The Washington herald., 1921-04-17

before i would an East-Sider. or
any OF the Flatbush or Hackensack
Meadow kind of butt-iners. I'll So
that Junius Rollins is present on
your Fridhy night: and IL he don't
climb over the footlights and offer
you fifty a week as a starter, I'll let
you draw ii from my own salary
every Monday night. Now, am
talking on the level or am i not"
Amateur night at Creary's Eight
Avenue Theater is cut by the same
pattern as amateur nights else
where. After the regular perform
ance the humblest talent may by
previous arrangement with the
management. make its debut upon
the public stage. Ambitious non
professionals, most self-instructed,
display their skill and powers of
entertainment along the broadest
lines. They may sing. dance, mimic.
juggle. comfort. recite or disport
themselves along any nf the ragged
boundary lines of Art. From the
ranks OF these anxious tyros are
chosen the professionals that adorn
or otherwise make conspicuous the
full-blown stage. Press agents de-
light in recounting the open
mouthed and close-eared reporters
stories OF the humble beginning Of
the brilliant stars whose orbits they
control.
Such and such a prima donna
tthey will tell youl made her initial
bow to the public while turning
handsprings or an amateur night
One great matinee favorite made his
debut on a generous Friday even
ing singing coon songs of his own
composition. A tragedian famous
on two continents and an island first
attracted attentin by an amateur
impersonation of a newly landed
Scandinavian peasant girl. One
Broadway comedian that turns EN-
away got a booking on a Friday
night by recitine (seriouslyD the
4 graveyard scene in Hamlet"
Thus they get their = chance
Amateur night is a kindly boon. Il
is charity Invested of almsgiving
II is a brotherly hand reached dowI
by members of the best united bant
OF coNorkers in the world to rails,
up less fortunate ones withou
labelling them beggars. 1t gives yol
the chance, il you can grasp It. {,
step for a few minutes before som,
badly painted scenery and. durin,
the playing by the orchestra Of som,
ten or twelve bars of music, and Will
the solss of your shoes may be clearl,
holding to the uppers. to secure
salary equal TO a Congressman
or any orthodox minister's. CoulC
an ambitious student Of literatur,
or financial methods get a chanc,
like that by spending twenty min
utes in a Carnegie librsry7 ! d.
not trow so.
= But shall we look in at Creary's'
Let us say that the specific Friday
night has arrived on which the for.
tunate Mac MCGOWAN was to justify
the fisttering predictions of his dis,
tinguished patron and. Incidentally
drop his silver talent into the slit
Of the slot-machine Of fame anC
fortune that gives up reputation and
dough. offer, sure of your &C.
quiescence. that we now fofsweal
hypocritical philosophy and bigotec
comment, permitting the story e
finish itself in the dress Of material
allegations-a medium more worthy
when held to the line, than the mos,
laborious creations Of the word
page OF manuscript missing
here.)
easily among the wings with hi
patron. the great Del Delano. For
whatever footlightsr shone In IN,
City-That-would Be Amused. tn,
freedom Of their unshaded side wa,
Ders. And IL he should take VI, aT
| amateur-see? and bring him ,arodnc
f-see? and, winking one Of his cold
blue eyes, say to the manager: ''Takt
It from inches got the goods
see7" you wouldn't expect thai
amateur to sit on an unpaintec
bench sudorihcally awaiting hi:
turn, would your So Mac strolled
around largely with the non-pareil
and the seven waited, clammily. or
the bench.
A giant In shirt sleeves, with
grim. kind face in which many
stitches had been. taken by sur
geons from time to time, e.
with long stick, looped at the end
He was the man with the HOOK.
The manager. with his close
smoothed. blond hair. his one-sided
smile, and his abnormally easy man
ner. pored with patient condescen-
sfon ovar ffta dffflcuH uroarar Of the