The Washington times., 1922-01-29
CONTINUED from Page g.

tiles Of 1.-THE Blue Kitten" to be
ferociously claqued by the gentle
men who usually do that sort Of
thing. Why? Oh. because the peo-
pie are accustomed to it.
r THINK that IL 1 was an artist
and came on the stage 70 speak
my little piece only to find that
rude applause for a preceding mum.
Der rendered my words so inaudi-
BILE that / was forced to retire until
the deadeningly rowdy sounds
ceased-I think that II were con-
fronted by such behavior-well, I'd
resent 1t and see that the audience
caught on to the resentment. 1t
happens SO often. Some song APP
proved by the music publishers
must be sung and re-sung and re-
re-re-sung. even though some per.
fectly expensive and fayorite artist
has to stand aside whilst the inter-
ruption is going on. This was the
case on the first night of 1.-THE Blue
Kitten" 1t is the case on the first
night OF every show that has music
In 1t. 1t was not the case with elsie
Janis ana Her Gang'-a gang at
least knows how to behave itself, 1t
would seem.
The whole attitude IL insulting to
artists and to public. or course.
the public doesn't matter. The pub
lie gets used to everything. as cells
get used to being skinned. But the
artists must SILVER in their nervous
ness and their modification. To
stand at the wings, pretending to
do something that win kill time.
whilst a set of perhaps vaudeville
performers" repeat what nobody
cares for even in the first instance
must be excessively CALLING. should
think that 1t might even be a mat
ter that the equity. might consider
with reievance. Such interference
initiates against an artists good
work and frequently mars It COM
pletely.
IN HERE can be no glory" in
such applause. II deceives
nobody. The public Tolls plac-
idly whilst II is in progress and
perhaps yawns irresistibly. The
public Is slobfully tolerant. The
public has been made to realize that
other interests are concerned in
this reiteration of bad songs. and
the public is good natured. Abroad.
IL a bad song were thus insisted
upon. Kisses would mingie with the
claqueful applause and the result
would be a sort of riot. It has hap
pened abroad. Friends Of the man.
ager and Of the artists have burst
into applause that has been counter
acted by the misses OF the genuine
theatergoers. -..
I do not know II any genuine"
theatergoers ever attend the pre-
miers Of the masical shows here.
I am inclined to think they do not.
The audience is made up of profess
sional approvers and critics, 1t
seems. These, Of course. are not
sufficiently enthusiastic to insist
upon spontaneous applause. I do
not suggest the ignominy OF the
hideous hiss. That has always
seemed to me to be both cruel and
unnecessary. But-what relief!
What a beautiful sensation it must
be to break into an avalanche OF
absolutely insinceye applause and
smash It into smithereens! 1t would
give one sort Of missionary
ecstasy. One would feel like hav-
ing redeemed a crowd of helpless
and suffering people from torture.
And these claquetw methods are
torture. They rasp the nerves and
martyrize the patience. They are
the very irony of cruelty. The
Inquisition might have used such
methods Of torture with excellent
results. And still they exist and
will not be downed. 1t was a pleas
ure to sit through Miss Janis's
pleasant little entertainment, with
its good.natured attempts to win
favor by legitimate methods. and
note the attentive attitude Of the
audience. 1t was even instructive
and novel. One saw, as though
for the first time, how an audience
received turns" that had no claque
to interest.
A ND. oddly enough. The Blue
~ Kitten" had so much in its
favor that it could confidently
have been left to the public. There
might conceivably have been some
positively genuine applause IL only
Mr.. Hammerstein could have
brought himself to put a little faith
in the good taste Of those present.
Rut the modern manage has no