Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
ME time spent in seeing per-
Torrance is short enough.
>nt+o., .l,a s,E:ca for ca hriaf


i Often the price for so brief
an entertainment appears
rather high. But the entertainment
does not cease with the final fall OF
the curtain. The important value of
the impalpable merchandise lies in
its availability for subsequent
thought and discussion. The OBJ
servation Of the fleeting demonstra-
ton is but a small element of the
interest. The play is most popular
which becomes a conversational as
set. Managers realizing the value OF
controversy do not shun it. They
like it. and as they thunder volleys
Of protest against hypocrisy and
''prudery," they become themselves
actors on bigger scale than that
undertaken by the players them
selves.
Few OF us realize how much act
ing it takes to make world. The
professional mime limits his efforts
10 his moments in cosmetic and cos
tune. Off stage he becomes more
candidly human than any other
creature on earth, and when he
seeks to impress often becomes just
{. little droll i'll his unpublished tent
peramentalities But your good
business man has to go on acting
forever and ever, setting offices like
scenes and rehearsing dialogues on
familiar lines as far as possible in
advance, SO as to possess the ad-
vantage over the newcomer who
must deliver hi1nseif-un.ess prac-
ticed' salesman-eXtempore. 1t all
works around to the same old re-
mark: THE worlds stage"
The big acting OF the week was
done by Mr.. William A. Brady. He
IS no amateur He knows the pro-
iession Of acting from the A, B, c of
the footlight Kindergarten to the
postgraduate profciencies of the
New York; Producing Managers
Association.
K !: I: x
In genial Renaissance he referred
10 the time, many, years ago, when
he played Old Tom in after Dark"
and had to plunge into tank of
cold water at Harris Bijou Thea
ter, about a block east from the
President Theater, which was then
Kernan's. His favorite role is that
OF the orator customarily denounc-
ing something or other, in vocifer-
Gus suspicion that unless something
IS done quick the theater is going
to the bow-wows; predicted as its
inevitable destination ever since
there was any theater., OF, course,
the theater is a perpetual institu-
ton; as permanent. in human inter-
course as markets, roads and cur
rency. The manner of it's express
sion varies under different civiliza-
tions. Under our own, it is curious
Iy standardized, having anticipated
radio. in principles of distribution,
broadcasting the entire continent
from single station, as represented
by the Broadway theatric area in
Manhattan. go. ''' ~
p Long before the curtain went up
On the dramatization of the remark
Able story by Robert Keable,
,"Simon Called Peter" Mr.. Brady be-
gan the line of dialogue pertaining
to his part in the histrionic occasion.
He warned everybody that they
might be shocked He addressed
clergymen especially, generously an
nouncing that any minister who
thought he would like to be shocked
might come in and enjoy the expert
ence free of charge. AS his own
protagonist, Mr.. Brady made the
work of the. faithful and talented
company at the President, struggling
under the disadvantage OF INSULT
cient rehearsal, matter of subordi-
nate consideration.
X X x r -.
Not all of his stage business was
new. When Olga Nethersole Played
"Sappho" the managers succeeded in
getting arrested, thereby turning the
news columns of every daily publica-
ton into press sheet more infuen-
'tial than any criticism, reckless or
profound. Mr.. Brady could mot
have summoned the police any more
ostentatiously if he had stood ont