The Detroit times., 1914-02-16
CHAPTER WI.

crowded with the Kind OF audience
inat Is always gathered togethe af
this time OF the year The eight 0oNe,
-A2eIe- filled -hy the families of leading
managers, or by women star, who had
nor yet opened their season and Vino
came 10 be- seen and 90 See their iel
10" artists at work RI earding lt
event as groat social occasion. r.tr
lady stars had arra,e I'd Them selves
their most gorgeous raiment and tar
wives or the managers. as representa-
ives OF the commercial side of ne
drama, were equally conspicuous ln
the Orlliiancy OF their piumage
The 'front.' rows were filled by MEL
who were either particular friends OF
the. manager OF the thpater. OK Wno
were willing TO pay ,NorDiiani prices
TO the spectators for snch choice
seats. Back OF these sat The critics.
gloomy and terribly conscious OF their
own importance, and. still farther
back. the men and women who seem
TO live only for FIRST nights and who
just manage 10 exist somehow some
where during The intervals Young
men with long hair. accompanied by
ladies with wonderful coiffures anu
gold eyeglasses. embryo playNrights.
professional playWrights. rival mana
gers, theatrical lawyers, Wlpe-agents,
play producers. music publishers,
Ishow-girls, still rehearsing and whose
men friends were sufficiently gener-
GUS TO provide them with expensive
seats, play brokers. sOng-writers. cos
tuners, wigmakers hair dressers,
hotel managers. composers and lib
rettists-all OF the men and women
who are more or less dependent on
the theater and It's people and whose
bank accounts are directly affected
by the success or failure of any new
play
The greater part OF the audience
gathered early in the Hobbies. the
men discussing the rumors OF the
success OF the various artists in the
musical Camedy during IT'S week at
Atlantic City, and the women making
mental notes and exchanging caustic
or niplimentary remarks concern
ing the costumes of the new arrivals.
II was "A crowd which had come TO 30
seen as we'll as TO see: the men for
the greater part business bent serious
and knowing: the women conspicuous
for their extravagant head-dress, their
bizarre and inappropriate raiment, the
great amount OF perfume that they ex-
uded and that soon permeated the en-
tire theater. Max Lusk and two OF
his male crnnies sat IL the front row,
but Wilmerding, less wise in the Sc
crets OF how 10 obtain the best places
for Broadway premiere, had bought
seats for his party much farther back
in the orchestra
IL the exceedingly encouraging re-
ports of the new musical comedy had
given more than usually joyous and
hopeful air to the assembled audience.
there was no such spirit evident back
of the curtain Ben Tolliyer. the
manager. Merely. the producer. and
the actors and actresses who were TO
play the principal parts, and whom
Fay had seen laughing and Joking be-
hind the scenes at Atlantic City, had
suddenly become terribly serious.
Now every one seemed nervous and
irritable and TO have lost their comb
dence and all hope OF success.
Fay had gone TO the theater early.
and having dressed for the first act,
went down on the dimly-lighted stage.
The scene was already set and ready,
the properties were laid out on long
tables; nowhere was there any sign Of
confusion. but rather the superlative
orderliness OF the deck OF a man-of-
war The whole atmosphere OF the
place seemed 10 Fay tense and UNI
necessary and quite unbearable:
groups OF actors stood about in corn
ers OF the stage, silent and gloomy
and even the grips" appeared de-
pressed and apparently hopeless OF
the outcome. That this same stage
would In a few minutes be the scene
and pretty woman seemed TO Fay
hardly possible, and tired OF the
silence and pail that hung over the
place, she hurried back 10 the more
atmosphere OF the big dress
ingroom that had been set apart Tor
tho use OF the show girls.
Here there was laughter and end
less chatter and an absolute lack OF
any kind OF feeling OF responsibility
whatever. No gloomy doubts assail-
ed the cheerful outlook OF these
ladies' Whether the play
was success or failure they we're, at
least. sure OF their salaries for a few
weeks, and IN any case, they were
back In the big town, at home in their
coy fats, and surrounded by the kind
friends who would send them flowers
and give them an endless round OF
dinners and supper-parties.
Fay did not leave the room until
she was called with the others for
their first entrance, Carefully hold
hnr AVaaG ahn Anuyn fha
narrow spiral staircase 10 the now
brilliantly lighted stage and found
that since her last visit great trans
formation had taken place. The rad
lance or o thousand electric globes
seemed 10 have dispelled completely
the former foreboding gloom. The
silent pail that had hung over the
place had given way TO an atmosphere
OF keen exhilaratiOn. On the stage
proper the soubrette and the second
comedian were taking their third en-
core for song and dance which at
Atlantic City had never won more
than one; everywhere she looked,
ABOUT the broad spaces. behind the
scenes. there were groups OF smiling,
gaily dressed chorus girls. the prin-
cipals of the company, now apparent
ly sure OF success, were gathered
about the entrances ready to go on or
waiting TO congratulate their fellow
workers as they left the stage. Even
the usually hard-set features OF Ben
were wreathed in smiles as
he stood Ia the prompt entrance dir
Getting the performance. The play
was going as II had never gone be
fore and Tie very air seemed charged
viii success.