . speech when nve
say blades in tho front row started
to 80 out. They had been 90 jolly al!
vening-laughing even At the asbes-
tos curtain when It went up-that I
could not resist the opportunity. 90 I
made the speech directly at thcm-
telling them Just what they were go
Ing out for: bomoaning my fate be-
cause could not 90 with them; tell
ing them where they could get the
longest glasses Of 1t. but that I had
In my dressing room q glass of the
same thing twice a. long. Isn't It
funny q man will sit all through an
act and laugh and at tho end Of the
act 20 out 10 have Q smiisf He'll
pay - for . la .gh and Is cents for Q
smile.
But no comedian should ever laugh
at his own comedy. and undersay
rather than oversay any bit Of humor.
In the yacht scene Of "A Little Water
on the Side" It II discovered that
moro LIQUOR than food has been
brought on board. When this ID
found out gave one Of the characters
this limo to say: "This isn't Q cruise:
It's a BOOZE" He spoke II this way:
This 10 not cruise: this IL BOOZE
Then he burst into fits Of laughter al
the line. But the audience didn't
I was eager for the laughter I ex-
pected that line would bring: 30
took the man aside who spoke It:
told him not to laugh when he uttera
the line and then to cut Il down to
soven words instead Of nine; for one
word too much can spoil . comical
speech. When he did this the line
got all the laughter It deserved.
In the Same way humorous lines
half spoken. letting the audience think
out the conclusion. got moro laughtel
than the Same line uttered word fol
word. Thus In the second act Of "A
Little Water ON tho Side." when the
young country girl sitting at the
piano. says: what shall playf" Te
which my answer u: II don't caro-
I'm going out" My rule II to breah
the line by turning ON Il don't care
delivering the rest Of the line with
my back to the audience an I 60 out
I never look into the faces Of audi.
encss. I only SEQ them In tho mass
I know they come to the theatre eagel
TO laugh. and that they will laugh
a. heartily ono night - anothsr-tht
weather permitting. For only bad
weather-rainy or humid days-dis.
inclines audiences to laughter. dom
think there 10 such thing a. de.
liberately cold audience" a. som,
people seem to think. and every audi.
ence II Just a. Intelligent a. to the
points OF q play ~ the most intelli.
gent actor in It. I always give m,
auditors credit for the Same amoun
Of intelligence an any actor on tn,
stage-even after looking at them
Now. you can take that any way yol
like: it's q shot at somebody.
There 10 q great deal In timing" {
comedy line. I think the most trivia
line should be delivered with all tn,
seriousness OF Hamlet's soliloquy-
and I've heard even that get laughs
Timing q laugh 10 usually called ,
trick. but it's really an art. Henc,
why does one comedian make an au
dience yell with laughter and anothe
ono make an audience yell with pail
delivering the same line?
In conclusion. I have consulted tn
most expensive dictionaries. from
Webster to Wagenhals and Kempel
and even the most beautifully boun,
encyclopedias. from Chambers I
Tante. and still can't define humol
nor can anybody else. 30 why try? Lar
IL a burden and sorrow at Its best, .
why sit at home and worry and mop
when for two dollars Cat the box OF
fice. or two dollars and a half at tn
hotels) you can 80 and for two hour
or two hours and q half cit an
laugh-maybe.
u Because. alwayv remember that b
VIA looGAo ~ y Q 0ret.AlShtns.
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