Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08

LAUGHS FROM THE PLEASURE
SEEKERS. The following, from a Scene
between William Montgomery and Flor
ence Moore in The Pleasure Seekers
affords an interesting example of how far
musical comedy dialogue may get sepa-
rated from the plot in the search for
laughs:
81 feel IKE a nut sundae,' says Mont
gomery, by way of suggesting a dainty.
You look like nut Sunday and every
other day." quickly responds Moore.
why do you smoke such long pipe?"
inquiries the feminine end of the team.
Il am trying to keep away from tobac-
co.. answers Montgomery.
Let US get cup of tea and bum.
suggests Montgomery. Who ever heard
of getting bun with cup of tea?" re-
plies Moore.
IF / had a moth" she says, indig-
nantly, II would throw it in your coat"
Didn't ! tell you, she says later, 'if
you had to run into anything to select
cheap spot? And what did You do? You
ran into the window Of cut glass es-
tablishment, and next door was a five
and-ten-cent store"
GERTRUDE HoFFMAN'S RISE
Many Washington theatergoers will re-
member the Bijou Opera Company that
used to be popular in the larger cities
between Richmond and Atlanta, and
some of them remember Kitty Hayes.
who was only a chorus girl and the
wife of the musical director. That
Kitty Hayes is now Gertrude Hoffman.
Max Hoffman. the musical director of
the old Bijou company, is still musical
director
Miss Hoffman went on the stage first
in San Francisco. in the chorus of
musical stock company. One day she
was given ever SO small dance to do
alone. She did ii so well the leading
woman of the company offered her an
enough money for her railway fare.
The east, however, was pretty well
filed with girls hunting engagements
and the Pacific coast applicant had a
hard time until she obtained a posi-
ton with the Bijou company. Rich
mond. Norfolk. Atlanta and other south
ern cities were visited. and after
while Miss Hoffman came to be known
as the little girl in lavender"
Later she disappeared from the comic
opera stage to reappear soon after as
Gertrude Hoffman, dancer, mimic, stage
manager and producer. She discovered
herself as a star in "A Partisan Model"
of which her husband was the author.
The premiere danseuse was taken ill
and Miss Hoffman went on in her
place, without preparation, and was a
complete success.
A PROTEST FROM THE AUDITORIUM.
Close observers Of the theater audiences
are noting a growing tendency among
needless people to indulge in conversa-
tion quite regardless Of the annoyance
1t may cause those who are seated near
them. This is especially true in the case
of those plays. possibly OF more limited
appeal. which are mainly conversational
and depend not SO much on action for
their interest as upon clever and trench
ant lines. In the discussion Of this
state of affairs a Washington woman re-
Gently observed:
II am an enthusiastic member Of the
Drama League. and ] am inclined TO
think that II it turned its attention from
audiences II would be performing a much
needed service. For of what avail is It
to provide a good play IL the audience is
not permitted to enjoy 1t?
Last week. she continued with some
feeling. Il went to play that all
WASHINGTON has looked forward to, a
play that was the literary event of the
last season In New York; mean. of
course Fanny's First Play.
Now you know what Bernard Shaw
play Is, 'Fanny's First Play in par
ticular-if you cannot hear the lines. 1t is
Hamlet with the Hamlet left out And
yet that Is exactly what happened to me.
My husband Is very busy man. and
when he found an unoccupied evening
We seized 1t and went to the theater.
We took seats in the balcony. The the
ater ID a large one. out an average per-
son ought to be able to see and hear
rom the third row.
1T would have been possible had there
not been a row of lively and. / must con-
Less. not too Intelligent young people
seated behind What unfortunate
chance had led them to this particular
theater / cannot imagine, for the play
was evidently a sealed book to them.
they were not bored. but they proceeded
20 create for themselves the amusement
that the play failed to provide for them
And incidentally they spoiled the evening
for a score of others in their immediate
neighborhood.
1.-THE speeches Of the actors must hav,
been screamingly funny to Judge from the
sounds Of laughter arising from the main
floor, yet two rows of maddened specta-
tors craned forward in their seats in the
balcony In a vain attempt to catch the
words, while the group of boys kept up a
running fire of comment such as "Oh. Gu
It QUIT" Bottle her up!' to the accom-