The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-19

and some day that Is the way they
will be engaged
My eXperienc. in the years that
followed has convinced me Of the truth
III that observation. Whatever ability
l have 10 get a laugh out OF an aud
ieiice uepend> upon ny sensing tie
mood of the player at WHOM my lines
are aimed my quick adjusting Of
myself to his or her tempo. And that.
consciously or unconsc.uusly, Is every
, comedians secret. Let M illustrate
with the examples OF two irresistible
Comedians, Hth III whom l hay. been
lucky enough to play with. and.
Halter myself. wise enough Ia learn
from. 1 refer 70 May Irwin anu Ray
mond Hitchcock.
II played with Miss Irwin for two
years. one season IN "Mrs. Black Is
Back and one In "Mrs. Wilson An
drews.' and during that tim. she
taught me to keep so Ell rapport with
the spirit OF her performance that bee
tween VI cues were dispensed with
altogether. Nothing annoyed this al
ways spirited c~omedienue like an
actors dependence upon "A formal cue
from her. and as to taking me her
SET Il Was uhheard II. Tie result
was that no two audiences ever saw
exactly the same performance. When
Miss Irwin was In "A particularly
HAPPY mood, with those out III front
enjoying themselves 20 beat the band,
IL wasn't up 10 me to butt in until
the spirit moved me with IA good stin
bunch that 10y was the psychologic:il
moment FOR your Uncle Dudley 10 get
in his. When II came my turn Miss
irwin reciprocated. and then some.
"DnCe upon "a time. in Mrs. Black
Is BACK she gave me the fright oi
my life by turning the stage over &c
ME for "A full five minutes where ]
had previously held forth for only two
To three and a half minutes. As
went on and on. i%niprovising ant
throwing in gags It suddenly oc-
Cured to me that AZ It WAS nearins
the T. Of the season n Miss lrwil
was pretty we'll tired out she had for,
) gotten her lines. perhaps wa going Il
collapse then and there. So being con,
fes s-dly quite without tinesse in suci
matters. 7 yesorted 70 the vulgar *,
! pedient Of swapping my fingers righ'
) under Mrs. Blacks nose. WhcreupOI
|. Miss Irwin jumped into the play ant
the audience almost out Of their seats
Now, having got that big laugl
\ once. lots OF comedians would hav,
made the mistake OF permanently IN
cooperating the new business or i'm
pr~ovisations. But not Miss Irwin. Thu
wise comedian never attempts 4 ge'
the same hearty laugh by the sam,
process twice In succession. Sporta
neity In the heart and soul Of q frs
class comedian, and sp%ontaneity Of
kline that cannot be- simulated hu
mus, nc felt by and radiated from Tn
personality of the player. One ma.
stimulate grief. black tra' Wy; bu
you've got to feel the genuine titilla
tons OF real fun around your ow-
laughing apparatus before you "a
make an audience laugh with you.
raymond Hitchcock, with whom
played for two seasons in The Var
kee Consul is another e%Xempl!fica
ton Of the theory that comedians nj
born in pairs. In~spirational improv
sation j. the very keystone Of Hitcl
cocks art. Whenever u man com
up and slappins me on the back tel
me tina he's seen Very Good EIdi
SIX or ten or n dozen times (and, N
li"v- ne, this play has more such il
Net"rat. %r-peaters h any other
tn" season. aud that I've never us'
quit" the same lines or the same bus
ness twice | lead him Ia the ncare
bar ANA tell him to &c AS far rs
likes. As for myself, that is one
the few occasions when l do not al
cannot taxi. IA drink. All | do I
the rest Of the day Is to think If Mi
Irwin NJ Hitchcock and hug to n
ti.nrat.Ve shirt front the fond drlusi'
cor does one say illusionD that I M
succeeded in making Al Cleveland /
most AS funny as Miss Irwin wu,l
play him were she "A "A
q And right here, ! want Ia ~,
concluded Mr.. Hazard. that wi,ho
J the splendldly spirited ~Kivo-and-ta'