Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-02-06
DRAMA, A LIVE TOPIC
WITH WOMAN'S CLUB

| At the meeting of the Woman's
Club last week, the subject, 'The
! Drama" was one of more than usual
| interest to us just now.
Recent stage productions were re-
viewed and among others was that of
'fChauve-Souris," or 1.-The Bat" which
played to crowded and enthusiastic
audiences in New York for year and
half and has just left Chicago after
a run of several weeks. 1t is unique
and different from anything ever
given in America.
1t is vaudeville, but glorified vaude
vile and these Russian players are
said to Observe success because they
have shown that slap-stick Duffoon
cry, which we have in our vaudeville
shows, is not an essential to comedy.
even to farcial comedy.
The, theatre Of the "Chauve-SOuris"
''The Bat" theatre of Moscow has had
a curious history.
1t was originated by some of the
actors and actresses OF the famous
Art Theatre of Moscow, who used to
meet, after a serious play, in cellar
room in Moscow to indulge in vaude
vile stunts" Of their own devising
the great artists were admitted.
The public clamored for admission,
and finally The Bat Theatre was es
tablished, with a show combining the
Follies and the Russian Ballet, an
amusing and entertaining program,
in which the one and only condition
was good taste IN everything.
The public was admitted if it had
the price, and the price was higher
than any other theatre in Moscow
not even excepting the opera-siX
dollars for a single admission.
The players were dispersed by the
Bolshevist revolution and fed, as
refugees, to Paris. 1t occurred to one
of them, the present managing direc-
tor, Nikita Balicff, that they might
gain a livelihood by introducing the
"Chauve-Souris" to Parisians.
The plan succeeded After taking
Paris and London by storm, the play
ers were induced by Morris Gest to
come to America
Their performance consists of a
series of detached vaudeville acts.
pantomine, dancing, singing and two
or three burlesques.
Some of the music is by such noted
composers as Tchaikovsky, the dane
ing is said to equal that of the dancer
Pavlorra, and the chorus compares
with the best in grand opera
One burlesque, "The Sudden Death
of a Horse was written by the well
known dramatist, Tchekhotf.
'The Parade of the Wooden Sol
Giers" is fayorite number and is
exceedingly droll. Everyone says it
| - I'D TO hn foe a finn Of
the entertainment, but that it is part
ly due to the note of intimacy, which
is a distinguishing feature of the pro-
duction and which Mr.. Balieff intro
duces when he cautiously parts the
curtain to make his opening speech
in broken English.
We are accustomed to sitting alOof
in the play house We let the actors
do all the pretending and we main
tain a rigid detachment.
A very able and shrewd producing
manager says that we go to the thea
tire with icicles in all of our pockets
and chips on our shoulders and that
what we need to do is to let loose, to
give our minds and our imaginations
full rein, to yield ourselves to the
playwright and the player.
The audience at the Chauve-SOurls
responds in just this way and instead
of an audience passively accepting its
pastime on platter, as in the ordi-
nary motion picture and the ordinary
stage play, there is an audience which
helps to make its own entertainment.
These Russian players are lesson
to Americans. Let us take the lesson
to ourselves and help to make suc-
cess of any entertainments we may
have in our new municipal building
by bringing to them the spirit of the
Chauve-SOuris.
The Woman's Club will meet next
week "wednesday at the club rooms
of the municipal building. The COM
mittee in charge of the program is:
Mesdames H. E. Schreiner, W. G.
Cartwright, Harry Carthew, Clarence
Rich, Katherine Nathan.
At the regular convocation OF Grant