The Washington times., 1923-05-16
HOW LONDON
MET GAMMA
CHRISTIE"
Arthur Hopkins Own Story OF
Stage-fright and En-
suing Ovation.


This is Arthur Hopkins own
story of the opening of Anna
Christie" in London, which meant
the introduction to England of 4
dramatist, cast and production all
'distinctively American. "A n n
Christie scored q triumph.
"On arriving in London, four
days before our opening, l FOUND
a detected and worried company.
Tales of American failures ana
gallery bookings had terrified them.
Polly Lord wanted to go back
home. George Marion, of untall-
ing, quiet geniality. was irritable
and strangely laxative. Frank
Shannon had an air Of exaggerated
gayety. The others were SUBJ
merged in dumb detection.
II called the first rehearsal ana
the play had suddenly become
strange to them. One after an
other went up in lines, lines tnat
they had been saying for Sixty
weeks, Because of the construc-
ton of the Strand Theater-tnat
is, the sight-lines from the upper
balconies-I had to change the
stage business. Anything played
at the sides of the stage was com.
pleteIy lost to a large NUMBER Oh
seats. 1 brought everything cen
ter, changed positions ana mus
completely upset everyone quite
naturally.
cat the end OF the first rehear.
sal the company was in throes Oh
detection. So / decided against
further rehearsals, merely runnlns
through changes. The rest or the
time was spent in getting back
heart and spirit. 1t reminded me
of nv football days and the hour
spent before the game when the
coach told us why we had to win.
AS we left the theater the after
noon of the opening, the lines Tor
the pit and gallery had already
formed, six hours before the cur
tain time. There they were, those
people who either cheer or boo
you and practically decide your
London fate. They looked formid-
able.
Curtain time came. The house
was packed to suffocation. Cur
tain up. The steely lighting of
the barroom In the.~first act was
new, and somehow one got the
feeling that it was impressive.
George Marion stumbled on and
was greeted by a hearty and most
unexpected reception. BY the
time he got to the first strains of
Josephine, My Yo," the audi
ence was in the plays grip and
at that moment l felt we were
safe. Marion never played so
brilliantly. Then came Miss Bev-
erly, carrying on the work of
our lamented Eugene Blair, and
she, too, seemed inspired.
And then came Polly. She seats
herself with that centuries of weari
ness air and in that voice of ex.
hausted establishment ordered, "A
isk', with little yinger ale on the
side, and don't be stinchy, baby :.
She never was so amazing.
The end of the first act was
greeted with a torrent OF approval
And then most heart-warminR ex.
perience occurred. The gallery sent
a delegate back-stage to me to say
that they were having difficulty
hearing, but that they had too much
respect for the play and the artists
to call out.
THE second act went with a new
sweep, with Shannon playing su.
perbly. At the end another out.
burst of applause. Then came the
third and the big scene and all
pent-up emotions burst loose until
poor Polly was terrified. She stood
against the back wall with her face
buried in her hands while they
bombarded her.
AS a rule, the demonstration at
a London opening is withheld until
the end of the play. But this time
they did not wait. 1t came at the
end of the third and again at the
end of the play.
Then back-stage was flooded by
crowds of rejoicers, mostly strangers,
but here and there a welcome
beaming American. face Then the
girls from the gallery and pit
waited outside the stage door for
Polly and she had to write her
name in many books.
Thus ended our fears and wor.
ries. And thus began a new and
welcome understanding of the 'un.
demonstrative' English"
MIX