The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-30

delicately terms the boosters Now.
these are well meaning friends Of the
authors and actors OF a
play. who come to do their bit at It's
II you don't think there's
loyalty among theatre folk, just come
and hear their followers on an OPEN
ing night. That's proof enough Of the
actors union. The boosters work
harder than their friends behind the
footlishts. They feed every line by
laughter. tension or applause. Between
times they express their delight by
such comments as Immense "A sure
fire hit and IT'S a bear But the
boosters applause gets forced along
toward the end OF the evening and
their encom.ums sound hollow. They
begin to come UP for air in their bout
with tho knockers. It's fine fight,
this of tho Broadway first niRhters.
Gathering impact as the battle pro-
crosses. the opposing armies soon In
volve the neutrals. and the warrior
hosts are Just shout ready for the Anal
battle when--the play is over. So they
tSve to demobilize until mustered into
sNrvice for another first night.
II may be speaking abstrusely and
fsuratively; but I know / am speak
ing psycholosically OF the first night
audience In New York. I've watched
them for 4 dozen years, and they've
always been the same. They strike the
extreme. but never the mean.
Managers and authors would do
we'll to keep away from openings that
interest them spiritually or financially
think the one man who really en-
}oyed the premiere Of The Royal
vagabond' was Mr.. Cohan. who waS
busy playing a Prince There Was al
his own theatre. Yet The Royal Vaga-
bond proved one Of those fnstantane-
Gus successes
''On the other hand. Three Faces
East was very adversely criticised by
its first night audience. 1t took week
or more before tho success OF the play
was really established. By that time
tho real playgoers-those persons whc
go to the theatre to be entertained
had had time to see II and decide tha
they liked It
Mrs. F1ske's new play. Mis- Nelly
OF N'Orleans,' was a success from tS'
start. That was one opening III
Joyed--from Atlantic City.
"But can name any number OF on
productions that would have gone Il
the storehouse in a week had we re
lied on first night opinion. A Tailo
Made Man Is one of them. The For
tune Hunter Is another. It took thre
weeks to establish Doing Up; and 81
with The House OF Glass The frs
nishters were delighted with The Bill
Idea and Young America but tn
sustained theatregoing public rejecte,
both.
After all. these and not the TEN
peramental first nighters are the PEG
pie for whom plays are written an
produced. II you want a fair verde
wait until the third nigbt--or tn
Wednesday matinee. Take my wor
for II, many a matinee audience ha
determined q plays real fate"
William A. Brady said: What d
FIRST night verdicts amount to? 1t de
ponds largely upon circumstances, An
by circumstances mean the partlcu
lar kind Of an audience that may hav
assembled to witness the first night @
n particular kind Of play. II Is a fac
long known In the theatre that 1t Is
wise manager who on the openin
night OF a play stages the audience a
we'll as that which the audience is I
So enacted across the footlightl
tagging an audience on the first nigh
10 an essential factor toward the i'm
mediate success of a play--grantin
always. Of course, that the play
worthy. One OF the most successft
men In the American theatre devote
a great amount OF time and care I
securing for new play first nigh
audience which through training. In
stinos and habit 10 tav0rably dispose