The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-27
I MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 naught I was set to see the Phillies get some practice at the expense of the Barons.
 l am no. weather prophet and know little about the signs of the heavens, and get the wise old saws of those who have handed down meteorological lore all twisted up, and just for the moment do not recall whether the suns setting red means rain or shine.
 But Thursday morning with the wind coming as it did I could almost
 taste the wetness in the atmosphere and gave up all idea of going to Rick wood park, and began to cast around for some indoor sport as somehow l
 was in no mood to sit down and dig out a story on "cold collar" tried out the lobby of the Tut wiler, which is one of my favorite spots when in search of something to give me a tip for an article, but some how I soon tired of the political gos- sip, and the gloom of the day seemed to have invaded the hospitable hos telry.N I was slipping into a pessimis- tic frame of mind and to wash it away l took to the streets r. can usually have a good time visit ing around in the big stores. for there is always lot of new goods f6 at tract ones attention and then there is plenty of life in watching the sales people and the customers, and when this pals I enjoy having chat with
 the heads of the departments or the prSprietors.
 1 Around 2:3o I found myself down in l the neighborhood of the Lyric and wandered in without knowing or car | ing anything about the bill. My only thought was to keep from moping. l | got seated expecting the vaudeville to start any minute, but the feature pie | ture. was being shown and then ex- cerpts from the Literary Digest, to be followed by Fox's News. advertising and then a comic.
 I thought surely my watch must be wrong, for at 3:30 the films were still being flashed on the screen. when | it was time for the show to be over. The audience had stood the wait we'll | for it developed that my timepiecs was strictly on the job. l knew then that the trouble was caused by de- I layed train for I could hear them set | ting up the scenes. Now, when the whole show is off schedule it means strained nerves both for the actors and the stage manager.
 Personally I got more interested in the efforts of the management to keep the house quiet and pleased than did in anything which was to be staged I have found that the average American crowd is generally pretty good natured and ready to find amuse-
 ment This was brought out by the sneezing of a man. Everything was tense on account of the picture, when all of sudden a rip roarious sneeze was turned loose which permeated the building and sent the audience into a fit of laughter.
 
 But so far as I was concerned in spite of the five good acts the thing which chased away my blues had noth- ing to do with the regular perform ance but was furnished by a happy hearted child who sent out peal after peal of childish chuckles over the do- o'f in, ip play. It just bubbled over with de- | light and was as refreshing as spring breeze over bed of violets. It put the whole crowd into good humor and helped to save the day for the
 Lyric.
 If the crowd in front could have seen the frantic turmoil behind the scenes there would have been much l sympathy for the Jagged players and the hurried stage hands. It is always harder to set up the scenes for the new show on the opening day. Now, nearly all of the up-to-date acts have 1 special scenery and some of them are quite complicated and consequently nara lO TIE dii6Ht Nithoul Plohts oi time Luckily the ones on were rather simpler than usual or there. would have been still greater delay. Now, those who fool around vaude- vile houses know that every act wants to try out it's skit with the local orchestra before going on. It is really very important and necessary if the act gets across. theatregoer sits 1 impatiently waiting for the curtain to go up, and if there is a wait. won ders why the orchestra isn't on the 1 job and playing to keep the audience | entertained. But. frequently there is reason. Thursday afternoon it was down in the basement hurriedly going over the pieces with the five acts. | It was a trying afternoon on the actors, the stage hands. the treatre management and the crowd, and to add further confusion to the various handicaps, in the middle of one of the acts the lights went out. It is bad
 enough for this to happen to public speaker or even for a preacher.
 know what I am talking about, for even if a preacher is preaching with out notes it is hard to hold his con gregation's attention in an unit church.
 Bf. if this be true about church n~-< ~rxko