Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-11-09
CHAPTER Xxx.
Black Out.

The auditorium was in almost total
darkness. A single voice was audible
from the stage that confronted it like
some tremendous, moonlight canvas in
a huge frame of furnished gold. They
stole silently round the orchestra seats
to the stage-bOx-the same box that
Whitaker had on the former occasion
occupied In company with Max.
They succeeded in taking possession
without attracting attention, either
from the owners of that scanty scat
tering of shirt bOsoms in the orchestra
the critical fraternity and those In
Inmates hidden by the manager to the
first glimpse OF his new revelation In
ptagecraft-or from those occupying
the stage.
The latter were but two. Evidently,
though the curtain had been up for
That opening scene was one perhaps
unique In the history of the stage
Composed by Max in some mad, poet
zeal moment of inspired plagiarism, 1t
not only owned poignant and en-
thralling beauty of imagery, but it
moved with an almost Grecian certi-
tude, with significance eXtraOrdina-
rily direct and devoid Of circumlocu-
ton, seeming to lay bare the living
tissue of immortal drama.
But with the appearance Of other
characters there came a change: the
rare atmosphere of the opening began
TO dissipate percepttbly. The action
clouded and grew vague. The auditors
began TO feel the f1utterings of uncer-
tainty in the air. Something was fail
ing to cross the foOtlights. The sweep
Ing and assured gesture of the accom-
pltshed playwright faitered: clumsy
bit of construction was damningly ex-
posed; faults Of characterization null
tiplied depressingly. Sara Law her
self lost an indefinable proportion of
her rare and provoking charm; the
strangeness Of failing to hold her au-
dience IN an ineluctable grasp seemed
at once to nettle and distress her.
Max himself seemed suddenly to wake
to the amazing fact that there was
something enormously and trremedi.
frequency to halt the action, to inter.
rupt scenes with advice and demands
for repetition. He found it impossible
to be still, to keep his seat or control
his rasping, irritable voice. Subordi.
nate characters on the stage lost their
heads and either forgot to act or
Overacted. And then-intolerable eli
max!-of sudden somebody in the
orchestra chairs laughed in outright
dertsion in the middle Of a passage
meant TO be tenderly emotional.
The voice of Sara Law broke and
1ell. She stood trembling and IN
strung. Max, without a word, turned
on his heel and swung out of sight into
the wings. Four other actors on the
stage, aside from Sara Law, hesitateC
and drew together in doubt and be
wilderment. And then, abruptly, with
no warning whatever, the Illusion OF
gloom In the auditorium and moonlight
In the postscenium was rent away by
the glare of the full complement OF
electric lights installed in the house
A thought later, while still all were
blinking and gasping with surprise
Max strobe into view just behind the
footlights. Hating, he swept the ar
ray Of auditors with an ominous and
truculent stare.
So quickly was this startling chang,
consummated that Whitaker had NJ
more than time to realize the reap