The sun., 1919-04-06

only anticipate what CRUEL fate has in
store for him!
The procession starts. A fateful
morning finds him before the man
ayers desk. What have you to
Say" Guilty" he absent mindedly
interrupts, and a contract Is signed.
The poor manager has been duped.
He thinks he sees in the manuscript
things the author himself never could
have suspected, let alone have planned.
The managers imagination easily
transcends the playmaker's. and on the
strength Of what he thinks he sees
parts with several perfectly good
crisp green certificates, and the calcu-
lating author departs. grinning with
malicious satisfaction and triumph.
"Ah. have a play" cries the mana
ger. but alas! It's not so-Just an ex-
cuse for separating himself from more
healthy simoleons.
The brain-child Is now intrusted to
a credible director who also thinks he
sees things, possibly between the lines,
in the margins or on the covers. "Ah,
fere Is play" he too exclaims. But
alas and alack!" Once more an error.
Just an excuse for his reporting regu-
larly at ten thirty for rehearsal in
stead Of cantering through the park,
playing pinochle or clipping coupons.
And as Shakespeare would remark,
and then the actor with shining,
morning face, creeping, like snail, I'M
willing to- the daughter. His is a
sorry lott What Gilbert thought Of
policeman and Sherman or war goes
double and then some for him. He
never realizes what will descend next
upon his innocent head Poor soul!
His part, like Damocles's sword, is
suspended above, ready, to drop any
moment and pin him to an ignomin-
ious run OF severl seasons-and then,
again. mayhap no. "Ah, here we
have a play!" he too expostulates, in
u. timely giee, but alas! not yet.
BY this time the brain-child has
undergone. at the hands of manager,
director, actor. stage carpenter, por-
ter and special officer, a re-baptism
such as would make the most heart
less Of parents sit up and gasp. But
right here 1t should be interposed
very quickly that these venerable
gentlemen usually convert a script
into playa distinction truly with
a difference. II 1t were more gener-
ally known just how much good d.
rectors and good actors contribute to
the success OF a play much more of
their praises might be sung.
For instance. in "A Sleepless Night"
now at the Bi1ou, several big laughs
In the play are due in many cases to
the ingenuity, originality and inspira-
ton of the director Oscar Eagle. and
actor, Ernest Glendenning, who with
the authors conceived new situations
and laugh lines at rehearsals. They
are ardent and efficient collaborators
In their way, and It is a pleasure to
accord them tribute.
BY this time It has been discovered
at rehearsal that they are missing
obligatory situations. binding lines,
entrance and exit lines, &C. These
were absent In the original script
when the playwright was certain at"
was a play. A play is a living thing;
a manuscript is lifeless. The stage
business suggested by director and
actor at rehearsals could never be
visualized in the reading. One OF the
biggest successes on Broadway to-day
passed safely through the fingers of all
the metropolitan managers before II
found its present humble abode. II
was passed up by the most expert.
Even they could not sec its possibilities
until clothed with scenery and breathed
into with life by type players. To-day
1t boasts Ave companies.
But tchen Is a play? Now? Not
yet Not even the premiere makes 1t
a play. That distinction is still de-
ferred. We have yet the most impor-
tant OF collaborators TO consider. the
audience. Electrically speaking, the
audience is the positive pole to the
plays negative, without which com.
bination no spark or current Is pos
sible. But why not the premieref
Because not until the third night can
one be reasonably hopeful OF a real.
regular, saneIy human, we'll balanced
audience, minus theatrical wiseacres,
sickly scribes and flushed wine agents
When is a play? Answer: The third
night and--maybe thereafter
7 r your true American is the blended
product OF many races, then there
Is no more genuine specimen in
these parts than little Marion Saki, the
dancer OF Charles Dillinghams Every
thing" at the Hippodrome. despite the
fact that her real name Is Hatsuko
sakaklbara and that she first saw the
light OF day In sendai. tiny village