South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-07
CoHoquidl Titles
In Modem Dramas
Read Like Fiction
BY y. Il. BABCOCK.

theatrical advertising In a New York
newspaper. one must be Impressed
by two facts: first. the amazing
number Of plays that offer them
selves nightly for inspection, and.
secondly. the lack OF dramatic sig
niicance in the titles which many
OF these plays bear.
There is. Of course, nothing new
in the bestowal OF what may be
termed colloquial titles upon drama
tic works, as witness Shakespeare
"As You Like It." AIS Well That
Ends Well" Much Ado About
Nothing" or Goldsmith's "She
Stops TO Conquer" but it has. I
think remained for the present gen.
Grafton to receive and accept from
playwrights a most thoroughly IN
romantic vernacular as worthy ma
terial for labels to the stage pro-
duetions we are invited to witness.
However commonplace may be
thought Sardeu's "A Scrap OF Pa
per" or Oscar Wilde's "a Woman Of
No Importance" il is nevertheless.
seemingly. but a long step cheap
ward we reach such offerings as Z.
a. Thomas Come Out or The Kit
chen" and Clare Runners Good
Gracious; Annabelle. which, not
withstanding, are masterpieces of
virile nomenclature, compared with
some OF the titles that other recent
writer's for the stage, have seen 1T
TO bestow upon their productions.
Prof. Brander Matthews in his ex-
haustive work. "A Study Of The
Drama" does not, I believe, take
up this subject of appropriate and
inappropriate names for plays, and
yet he makes ii clear that it should
be the duty OF every playwright
to be entirely honest in the uneasi-
ness which spectators sometimes feel
when they find that the play they
are witnessing does not belong to
the type which they had been led
10 expect"
Now the question remains, should
not the name of n play, afford as
far as possible a clue TO the sort Of
thing one is about to see, Is it not
quite reasonable to suppose, since
terms associated with the great
American game Of Poker have come
into use as handles tor the drama.
that a person who is drawn TO the
theater by the title of Three Kings"
has as much reason to suppose he
IS about to witness an up-to date
comedy of club life, as that his at
tention is being invited TO religi-
Gus drama coincident with the birth
80 Ch-f~tf,v,st.~ = -,
kings OF the Orient, figured?
How. indeed. under the system Of
play-la beliing now generally in
vogue. is one to know from its ad-
vertised name, whether any prom
Used production will turn out 10 be
n farce or tragedy? Cast your eyes
over the advertised theater offerings
I'm any large city. and see for your
self how frequently you must be
content TO buy "a pig in a poke"
But that there is considera BILE
amusement to be extracted from an
inspection of the conglomerate mass,
think ! can prove, by setting down
here the somewhat diverting result
obtained by a dove-tailing of the va
rious theatrical lads" published In
this mornings papers. At the cost
OF but little ingenuity we obtain the
following:
BE Calm Camilla" said Peters
Mother" it is Nothing But Lies"
Order Perkins" 10 prepare Tea for
Three" Everything" at ..Sometime"
depends on how successfully you OBJ
serve The Saving Grace" and
Watch Your Neighbour" BE THE
Girl Behind the Gun" Watch Your
step" Don't he Little Simplicity"
or you'll lose THE Big Chance" You
have Three Wise Fools" Head
over Heels" in love with you, all
eager TO become "Daddies," and each
Boosting he would make "An Ideal
Husband""Three Faces East" all
Looking Where Poppies Bloom" for
The Canary" Don't turn them all
into Friendly Enemies"
IT isn't as though you were
"Everybody's Girl or a Polly With
Past" needing Redemption" and
living in "Parlor. Bedroom and
Bath" You are not THE Riddle
Woman" but The ReaI Thing. -
and entitled TO a worthy Marriage"
Remember. THE Matinee Hero" is
but a Passing Show" at best he
belongs only 10 THE Unknown
Purple" Has ne Freedom" to
make THE Betrothal?" Better say
to him "Oh Boy" Ladies First. -
Information Please" for "A Stitch
in Time" is wiser than 10 make The
Long Dash" and be Under Orders"
OF vain regret Forever After
After reading the above, you
might, if you have a fondness for
games of this sort, try 10 devise 4
little Acknowledgment dealing
with the number OF sobs compared
70 the number Of laughs contained
in all these shows" and how much
il would cost, including the dreadful
70 IN them oil