Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-03
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK

r TITLE does the average theatre
= goer know OF the trials and tribua-
tions Of that category known generally
ms the press agents, whose duty 1t IS
to precede attractions of the theatre
into city and herald their forthcoming
BY the use Of billboards, newspaper
columns and the electric signs. Besides
attending to the preparation and
"planting" of the many notices. stories,
copy for ever changing advertisements
in the amusement columns, ETC., the
press agent must be able to adapt him
self to any emergency that. may arise
at inopportune and. unexpected mo-
ments.
The temperament Of stars is gener-
ally the most touching situation to be
handled. They must have their names
displayed in certain sized type, care
fully related to the size used in the title
of the show: in some instances being
larger and preceding the play title; at
other times the same size beneath the
title and numerous variations. The
author must have his name displayed
In n certain manner, likewise the stage
director cannot be neglected and the
composer must be pleased, and last but
least of all, the producer must approve
of the whole regime. Mistakes of COM
positors and printers are often the
cause of the birth of gray sage brush
on the Uranium of the poor press agent.
Herbert Corthell is being featured in
the musical comedy at the Opera House,
and boasted this week that he has as
sisted more advance men in collecting
material for press agent stories than
any other comedian before the American
public today. When Fifty Fifty
was in the course of organization Mr..
Corthell spent many hours in .scheming
and figuring out new and unique pub
licity stunts to be used on the present
tour of Fifty Fifty"
inNE doesn't expect Pike county. Pa,
~ to set the fashion, but Fred Hille-
brand. of that section. with a twenty
six inch waist line and inside trousers
seam measuring thirty nine inches. is
sort o built to wear clothes and not
be bothered with wrinkles.
Hillebrand moved away from his natal
spot some time ago. and is making
his first appearance in Philadelphia in
"Take II From Me- now playing at
the Shubert. In addition TO having
the longest legs of any one in these
parts. he is a singer, dancer and a
nut" comedian.
Before he was engaged for his pres
ent tanglefoot role he was playing small
time. aud was known as nifty
dresser ION and of. y
TIME American stage is just begin
l. ming to feel the effect of the closing
of the great war. Artists placed under
contract during the war and later are
beginning to flock 10 this country to fill
n o.
here before. but others are making
their initial tour, principally those ap-
pearing in vaudeville.
Wilkie Bard and Talbot O'Farrell. !
who appeared at Keith's recently, were
among the newcomers. while Alice
Lloyd. Wish Wynne and Lily Lena.
all of whom appeared in this country
several years ago. have returned and
are playing vaudeville. Miss Lena
has only recently come back to America
and is to be one of the Easter week
features at b. +. Keiths Theatre in
this city.
Miss Lena at home is an idol of |.
the 'alls." and she is duplicating the !.
popularity in this country gained on
her first visit. She is called Eng
lands Fashion Plate Comedienne. She
has an extensive repertoire of exclusive |
songs. and from this has selected a
program of lyric stories.
CHAKESPEARES frequent employ
~ ment of ghosts and witches as vital
forces in his dramas lends to such plays !
as Hamlet, Macbeth" and Rich
ard III" new interest in a period of |
psychic investigation like the present. |
Mr.. Mantell's repeating all these at the |
Broad next week, so one has an OPP !
portunity to see how the bard views the |
worldly phenomena.
A belief in ghosts and witches was !
common with all classes of society in .
time. Ben Jonson. con-
temporary dramatist and close friend |
Of Shakespeare. frequently saw ap- .
partitions, and the two may have talked |
over the phenomena in the Pickering .
candelight of the Mermaid Tavern. !
Queen Elizabeth. the strongest minded !
woman that ever sat on a throne, did |
not doubt the existence of witches. and !
her father. Henry VIII. Of equally
strong intellect, whatever may be said .
" his morals, sanctioned the law
passed by his parliament. providing
severe punishments for "offenses of evil .
spirits or of witchCraftpS -